I have never seen my daughter light up more than when I say, “It’s arts and crafts time!”. She squeals with excitement and runs to the dining room, ready to create. The joy on her face melts my heart for sure. We have been doing arts and crafts time a lot more lately thanks to the pandemic, and though the pandemic has been rough, our arts and crafts ritual has been a complete highlight! These are our absolute favorite, must-have art supplies for 2 year olds for endless artsy-craftsy fun!
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5 Must-Have Art Supplies for 2 Year-Olds
These top five art supplies for 2 year olds are our favorites for several reasons, but one major reason is that they are VERSATILE! We have gotten so many miles from the art supplies on this list. I’ve set up lots of different activities to keep my daughter busy and happy, thanks to their many uses. Here are the art supplies that made the list:
Art Supplies for 2 Year Olds Made for Little Hands
What makes these art supplies great for 2 year olds is that they are easy for little hands to work with. From paint pens to crayons, regular use of these art supplies not only encourages creativity and brain development, but it fosters improved fine motor skills, too!
- PAINT PENS
I have known about paint pens for years, but only recently gave some to my daughter to use. As an art therapist, I have always adored paint pens as an art medium. They are super vibrant, easy to use, and because they are pens, little artists have a lot of control over what they create.
There are two kinds that I particularly love to use with my kiddo. Tempera Paint Sticks and Paint Brush Pens.
When it comes to using the tempera paint sticks, they are very low mess. Let me say that again – tempera paint sticks are NOT messy.
As a mom, if I can give my daughter a chance to be creative, and I don’t have to clean up a disaster area every time, then that’s a win-win!
And for a little extra fluidity (and a tiny bit of mess) I also love the Crayola Paint Brush Pens. The colors are so bright and the brush on the end of the pen allows your little one to spread a lot of color on the page.
Here is a short video of the MayMoi paint pens in action. My daughter is in love with these paints pen!
Top Product Picks: Paint Pens
- GLUE
During a recent arts and crafts session with my toddler, we decided to give glue a try.
We have a LOVEVERY play kit subscription and one of our recent boxes suggested that it’s a good idea to introduce your 2 year old to glue. And it was a huge hit!
SIDE NOTE: If you have never heard of LOVEVERY, then I highly recommend you check them out! They are AMAZING. They send you these fantastic play kits that are tailored to the developmental needs of your child based on their age. Each box arrives full of Montessori-inspired toys that are really well made and perfectly suited to your child’s developmental needs.
The LOVEVERY play kits have definitely had an impact on our daughter’s development and we have learned a lot in the process, too. Plus, she adores the toys! You can explore their 2 year old play kits here.
Anyway, back to the glue. I was a little nervous to let my 2 year old go wild with a glue bottle, but it turns out, glue is an excellent medium for toddlers to experiment with. My daughter is borderline obsessed with glue now. 🤩
We’ve done art projects with both regular school glue and glitter glue. We love the Washable Glitter Glue from Elmer’s and also their classic washable school glue.
Top Product Picks: Glue
- FINGER PAINTS
Giving your 2 year old finger paints is like giving them their freedom. 😊
Toddlers adore the messy, slippery way finger paint glides over the page. They get to mix colors and experiment with their hands and fingers in ways that few other media allow. Finger paints make a great introductory art activity for kiddos who are new to the arts and crafts game. But be warned – they will want to revisit finger painting again and again.
Finger paints are perfect for kids 12 months and up, but 2 year olds can really grasp how to manipulate their hands and fingers to create lines and shapes with the paint.
Our daughter has so much fun finger painting and usually makes a pretty big mess. We put down a lot of newspaper and tape a sheet of finger paint paper to it so it doesn’t slide around as easily. She tends to get really into her painting, so taping the paper down is a big help.
Our favorite finger paint set to use is the My First Fingerpaints Set from Crayola. It comes with 6 squeezable colors and it’s made with little hands in mind. We also love this Fingerpaint Paper Pad from Melissa and Doug to go with it.
Top Product Picks: Finger Paints
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- CRAYONS
This may seem like an obvious choice but crayons are a staple pick for good reason. They come in a variety of colors, they are inexpensive, and they are easy for little hands to hold. When it comes to choosing the right crayons, there are lots of options. You can explore Crayola’s incredible selection here.
If your child is working on developing those fine motor skills, these egg-shaped Washable Palm-Grasp Crayons from Crayola fit the bill.
For older 2 year-olds who’ve got a little more dexterity, these Jumbo Crayons from Crayola are perfect. Our daughter did pretty well with them and they seemed to help develop her fine motor skills. We started handing her crayons at around 12 months. Here is a clip of her using the jumbo crayons at 18 months. Get them here on Amazon.
Top Product Picks: Crayons
For more activity ideas for toddlers, check out our Parenting Resources page.
- CONSTRUCTION PAPER SHAPES
So you probably know that construction paper is a must for arts and crafts time. And when it comes to art supplies for 2 year-olds specifically, construction paper is a definite necessity.
Over time, we discovered that construction paper shapes are a fantastic (and developmentally helpful) addition to our art supplies collection.
[🥳 Special shout out to our LOVEVERY Play Kits for educating us creative ways to teach our daughter about shapes and colors!]
One of the LOVEVERY 2 year old play kits that we received with our subscription not only came with incredible toys that encourage sensory play and learning, but it also came with a construction paper shape and glue kit.
Our daughter had an absolute blast creating modern masterpieces by gluing various shapes to paper. Not only did the gluing process help tune her fine motor skills, but using precut construction paper shapes gave her a chance to practice her colors and shapes.
Check her out using the paintbrush to glue some pre-cut shapes to paper in the video below.
Top Product Picks: Construction Paper Shapes
Additional Art Activities for 2 Year Olds
If you are looking for more art activity ideas to do with your toddler, I highly recommend you check out The Artful Parent blog. Artist and mom, Jean Van’t Hul, shares her incredible arts and crafts ideas for children of all ages!
I also recommend grabbing a copy of her fantastic book, The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family’s Life with Art and Creativity. We use this book constantly! It’s full of amazing art activity ideas, from quick hitters to more involved artmaking sessions. I definitely give it my art therapist seal of approval!
Thank you so much for exploring this list of must-have art supplies for 2 year-olds. I can’t wait to hear about your arts and crafts adventures with your little ones!
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