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Friends Art Lab / Blog / Our Must Have Supplies for Kids from Amazon

Our Must Have Supplies for Kids from Amazon

Author: Kristian Klebofski    Published: 11/01/2022     Updated: 11/03/2022

The materials and toys that kids use to learn are one of the most important things in the classroom and home! We are thrilled to share some of our must have supplies for kids that we have found to be successful, educational, high-quality, and filled with fun that your kids will love.

We only share our best-of-the-best favorites.

You’re going to love them!

Kid-tested and kid-approved must have supplies for kids

We know that the cost of supplies can add up quickly, so we are very intentional about what we choose.

DISCLOSURE: Friends Art Lab a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  Read more about these links

A collage of art supplies: Sharpies, watercolors, paintbrushes, oil pastels, and watercolors.

Art Supplies

  • Crayola 16 Oval Pans Watercolor Set – These are like normal watercolors, but the “education” line by Crayola 10x better than the regular paints.
  • Crayola 8 Oval Pans Watercolor Set – Same as above, but 8 colors in this set. Again, exceedingly wonderful watercolor paints.
  • Watercolor Paper
  • Crayola Oil Pastels
  • Dot Stickers (2800 stickers): endless ideas of what do with dot stickers
  • Crayola Paintbrushes Set of 5 – All five brushes are great and the blue one is *chef’s kiss*
  • Fluorescent Tempera Cakes – The colors are unbelievable
  • Black Sharpies – Yep, even with preschoolers! Use your best judgement on if your child can use these safely.
A collage of must have supplies for kids related to sensory: jumbo water beads, tongs with hands on the ends, kinetic sand, a kid holding a container of pretend snow, and colorful muffin liners.

Sensory Supplies

  • Multi-Colored Water Beads – Water beads are SO cool
  • Jumbo Water Beads – They grow to about the size of golf balls!
  • Halloween Water Beads – A mix of orange, purple, black, and white
  • Christmas Water Beads – A mix of red, green, and white
  • Steve Spangler Insta-Snow Powder – This stuff is AMAZING. It’s a white powder that expands 100x its size in seconds and looks & feels like snow.
  • Kinetic Sand – More than lives up to the hype
  • Silicone Mini Hand Tongs Set of 8 – Fun for sensory materials and fantastic for fine motor!
  • Silicone Muffin Liners Set of 40 – For dry sensory tables (ex: rice, beans) or wet sensory tables (ex: water, shaving cream), these are hit.
A collage of kids books (all books listed below)

Kids’ Books

  • Complete Elephant & Piggie Collection – My favorite, favorite, favorite children’s books. This collection is everything. 5 stars. Two thumbs up. 10/10. A+. My favorites.
  • A Sick Day for Amos McGee – A sweet story of friendship between zoo animals & a man named Amos
  • The Koala Who Could – I have heard Miss Michelle read this book to our preschoolers no less than 7.8 billion times. Never enough times. A story of being brave and trying new things.
  • Giraffes Can’t Dance – A story about being self-confident and being proud of amazing you
  • Ladybug Race – A wordless book about how teamwork is more important than winning. I first read this at an art museum and since have bought copies for everybody I know.
  • Little Tree – A tree is nervous about letting go of his leaves, but when he does, he flourishes. *sobbing* *adorable*
  • It’s Okay to be Different – ANYTHING by Todd Parr is gold and should be on everyone’s shelves. ANYthing.
  • Enemy Pie – The best, best book for about Kindergarten and up about friendship and welcoming in people, even when it’s hard.
A collage of teacher/family activity books (all books listed below)

Teacher/Family Activity Books

  • Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting – EXCEPTIONAL book, and I wouldn’t expect any less from this guru of education and parenting. Whatever Susie does or recommends is always the best.
  • 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids – I had this as a required book for my college students because it’s THAT good. So many fantastic ideas!
  • The Curious Kid’s Science Book – From the same author as “150 Screen Free Activities for Kids” and just as fantastic.
  • The Ooey Gooey Handbook – Over 65 art, science, and play ideas for kids created by “The Ooey Gooey Lady!”
  • The Smartest Kids in the World – Okay, not a kids’ activity book…but still had to be included for adult reading. If you’re interested in learning about the education system in the US compared to the top countries in the world – enjoy.

The list of best supplies for kids constantly grows

As we learn about new, have-to-have supplies, we will continue to share here at Friends Art Lab!

What are your favorite kids’ supplies? Please share below as we would love to learn about your favorites, too!

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Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I have spent over 15 years in the preschool classroom, I have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I was a college professor of education for eight years. My passion is sharing creative learning activities for children and I'm so happy you're here.

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