Favorite Art Tools and Toys for Preschool & Kindergarten
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To help you find the best supplies, I created a list centered around my favorite art tools and toys for preschool and kindergarten. You will find some fun materials your little learners can use to paint, draw, and create.
I love using art as a teaching tool. That is why you will find it sprinkled throughout the different themes I teach to my little learners. The best part about it is watching the students make their very own creations. Art creates a sense of accomplishment as well as an outlet for children.
Let’s get started and see how you can revamp your art center with amazing tools and toys!
You will find all these plus MORE art items on my Amazon list! This post contains affiliate links.
Favorite Art Tools and Toys for Preschool & Kindergarten
Paper Supplies
Tissue paper can be used in both art projects, making props for pretend, and all around the classroom. It has come in handy so many times for me.
Construction paper is a staple in the art center or for any art project! I like this pack of lots of colors.
Sometimes, you need the larger size of construction paper and this is a great pack. The colors are vibrant, and the paper is sturdy.
I like to keep this brown cardstock on hand for directed drawings and cutting activities. It is sturdy, plain, and gives students the perfect blank canvas for creating.
Grab this pack of multicultural paper to have shades for all the students in your classroom.
Favorite Art Tools for Drawing
Painting is easy with these dot markers. With very little mess, students can use these to paint as they would a marker.
Every art center needs markers! I like Crayola for their true colors and durability.
My students love to have the option of colored pencils on their art projects. I find that they slow down and make things neater when they use colored pencils.
I love this multicultural pack of crayons, markers, and colored pencils. The shades are great and provide more colors for your students to utilize.
You can use this liquid watercolor on different mediums, including paper, canvas, and even wood. Easy to use thanks to the convenient bottles.
You can use these for different art projects and even science experiments. I like to use them instead of a paintbrush to let students paint with droppers. The paint listed above works perfectly for this art project.
This pack of droppers is handy to have for science experiments, art projects, or sensory projects with liquid watercolor.
We can’t forget about good old washable paint! Keep this in your classroom to help paint art projects, posters, and more.
I like to keep this pack of metal paintbrushes for the paint above. It has several sizes and they clean up really well.
It’s the perfect way to keep paint messes under control. Use these cups with the paint above, and you won’t have to worry about students spilling paint. 
Make lines and scribbles in the paint with these scraper tools. You could also try writing numbers and letters for a little art practice.
Watercolors are a huge hit in my preschool room. They are easier to clean up and still give students that chance to create with a different medium.
Grab the 16-color watercolor set here.
These brushes are my favorite for watercolors. They clean easily and come in a variety of sizes.
Oil pastels are a great option for a new material to give your students. I like to break them into pieces to extend their use. These are some of my favorite art tools for directed drawings.
This is another fantastic art tool that is perfect for your little learners. It is a solid tempura paint that is inside of a pen. It acts like a marker, but it’s actually paint! It is great for those friends who don’t like to paint because of sensory issues…let them paint too but with paint sticks!
I love putting my tempera paint in these bottles so that little learners can easily pick their colors and squirt some out. These are great for spin art projects, too!
Sculpting Materials
Grab this pack of play-doh if you don’t have time to make homemade or if you need some to have in storage for when you are in a pinch.
Model Magic is great for sculpting projects that you want to dry and send home. This is a tub of white so that your students can paint their project.
This pack of air-dry clay is great for projects with little learners. It helps them build fine motor muscles and use their creativity and imaginations!
Art Tools
Use these scissors to make the edges of paper a little fancier than most. Each pair of scissors has a different pattern.
Help little hands learn how to cut paper with these bounce-back scissors. Sometimes, it takes a little extra practice to get the hang of how scissors work; encourage your students, and they will catch on in no time. This is a small size. You can find a larger set here.
These hole punches are smaller in size for little hands, and they are easy to push. Just a tip: remove the paper collector so that the holes come out easily and they don’t get jammed.
I like to give my students the chance to use these paper punches to create shapes and designs on their projects.
These low temp hot glue guns are great for use in a classroom. They don’t get as hot as regular glue guns but still work for securing accessories on projects.
Art Accessories
This bag of feathers can add some flair to any art project! You can never have enough feathers.
Add some animation to those art projects with googly eyes. This set comes with 500 pieces, plus they already have adhesive on the back, which makes them easy to peel and stick.
You can make so many art projects with pipe cleaners. Students will be able to make animals, objects, and even food with some simple twists and bends.
This set of pony beads has a variety of colors that can be used on many different art (and math) projects.
Use these colorful pom poms to add some texture to art projects.
Keep a set of the original on hand for art (STEM too). These are a traditional craft supply and you always need some in your supply cabinet.
Add some color to your popsicle sticks and these are the jumbo size for more stability.
These colored popsicle sticks are only 2.5 inches long. They are smaller and perfect for little hands.
Foam shape stickers are such a great art center accessory. They are a different texture than just paper and give students some practice tearing the backing off.
Not everyone likes glitter in their art center, but I love it. I tape some of the holes shut so that it doesn’t come out so fast. I also use glitter for add-ins in my sensory play, like slime and play dough.
This masking tape is easier to tear off, so little learners are more likely to be able to do it independently.
Grab this pack of colored ribbons for all your art projects! Students can practice scissors skills while using their creativity.
Yarn always comes in handy in a classroom. I like this pack of tons of colors so that I have some of any theme.
Stencils are great for little learners because they force students to work bilaterally with both sides of their bodies. Plus, slowing down and staying in the stencil.
Here is another pack of stencils that has basic shapes in varying sizes.
Stickers
Dot stickers are the perfect art center add-in because they are so versatile for your theme.
This pack of winter stickers is the perfect addition for all the themes you do during cold weather.
Get a lot of stickers for your art projects with this pack. There are some animals for a variety of themes too.
These eye stickers are a great alternative for googly eyes. I love that they are looking all over!
This huge pack of stickers is a cost-effective way to get a variety of shapes, themes, and colors!
Art Trays
Art trays are a great way to keep the art mess in control. You can use them as a space to create art or to keep art supplies organized. Click the images for each of the different kinds.
These art supplies can lead to some serious projects. When it comes to creating art, the sky is the limit. But when you have the right art supplies on hand, there is no limit! Let’s give these little learners an opportunity to create with anything their hearts desire. I hope you find something new on this list of my favorite art tools and toys.
You will also want to head on over to my post on How to Set Up Your Art Center, where I give some great tips on how to keep all these favorite art tools and supplies organized. And there’s a FREE art easel routine chart, too!
Learn how I use these favorite art tools at the easel. Check out this video.
Oh, and don’t forget to let me know about your favorite art tools and toys in the comments!
Love these favorite art tools? Pin this image!
Want to check out more of my favorite things for little learners? Check out my Favorite Things Blog Series with over 15 different favorite things lists (and growing)! If there are any favorite things for a theme you need, just let us know so we can create it for you.
hey, i’m jackie!
I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum.
