Finding the right art supplies for your toddler’s age changes everything. The wrong tools create frustration. The right ones — the chunky ones, the washable ones, the ones that actually survive a two-year-old — create an hour of independent creative play while you drink your coffee hot. Here’s exactly what I use and recommend, organized by age.
Best Art Supplies for 1-Year-Olds
At this age: non-toxic first, size second, washability third. Everything will go in their mouth. Everything will end up on the wall. Plan accordingly.
This post contains affiliate links. All picks are personally tested in my sensory classes and learning pods. I only recommend what actually gets used — and what’s actually safe. See full disclosure here.
1. Crayola Washable Finger Paint
This is the one I use in my sensory classes with babies and young toddlers. The colors are vibrant, it actually washes off skin without scrubbing, and it’s the only finger paint I’ve found that reliably comes out of fabric. Buy the 6-pack — you’ll go through red and yellow fastest.
2. Crayola My First Crayons (Jumbo Triangular)
The triangular shape is genuinely easier for toddlers to grip than round crayons — they can’t roll off the table, and the chunky size means less breakage when pressed hard (which toddlers always do). These are the first crayons I recommend for any 1-year-old. I also love their triangular markers.
3. Wide Foam Paint Brushes (Set of 10)
Wide foam brushes are the single most useful tool for toddler art. No technique required, easy to grip with a chubby fist, and they apply paint efficiently. I buy the cheap multi-packs and don’t stress about keeping them perfectly clean — at $10 for 10, you replace them when they fall apart.
4. Taste-Safe Puffy Paint (DIY or store-bought)
For babies who mouth everything, I skip store-bought paint entirely and use our taste-safe puffy paint recipe — it takes 5 minutes to make and parents feel completely comfortable letting little ones go to town. If you want store-bought, look for paint specifically labeled “edible” or “taste-safe” rather than just “non-toxic.”
Full recipe: Edible Puffy Paint Recipe
Best Art Supplies for 2-Year-Olds
Two-year-olds are ready for more variety and a little more independence. These are the supplies that get the most use in this age group in my classes.
5. Crayola Classic Crayons 24-Pack
The standard 24-pack Crayola box is the right size for a 2-year-old — enough color variety to make interesting choices, not so many that it’s overwhelming. These are the ones I buy in bulk for my learning pods. They break, they get bitten, they end up everywhere. Buy them, accept it, replace them.
6. Washable Tempera Paint — Primary Colors Set
Buy red, yellow, blue, white, and black. You can mix everything else from these five. Tempera is the right paint for toddlers — thicker than watercolor, easier to control, and washable, so it comes out of almost everything. I like the squeeze bottles for 2-year-olds because they can pour their own paint, which builds independence and fine motor skills.
7. Dot Markers (Do-A-Dot Style)
Dot markers are one of my absolute favorites for this age. Press down, make a dot. No technique required, no mess, brilliant color, and toddlers can use them completely independently. They work beautifully for open-ended art AND for letter/number practice. I always have these on the shelf in my learning pods.
8. Basic 8-Color Watercolor Pan
A simple watercolor pan with one brush and a cup of water is one of the most calming and focused art setups for a 2-year-old. It’s also one of the most independent — they can set it up, use it, and clean it up themselves. Melissa & Doug and Crayola both make solid entry-level pans.
9. Elmer’s Glue Sticks
Glue is essential for all types of free art, and the washable Elmer’s version is the only kind I use with toddlers. I love that while they squeeze the glue they are working on their finger strength.
Best Art Supplies for 3-Year-Olds and Preschoolers
Three-year-olds are ready for more complexity, including scissors and markers. The fine motor control to actually use these well develops somewhere in the 3–4 year range — start with the right tools for their stage.
10. Crayola Washable Markers (10-Pack Classic Colors)
The classic Crayola 10-pack in bold classic colors is the right starting marker for preschoolers. Not so many colors it’s chaotic, vibrant enough to be exciting, and the washable formulation means marker on the wall (or the face, or the dog) isn’t a disaster.
11. Fiskars Preschool Training Scissors
These are the scissors that actually work for toddler hands. The spring-assisted mechanism means they open back up without the child having to control both directions — which is what makes regular scissors so hard at this age. My 3-year-old students have used these to cut paper independently within their first week.
12. Melissa & Doug Sticker Books
Peeling and placing stickers is serious fine motor practice that feels like pure fun. Melissa & Doug makes sticker books that are genuinely toddler-scale — not tiny, not fiddly, not frustrating. The reusable scene sticker books are especially good because they last for months.
Art Supply Staples to Always Keep On Hand
These are the items I restock regularly — the background supplies that make every activity work.
Best food coloring for sensory play and art — gel beats liquid every time for color intensity and value. Dollar Tree art supply finds — the items actually worth buying there (and the ones to skip). Tips for painting with toddlers — setup strategies that make art time actually work.
Art Supply FAQ
What paints are safe for a 1-year-old?
Look for AP Certified Non-Toxic on the label. For babies who mouth everything, homemade taste-safe options (yogurt + food coloring, or our edible puffy paint recipe) eliminate all worry. Crayola Washable Finger Paint is the most widely available non-toxic option for toddlers who are past the heavy mouthing stage.
Do I need expensive art supplies for toddlers?
No. Crayola washable products cover 90% of toddler art needs, and they’re specifically designed for children’s use. “Artist quality” supplies are wasted on toddlers whose goal is often to eat the paint, mix everything into brown, and see what happens when you press VERY hard. Buy toddler-grade, replace when needed.
How do I store toddler art supplies?
Low shelf or basket they can access independently, with caps that close easily. Toddlers who can get their own supplies and put them away use them more often — and that independent access is the whole point.