Check out 40 of the best art gifts for kids! From craft kits to art sets to open ended toys that inspire play.These gifts inspire creativity and innovation!

Whether you’re looking for a special occasion gift or or just trying to encourage your young artists this list full of the best art gifts for kids.  From craft sets for kids, to open ended imaginative toys, to art supplies that encourage more technical skill- it’s all here.  Whether your kid is a little or a tween inspiring creativity is always a win!

Kids gift ideas….

I have four kids ranging from 15 down to 8.  My house has seen a lot of birthdays, Christmas mornings, and tooth fairy visits.  As the years have gone by my husband and I have changed our gifting strategies a bit.  We’ve seen too many expensive presents be played with for a few days and then laid aside to be forgotten.

My favorite kid’s gift ideas are the ones that serve more than a singular purpose and that inspire creative play.  As a mom I appreciate toys that occupy and expand their brain as well as keep their hands busy.  As an artist myself I adore the idea of creating a childhood filled with opportunities to make.  

I’ve worked to compile a huge list of amazing gifts for any creative kid.  

Arts and crafts kits…

These arts and crafts kits are for when you want everything that your little artist needs for a project all in one neatly packaged box.  My little artist adores kits like these, even when we sometimes have a material or two on hand.  All the directions are there, the materials are there, and your little artist can work independently.  

These craft kits generally have a predetermined end product for kids to work towards.  Some kids love having that direction and some kid tend to cannibalize the materials to make their own invention.  Both of those options are a fine choice at our house.  No matter the end product they are making, imagining, and building!

Random Acts of Flowers kit by Renegade Made is a paper art kit with step by step directions for making flowers and spreading kindness!

Or make your own dreamy watercolor flowers to gift with this free lesson! 

This Kid Made Modern wooden robot craft kit is a favorite in a world where so many arts and crafts kits for kids are completely geared towards girls.  This robot is perfect for either boy or girl!

3Doodler Start Essentials 3D printing pen set for kids definitely crosses over into STEAM territory!

This Speedball Super Value Block Printing Starter Kit includes ink, brayer, lino handle and cutters, and speedy-carve linoleum.  Your little artist will have everything they need to learn lino cutting printmaking with this art kit!

Lulu Jr. Illustory Book Making Kit is a complete kit for writing, illustrating and publishing a hardcover book.  What young artist wouldn’t be so excited to author and illustrate their own book?!?

Dreamcatchers are all the rage right now and this DIY Dream Catcher Craft Kit is no exception.  

This ALEX Art Fantastic Spinner makes some super fun, mesmerizing spin art that’s fun for all ages.  

This Craft-tastic string art kit makes three large string art canvases- an owl, a starburst, and the word “Yay!’  These look super fun to make and to gift!

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun!

Art gifts for kids with paint….

If you have an artsy kid that you’re buying for you can’t go wrong with new kinds of paint.  It’s exciting to have a new medium to work with and some of these have super cool, specific applications for your artist to explore! 

This Arteza Kids premium tempera paint set includes fluorescent, glow in the dark, glitter, metallic and neon colors.  It is difficult to find this many unique colors in a tempera paint.  This set nailed it!

The Snazaroo face paint palette contains water based, dermatologist tested face paint that’s safe for even sensitive skin.  Set up a face painting booth or get into costume with these!

Kwik Stix solid tempera paint sticks come in set of 24 that includes classic, metallic, and neon.  These are perfect for when creative inspiration strikes your kiddo but you aren’t in the mood for a mess!

Faber Castell fizzy paint, mix and make watercolor art kit allows kids the fun of making their own paint and then using what they made!  This one is part science experiment, part art class! 

The best markers to gift…

Every kid has used markers but not everyone has used these markers!  Explore drawing in new ways, and on new surfaces with these awesome art gifts!

Crafty Croc Liquid Chalk Markers comes in a ten pack of neon Chalk Pens that are perfect for writing on chalkboards or windows!  Decorating windows!?!?

Gift these fifteen fine tip paint pens for taking part in the rock painting craze!  Oil based, fine tipped paint pen will allow your little artist lots of detail that will last and last!

This set of 60 dual tip brush markers will make any kid feel like a pro.  These are perfect for learning modern calligraphy lettering and for coloring books! 

These dual tip fabric marker set includes twenty unique colors and both a bullet and chisel tip!  Make your own t-shirt, shoes and more!

The best jewelry craft sets for kids….

It can be so satisfying to make something beautiful that also has a practical purpose.  And if you get to wear what you made, well, that’s an even bigger bonus!  These craft gifts for kids will set your artist to making their own beads and jewelry to wear or gift! 

You can make paper beads by rolling strips of paper on a toothpick but this 4M recycled paper bead craft kit makes it about 1000 times easier.  Get charming beads without the frustration! 

Melissa & Doug sweet hearts and butterfly friends bead set contains over 250 wooden beads that are perfect for the younger crowd.  These beads can be strung and re-strung over and over again for lasting value!

The original Rainbow Loom contains enough rubber bands to make twenty four bracelets.  Making these bracelets is addictive fun and there endless variations for your kiddo to experiment with!

Remember shrink art?  Well it’s still around and just as fun! This Shrinky Dinks jewelry kit is a super affordable super fun gift for a jewelry loving girl!

Learn the art of metal stamping with this STMT hand stamped jewelry craft kit. Make personalized, hand stamped metal jewelry perfect for your tween and up! 

The Loopdedoo a spinning loom friendship bracelet maker makes those super intricate looking friendship bracelets a bit easier to make!

Every child is an artist! -Pablo Picasso

The best art gifts for kids who love to draw….

Drawing is kind of the most basic of all art processes.  Encourage your little person to draw anything and everything by always having supplies with them.  Make drawing a special part of every day!

ID Made Modern on-the-go drawing kit includes a little sketchbook, markers, colored pencils and a sharpener all in a snappy little fabric carrying case.

The Faber-Castell Art drawing and sketching art kit includes an instructional booklet as well as a variety of black ink drawing pens and graphite pencils! 

These Prismacolor colored pencils aren’t part of a cute kit but they are top notch quality colored pencils that your young artist will use for years.  If your kiddo has been using student grade pencils these colored pencils will open up a whole new world for them! 

Hygloss tiny colorful blank books could be used as sketchbooks, story books or journals- the possibilities are endless!  And these tiny books are affordable enough to let your kids use them as they wish! 

This sketchbook is full of blank comic book pages perfect for the aspiring graphic artist! 

I’ve got some great free printable comic book templates that are free to print ! Bundle them up and make your own comic book journal!

This handmade leather bound turquoise sketchbook makes drawing seem a bit more luxurious.  Any tween or teen would love this pretty keepsake!

Art gifts that help create a space to create…

One thing that often prevents kids from regularly making at home is the lack of a space to spread out and work.  Whether it’s a space of their own in a bedroom or a tiny corner of the kitchen having a dedicated art space will make them feel like a pro.  These art gifts for kids will help make a special spot for making so the making happens more often! 

This freestanding black easel easel is childsized but looks plenty grown up enough to include in any family living space.  It’s double sided and even has a couple of storage bins that fit in it!

If you don’t have the floor space to devote to a freestanding easel this lightweight, portable easel has lots of the same features in a smaller package.  It’s still double sided and has a roll of paper attached with plenty of room to work big!

This wall mounted easel looks like a trendy oversized clipboard.  It’s got a chalkboard surface, attached roll of paper, and can be mounted at any height that’s comfortable for your child! 

My little artist has one of these four tier utility carts in her room and it helps organize about 150 tiny art and craft supplies.  That makes it the perfect art gift for kids and moms!  It really helps organize her room, and it’s super cute! 

This vertical desktop sorter is the perfect way to keep all kinds of paper available to your kiddo without it cluttering your counter.  I have a huge version of this organizer and I use it both for storing new paper and finished artwork! Bonus- this one is bright and clean looking and will blend with any decor!

This giant blue silicone art mat is similar to those used for baking except it has a lip to keep spills and drips in.  Use it as a smooth work surface for any art process and then roll it up and put it away till next time. NO worrying about supplies staining your table- genius! 

Art gifts for kids that inspire open ended creativity…

Inspiring creativity in kids doesn’t mean they have to sit at a desk and paint.  There are kinds of creativity and a million ways to inspire a creative brain.  Beyond actual art supplies and arts and crafts kits think outside the box with kid’s gift ideas that inspire higher level, creative thinking.  These creative gifts for kids can be used over and over in different ways and will last through multiple children.  

These KEVA wooden building planks look so simple.  They are small wood planks, all identical in size.  This set comes with 400 building planks, a storage bag, and a book with engineering minded building challenges.  These have lasted  seasons with my kids and they just keep coming back to them! 

Magna-Tiles are translucent, colorful, magnetic building tiles.  They have so many applications from building up into colorful castles, exploring color mixing, to creating shapes & forms.  These tiles are an investment that’s worth every penny as they will stand the test of time! 

These Magz wooden magnetic building blocks look like old fashioned wooden blocks but they actually include magnets that offer unlimited building possibilities.

This super simple pop up blank cardboard playhouse will inspire hours of play inside and out with coloring and painting their own design!

Do you know what a light box is?  It’s literally a box that’s illuminated from within that artists place drawings on top of to trace.  It’s also a super fun place to play with manipulatives such as the translucent Magna-Tiles above.  Make shadows, drawings, and mix colors on this portable LED lightbox.  

WITKA magnetic building blocks consist of magnetic plastic bars and non magnetic steel balls that work together in flat or geometric construction.

Fort Magic fort building & construction kit is like the couch fort we built as kids on steroids.  It comes with over 350 pieces, 17 fort ideas, and your furniture gets to stay where it belongs!

Check out 40 of the best art gifts for kids! From craft kits to art sets to open ended toys that inspire play.These gifts inspire creativity and innovation!

I hope these art gifts for kids inspired you to encourage a little creativity at your house! 

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