Crafting with your Kids - List of 10 Things to have in Stock

Crafting With Kids - 10 Things you should have in Stock

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Salam all! Planning on crafting regularly with your kids? Here is a list of things you should have in stock. Given the current situation with COVID-19, you probably won’t be making regular trips to the dollar store (which is the best place to get all these supplies). It’ll be much more convenient to get everything in one trip. Once you’re well stocked it would be nice to have a crafting box/bin so that you can have all your items conveniently placed.

I have created a list of items that I consider staples to have at home if you want to craft with kids. Crafting is always a great way to engage with children. It also offers something fun to do on rainy/snowy days. So, here we go!

Paper: This item is always in demand in my house. I keep regular printer paper for colouring, printing worksheets etc. I’ve also learned that it's important to have construction paper in stock as well. This gives them a range of colours to work with without breaking the bank. Something that I’ve just recently started to keep in stock is card stock paper. This is a thick, heavy duty paper used for a multitude of crafts. It comes in a range of colours and textures. I always try to have white card stock in storage at my house because it gives structure and strength to a lot of the crafts I want to make with the kids.

These are some of the brands of card stock I've used so far and have loved them!

Stickers: There is always such a huge range of stickers and adhesive decorations at the dollar store, it can often be overwhelming. Steer clear from branded, trademarked characters. Lean more towards generic stickers that can be used to decorate your child's crafts. Examples include, adhesive glitter paper, rhinestone and gem stickers, flower and butterfly stickers, shape sand letter stickers. If you can find adhesive googly eyes - that's a bonus!

These type of stickers are super useful for decorating crafts!

Painting Tools: Painting is such an easy activity to do with our kids - and there is such a range of types of painting! The possibilities are endless. Once you're at the dollar store, be sure to get paintbrushes, paint (poster paint, tempra paint or acrylic paint are all great options). If you're painting with younger children 18 months to 3 years old, be sure to get non-toxic paint that is safe for their fingers. Don't forget to grab a painting palette so that they can freely mix colours. I also found it useful to get smocks for them to protect their clothes while painting. Also, paintbrushes can be used in a range of different crafts that aren't related to painting!

Watercolour paints are also super useful!

Colouring Utensils: This is an important one! Be sure to stock up on markers, crayons and pencil crayons. Kids get excited about colouring when they have a large range of colours to use. I have had bad experiences with getting the dollar store brand of colours. I tend to stick to name brand colours so that they will last longer and will provide bright and vivid colours. My favourites are Crayola and Prismacolor. I also find it useful to have Sharpie markers so that we can write on all different surfaces.
Popsicle Sticks/Craft Sticks: These are also great to have in stock - there's a huge range of crafts you can make with them. There are two sizes that are most useful, as you can see in the picture. It would also be nice to get them in a pack with different colours so that your crafts can be more colourful and vivid.

Such great value when you get them from the dollar store!

Streamers or Wrapping Tissue: It's great to have tissue and streamers in your craft bin. They come in handy with all sorts of crafts, including mosaic crafts! The best part is that they are multi-functional and can also be used to wrap gifts, or for party decor!

These add so much colour and texture to your crafts!

Pipe Cleaners/ Chenille Stems: Pipe cleaners are great to have around in case you want to make a quick craft with your children. These are especially useful if your child likes making animal-themed crafts. Sugar crystals are a huge hit with them as well!

You'll never run out of things to do with these!

School Glue/Glue Sticks and all types of Tape: Don't forget to stock up on these! I definitely undermined the importance of school glue - I have used it so much over the past two weeks. It's also way stronger than I thought - I was able to stick cotton, pompoms, tissue, etc easily to paper. Tape is also a staple - I found packing tape, clear office tape and masking tape to be the most useful.

My personal favourite: School Glue!

Beads: Be sure to stock up on different types of beads! I only have lettered beads in my craft bin but I'm planning on getting a different range of beads as well. Kids enjoy lacing them through string and they can provide excellent sensory experiences for children as well.

My stock is running low, so I will stock up soon!

Yarn or String: Having these items in stock really increases the range of activities you can do with your children. If they are a bit older you can introduce knitting or crochet. If not, you can do beading, weaving and simple sewing as well!

These will add a different dimension to your crafting!

I hope this was helpful to you! If you would like me to add anything please leave a comment below!