Most children are little artists in their own right.
Contents
Whether it's using chalk, felt pen, crayon, tomato ketchup or their own bodily fluids, children love expressing themselves through drawing on any surface they can find.
Parents should encourage their children in doing anything creative, but will often be frustrated if they ruin the furniture or the walls by doing so. This is where arts and crafts sets come in.
They are the perfect way of channeling your children’s artistic energies without costing you a fortune in paint and cleaning products.
Encouraging your child at a young age will help them develop essential communication and imaginative skills later on in life.
When it comes to the workplace or sorting out personal situations, your child will appreciate having those skills they acquired at an early age - all starting with a simple paper, pen and a few colors!
You can also help to keep a child occupied for a few hours while you have some much-needed downtime. Or you can help your child drawer and develop their imagination, forming that extra close bond with them.
Drawing is a great way for a parent to discover what is going on inside their child’s mind.
But where can you find the best drawing toys for children? What colors, crayons, pens and pencils should a good art set have to keep your child occupied for hours? How much can you be looking to spend on a decent drawing toy?
Well, parents need not go searching any further, because we’ve got a list of some of the best drawing toys for kids currently available on the market.
We’ve also got a buyer’s guide that will help you isolate what the best features and abilities are for a child’s drawing playset, as well as some frequently asked questions.
OUR TOP PICK
Our first product is one that has won numerous awards from places such as Creative Child’s Magazine and Dr. Toy’s Best New Product award, as well as coming with hundreds of very high ratings on Amazon.
This is truly a testament to the ingeniousness of this drawing set, aimed at children from upwards of 5 years old - introducing the Alex Draw Like A Pro.
If you want your child to keep themselves occupied without your supervision, then this is an ideal playset.
With plenty of stencils, pencils and over 124 slides for them to experiment with.
Your child can make their own flipbook, which is great if they want to progress onto something a little more complicated than simple static drawings.
The instructions on this set are very easy to understand, allowing your child to come to grips with these things themselves.
Or you can help them get it up and running before going off to score yourself a well-earned break. This can also be played by more than one child at a time.
Pros:
- This is a fun and engaging starter set for a child to develop their artistic skills. With a bunch of fun activities for them to get their teeth into, this isn’t too prescriptive and allows them to come up with their personalized designs and drawings.
- This has stencils and flipbooks and over 124 slides that your child can use and adapt to their own distinctive drawing style.
- Your child can create prehistoric settings, draw family members or experiment with colors - when it comes to a young imagination, you can’t put limits on it!
- The price - this is a very cheap set, ideal for those parents that want to stick to a budget or don't want to spend too much money on a toy their child will soon grow out of.
Cons:
- Some users have complained that the paper does not stay firmly enough in the paper holder, which might be an issue for children with mobility issues.
EDITORS CHOICE
Our next art box is a little more luxurious, coming with over 150 separate pieces of art equipment, this will be ideal for a child that really wants to challenge themselves when it comes to drawing.
You can draw, color, create and craft with all the utensils that this has to offer, including with sharpeners and scissors - introducing the Alex Art Box.
Coming in a cool, colorful and durable metal case, this is the one-stop shop for everything an art-loving kid could want. Featuring a diverse range of colors, your child can choose from felts, crayons, pencils and paper - you can be sure that this set will keep them entertained for hours on end.
This set covers crafts as well as simple drawing, they can cut with these blunted scissors all by themselves, making them very safe to be used without your supervision.
You can set them challenges to make various objects from cards and paper. Or you muck in and help them out. There’s no better way to bond with your children than by coming up with worlds together.
Pros:
- This set is perfect for children who want to expand their horizons beyond the limits of drawing. The sheer range of colors and utensils will give them hours and hours of enjoyment.
- Encourage your child to make their own birthday and Christmas cards, there are plenty of items here that will allow them to create a wide array of colorful designs.
- This is the perfect choice for a birthday or Christmas gift for a particularly artistic child.
- Your child can also improve their hand-eye coordination using these craft items, as well as developing their design skills, which may come in handy in the future.
Cons:
- Some users have complained that the box that the colors come in is not very durable and prone to splintering, which may be an issue for smaller children.
BEST VALUE
Our next coloring set is something a little more different, coming with an LED panel that children can use to trace over images of their favorite characters.
This product is most suitable for children between the ages of 5 and 12, all you have to do is put some batteries in your tracing pad and you’ll be ready to go - introducing Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad.
Croyola is obviously a very well-established brand on the toymaker market, and this product is among one of their highest-rated.
The light-up tracing set comes with 12 colored pencils that will allow your child to trace over their favorite characters and scenes from Disney, Marvel or Star Wars.
The frame is easy to use for young children, simply put the batteries and turn it on with a simple on-off switch. This tracing pad will be especially useful if your child has eyesight issues or is differently-abled.
Pros:
- This tracing frame is very lightweight and portable, allowing your child to carry it easily from one end of the house to the other, as well as outside. We all know how important it is to have a product that moves around with your child.
- The 12 colors will give your child as much diversity and freedom of expression as any other product on the market.
- This product is great for using at night, the LED background is reliable and will last on a single charge for hours and hours. It is also great for children who have sight impairment issues.
- The locking frame is easy to use and adaptable to frame stills from your kids' favorite movies or TV shows.
Cons:
- The 12 colors might not be ideal for children who are used to a larger drawing set with more colors and drawing utensils.
RUNNER UP
Our next art set is something a little more complex, but when your child sets their sights on it, they won’t want to leave it alone.
With an easel and a workstation where they can put their art supplies such as paints and pencils and even playdough, this can easily keep a creative child entertained for days - introducing Step2 Great Creations Art Desk.
The easel and workstation set are very durable and you can set it up very quickly in any room in your house.
This can be a special place for your child to keep their private art things, with built-in drawers and cupboards.
It is important even from this early age for your child to have their own space, as well as teaching them the value of being organized.
The easel is a very active, stand-up piece of equipment, so your child will still be moving around as they draw.
You can use this workstation to incorporate the other drawing sets you have already bought for them.
If you have noticed that your child is developing a passion for art, this is the perfect product to foster that passion.
Pros:
- This art set has a reversible whiteboard and chalkboard, allowing your child to really experiment with different mediums.
- This work desk is built for all different kinds of artistic expression, whether it’s drawing, crayons, arts and crafts, painting, chalkboard or plasticine molding.
- There are numerous built-in drawers and compartments that will help you and your child organize their play area. Show your child how they can avoid losing their art items by allowing them to label certain drawers.
- The price - considering the sheer versatility of this art set, it is extremely affordable. This will be ideal for parents on a budget who want a product that is built to last at least a year or two.
Cons:
- This might be a little too elaborate for a child who only has a casual interest in drawing and other artistic endeavors. You don’t want this one gathering dust in the corner of their room.
RUNNER UP
Our final art product is one that is aimed at very young children, great for developing a toddler’s hand-eye coordination and enhancing their cognitive abilities.
This is a simple button-operated device that allows your child to compose their own simple patterns of color - introducing the Fansteck Button Art Toy for Toddlers.
This is ideal for encouraging your young child’s hand-eye coordination and motor skills. You can clap and cheer them as they form interesting patterns.
This whole set is colorful, cheery and most importantly very easy on the wallet.
When a child is much younger, their artistic abilities are much more limited, but this is certainly a unique alternative to traditional drawing and one that will keep your walls and carpet free of crayon marks!
Pros:
- This is a very simple-to-use and inventive way for your young child to express themselves through a style of “drawing” through lining up colored balls.
- This will help improve your child's essential motor skills at a young age, as well as pushing them to be more creative by forming basic patterns.
- This toy is a great way alternative to crayon sets and is certainly a lot cleaner.
- The price - this toy is remarkably cheap, which is great if you expect your child is going to knock it over and damage it, especially when they reach those terrible twos!
Cons:
- This set is only suitable for very young children, do not buy for a child that is over 5 years old.
Best Drawing Toys For Kids Buying Guide
When it comes to buying your child their first, second or third drawing toys, there will be plenty of options to choose from.
Ideally, you’ll want something that is fun and engaging, as well as offering a diverse range of drawing materials.
At such a young age, it is important to marry enjoyment with entertainment.
But what are the basic do’s and don’ts for buying your drawing toys?
Can You Leave Your Child Unsupervised With It?
If your drawing toy has small parts that could be swallowed, you’ll definitely need to keep yourself within eyeshot of them.
However, for a child over 5, this risk is significantly reduced, so you can buy a set with smaller parts.
Is your drawing toy easy for your child to understand? You’ll have to consider what level of creativity of drawing your child is currently at.
If they are just managing simple pictures and coloring, then you might have to explain or demonstrate how a stencil or a lightbox works first before leaving your child to get on with it.
How Many Options Does Your Drawing Set Have?
As we have seen, some of these drawing sets have a vast array of choices - whether it’s felt pens, crayons, pencils or craft paper.
Again, giving them wider options will all depend on what level of creativity they’re at.
If they are very young, you might want to keep them away from things like cardboard to avoid nasty paper cuts.
However, generally when it comes to flexing your child’s imagination, the more options the better!
Think Of Their Later Development
You’ll want a drawing set that encourages the most out of your child. For example, getting them to draw pictures of the family will be something that you can keep to show them later as an adult.
Drawing is also a great way to connect with your child or encourage a child with behavioral needs to communicate in a non-verbal way.
You can get your child to draw their feelings, which will enable you to see a window into how they are feeling that day.
Does It Develop Their Essential Skills?
Some of these drawing toys are aimed at improving the essential motor skills of your child in very subtle and fun ways. Activities involving structure will give your child better organizational skills that they will value in later life.
Drawings and paintings also give them better spatial awareness, allowing them to develop their sense of proportion between what they see and what they communicate on paper.
You can also ask them to pitch in with making Christmas and birthday cards, which will give them a much greater sense of worth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Things Can Your Children Make With Drawing Toys
There are numerous arts and crafts that you can challenge your children to make.
With some of the drawing sets listed above, the possibilities are endless.
However, here are a few things we can suggest to get the ball rolling:
- Birthday cards - add some glitter and glue to make this one extra exciting!
- Christmas cards - with some cotton wool, strips of felt and glitter, get your kids to make their own Santa Claus.
- Candle holders - cut a thin strip of colored card and get your kids to add their own designs. Then wrap it around your candles for that personal touch.
- Jam jar covers - cut little circles of cardboard that your children can draw on, then stick these to the tops of your jam or marmalade jars.
As a parent of a five-year-old inquisitive boy, I have gained a lot of experience finding fun activities and toys to help him understand science and understanding our world in general. On this blog, you’ll find an extensive amount of tutorials, guides, and toys about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math based on my personal experience to help your child develop critical STEM skills.
