March is Youth Art Month, and for this month’s post, I am sharing with you my must-have supplies for kids art spaces. But before we get to those supplies, let’s chat about WHY you should set up a designated art space for your children.

Giving children access to supplies encourages them to utilize their creativity and imagination more frequently. Providing these materials without guidance allows them to use their imagination to create structures, explore how materials work (or don’t work) together, and creatively problem-solve as they make their own works of art.

When children have their own space, they gain a sense of pride for that space. And through this ownership, they also learn responsibility. Of course, some of the aspects of responsibility must be taught such as cleaning out brushes, or wiping up spilled glue. And please for the love of all good things, do not think that they will just demonstrate responsibility as soon as you provide them an art space. Hold them accountable. If they don’t clean up, close up shop, just like a business, but allow them to earn it back. This level of accountability and responsibility will transfer to how they take care of their other belongings, how they clean their rooms, how they maintain their desks at school, and eventually how they contribute to the responsibilities of owning a home. I always say that Art teaches so many life skills, and this is just another example!

Finally, and most importantly, having these readily available gives them opportunities to create at any time without having to ask you to stop what you are doing and get materials for them. Is it hard to just let them go? Yes. But, I am also alllllll about having some time where my name isn’t being called nonstop to get X, Y, or Z for them. You will of course need to teach, and review with them, concepts such as scissor safety, how to open, use, and close glue bottles or twisting glue sticks, how the cap clicks when a marker is closed, etc. And, you MOST DEFINITELY should still MAKE TIME to sit with them and create along side them!

So, what do I put in my Kids Art Space?

Be sure to check out some of these products here I recommend keeping their stuff in a tub so that it’s organized, can be moved to wherever their little hearts desire to create, and can be stored neatly when they are finished. Have multiple kids? Get each one their own container so they are not limited in their creativity by their siblings using the supplies! Need a system for refilling? Create little refill cards that your kids can circle what they ran out of and have them stick it on the fridge or on your nightstand! Make it fun for them, so that they learn to enjoy the processes surrounding being an Artist, and they will thrive in their creativity for years to come!

Happy Creating!-Ally