A Tisket, A Tasket: Not Your Ordinary Kids Easter Basket!

 

Baskets can be so much fun to fill! Around our house they are more than just a chocolate two ton hollow bunny, pastel sugary stuff and dollar tree toys (whoops, meant junk) that takes up space. We leave the baskets of sugar to the grandparents. I try to pick items that are useful or find ways we can make memories together. Typically we make most of our memories making arts/crafts. 

CONFESSION TIME: I am a Crayola-a-holic! Not many other kid friendly art products come close to price and quality of Crayola. Markers, Crayons, Colored Pencils and Sidewalk Chalk MUST be Crayola to pass in my household. (I loved back to school time so much as a kid- New Crayons and Colored Pencils were a repeat must have even if I had old one's- there is just something about starting fresh each year)

Looking for something other than "regular" art supplies for your kiddo(s) as a gift? Here are 15 great products that I love!

1. Ikea Tidny Fabric- white fabric with fun black shapes, color with Stained by Sharpie
   
2. Stained by Sharpie- Great for coloring fabrics!
3. Doodle Cook encourages young artists to experiment with line variety by adding a dash of squiggles, a pinch of zigzags and a few sprinkles of some dots and dashes. Doodle Cook is a whimsical coloring prompt book that will keep your kiddos busy for hours. Best suited for 4 and up.
   
   
4. Splat Art has over 200 blops that invite kids to use their imaginations and turn them into something other than just a splatter.
   
5. Playcolor Metallic Stick Paint- these are so much fun and can be a quick art project with a little mess. Playcolor sticks are tempera paint inside a tube that can be applied directly to paper, posterboard or wood. Since they are water soluble you can add water if you would like. Great for small hands.
6. Crayola Air Dry Clay- This clay has the feel of professional grade highwater clay, they are affordable and are useful when teaching about slip and scoring.
7. Do-A-Dot Markers- These stampers are fun for all ages but great for preschoolers! They come in many different colors.
8. Crayola Twistable Colored Pencils- We take these with us wherever we go, they are perfect for doodling/coloring and you don't even need a pencil sharpener. Just twist!
9. Crayola Sidewalk Chalk- You may say why should I buy Crayola brand sidewalk chalk, well... Because they have bright vivid colors that I haven't seen in any other brands. It's worth a little extra $ to have fun colors to use on the pavement.
10. Crayola Oil Pastels- I really have no particular preference on oil pastels, they seem to all work equally the same.
11. Faber Castell Gel Sticks- (similar to the Playcolor Metallic Stick paints) They glide on smooth and have little clean up. Best suited for 5 and up.
12. Crayola Paintbrushes- Often children are given the super cheap paintbrushes that are horribly difficult to paint with, spend a little more and get quality brushes. Synthetic brushes are durable and last as long as you wash after each use.
13. Caran d'Ache Classic Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels- Crayon like coloring can turn into beautiful watercolor paintings with a little bit of water. These are fun to use as facepaint or for coloring designs on your body.
14. Sargent Art Watercolor Magic Set - Can you tell I am a fan of watercolor paints? Liquid watercolor paints will last you forever, where as the cake watercolors disappear in a couple of uses when kids are just learning to use watercolors. Just a small squirt of paint along with a little water will stretch this paint out! Use straight from bottle or add water.
15. Colorations Bleeding Tissue Paper- Cover your work surface and take a white cardstock and spray with water. Place pieces of bleeding tissue paper on top and what the magic once you lift them off!

What are you filling your child(ren)'s basket with this year?