Art supplies for a 3.5 year old

[wagamama]

My DS is just starting to enjoy arts and crafts now. We've only done the basics -- coloring with crayons and markers, painting, and collages. I want to buy some supplies for him for Xmas. So far I'm thinking:

-construction paper
-tissue paper
-stickers
-glitter
-paint (what kind is best? watercolor?)

Hmm. What else? I feel like I'm missing a bunch of neat stuff.

[operamommy]

Homemade playdough! Ds2 (age 3) also really enjoys wet-on-wet watercolor painting. Odds and ends like tape, googly eyes, pom poms, and pipe cleaners would be a hit too.

[Jojo F.]

Yeah, playdough is always a big hit. Personally, I HATE glitter, it gets everywhere!! If you aren't bothered by glitter I say go for it. Watercolors are good or tempera paint.

Also acorns, shells, rocks(make rock bugs), felt, glue sticks, popsicle sticks, yarn, buttons, beads(large), string, stencils, stamps(for paint), scrap fabric, contact paper, raffia, I'm sure I'm missing soemthing

[Thalia the Muse]

Washable glitter glue is a lot less messy than loose glitter. What else? Finger paints, modeling clay, sequins, pony beads (IF he's past putting things in his mouth, I'm sure those little devils are major choking hazards).

[wagamama]

All great suggestions, thanks! Love the googly eyes and rock bugs! What is wet on wet painting, and what is contact paper?

[Miss Information]

Colored pasta - dye your own with rubbing alcohol/food coloring mix. Wheel shapes, elbow noodles, mostacciolo noodles (great for threading).

Colored rice and salt.

http://growinginpeace.wordpress.com/...-and-rice-art/

The rice/salt art is only temporary art, but it's much fun.

Crayon cookies You can buy relatively inexpensive candy molds and make different shapes I think.

You can also make those sand art bottles using the colored salt.

As a project, you can also make some great discovery bottles with your art supplies too

decorative scissors (the kind that cuts wavy lines or scallops or pinking scissors - I've seen really inexpensive ones somewhere, I can't remember where now).
shaped hole punches (the kind used in scrapbooking).

[Miss Information]

What kind of container are you going to use to put the art supplies in?

I'm thinking a couple of things that you can probably find at a resale shop quite easily:

silverware basket


Or one of those kind of silverware basket/caddies that are more decorative (sorry, I can't find an image of what I'm taking about, I'm sure you've seen them before).

Or repurpose a cleaning supply caddy - though you'd probably need some sort of containers on the inside to divide up the space.

I'm thinking something with a handle would be great for mobility

[wombatclay]

wet on wet painting- popular in Waldorf programs, basically you get the paper wet (not dripping, but all the way wet) before painting on it. The colors blur and mesh and there are no "hard lines".

contact paper- usually clear, sticky on one side, often comes in different sizes, good for making a found item collage (arrange flowers/leaves on a piece of cardboard and cover with contact paper for example).

Other art supplies- chalk! Also cookie cutters, all sorts of yarn, buttons, big beads, wool roving (for making felt balls), beeswax for sculpting (have your little one hold it in their hands while you tell a story, by the end it's warm and pliable and they can craft characters from the story), wooden spools and dowels, pieces of felt. And although they're not very "natural", dd1 loves the window markers for car trips... she draws on the window and it just wipes off.

[Justmee]

MIne also really like play dough stuff. They prefer water colors to tempra paints, and they like colored pencils a lot too Oh, and those siccors that cut in funny shapes (like wavy lines, etc) are a big hit.

[chichona]

Here is a cute site that offers fun art and craft stuff.
http://www.stubbypencilstudio.com/supplies/cy0003.htm

[Miss Information]

Just thought I'd post what I came up with for my almost 3 year old nephew

http://growinginpeace.wordpress.com/...for-kids-2008/

[wagamama]

Thank you everyone, I am printing this out to take shopping with me!