What are the best activity supplies to own? Spoiler: you don’t need to own a ton of craft supplies to set up fun and engaging activities for your kids. You also don’t need an entire separate room dedicated just to supplies. See the ultimate list of Busy Toddler activity supplies.
Anyone else do a happy dance when you already have all the ingredients for a recipe?
That’s sort of how I feel about activity supplies. It’s like a little peace of mind/security blanket knowing I have everything on hand to pull an activity idea from thin air. Having a few key supplies just makes things so easy.
My supply list is a detailed account of everything that I keep on hand so I can make that perfect activity “recipes” when I need them.
Remember, I don’t do activities with my kids so I can win Parent of the Year or be on the cover of Pinterest Monthly. Activities are a tool that I choose to use when things are off here, kids need help, I need help, people need a reset, etc etc.
Activities are a tool and these supplies are the hardware.
You don’t need all the supplies – just the right ones
Not sure about you, but I don’t have a bazillion dollars to spend on activity supplies nor do I have an entire room to dedicate to supplies. I love the look of those giant craft closets or basements dedicated to supplies, but that’s not what I have here.
What I have is a small corner of my laundry room.
And proof that you can do a whole lot with just a few key supplies.
Here’s a look at my laundry room storage system, the supplies I keep on hand, and how I organize them.
Supply Drawer for Activity Supplies
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- 7 drawer storage system – This has been perfect for my laundry room activities HQ. It’s similar to this one from IKEA but the depth, width, and number of drawers are the different.
The drawers in this system are NOT deep (it doesn’t go far back). I can’t stress this enough. They’re only 15 inches (ish). Here’s why I love that: I literally can’t cram it full. This is better for me.
- Arts & Crafts Supply Center – The blue drawers on top is a Lakeshore Learning product that they sent me a few years ago. It’s been such a hit, we’ve refilled, changed out supplies, and have it front and center in our supply world because it has been such an art game changer.
Art supplies for activities
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Washable Tempera Paint
This is my favorite brand of paint and type of paint. Tempera paint is vibrant and dries quickly. It’s what I used as a school teacher and kept using at home.
Watercolor Paint – Small Set
The original set of watercolor paints that most kids begin their art life with. I love owning watercolor paint.
Watercolor Paint – Large Set
This is a fantastic set of watercolor paint and a bit fancier than “regular” watercolor paint for kids. My kids graduated to this larger set around age 5.
Crayons
Crayons are a must. I love this thinker, slightly triangular set for kids of all ages. For little kids, it’s great for learning pencil grip. For big kids, they’re vibrant colors that make a lovely final product.
Markers
No activity supplies collection is complete without basic markers. It’s a must.
Thin Paint Brushes
These are awesome. They’re durable, well-made, and they make painting feel fun and fancy.
Thick Paint Brushes
I’ve had this set for years. There is nothing better than this all-nylon set of brushes. We’ve let them in mud, and still had them clean up perfectly.
Colorful Construction Paper
My kids can’t live without access to construction paper. It’s such a big part of their arts and crafts and activities fun.
White Construction Paper
White construction paper. It’s an absolute must. I should probably buy stock in white construction paper.
Kraft Paper
This was one of the first activity supplies I bought. I knew I could use this for play, art, messy play, and wrapping presents. This was going to be used. And it was.
White Butcher Paper
One of my most used activity supplies: the roll of white paper. We couldn’t do half of the activities we love without this 18-inch roll.
Basic Activity Supplies
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Dot Stickers
All hail the dot stickers: the absolute GOAT of kid activity supplies. This is the brand that I always have on hand.
Sticky Notes
The sticky note. What is it about them? Kids are drawn to them like moths to a flame. Sticky notes are rock stars.
Blue Painter’s Tape
From tape resist art to creating a toy parade: blue painter’s tape is life. I use this so much, I actually buy it in bulk.
Peri Bottles
Yup. You’re seeing this right. The peri bottle is one of the best activity supplies. They sell them in the three pack, in case you don’t have any at home right now.
Pom Pom Balls
Pom pom balls make everything better. I love this bag of 300 pom pom balls – it’s gotten a lot of miles around here. Of course, pom pom balls are a choking hazard. Use good judgement and supervision.
Large Permanent Marker
I couldn’t do activities without my trusty permanent marker – this comes in a four pack. The size of this marker is perfect for creating activities.
Pipettes
Oh my gosh I love Pipettes so much. They’re tiny, adorable, and perfect for little kids and big kids. Science, sensory, art… pipettes are the best to keep on hand.
Magnetic Wands
I bought this six pack for my kids seven years ago. We still have them. We still love them.
Con-tact Paper
Sticky con-tact paper is magical for kids. It’s great for activities, crafts, and art project. This is random to own, but it’s fantastic.
Kid Scissors
Kids need access to scissors – I know this is scary. Use great supervision and teach the skill. Help kids learn how to use scissors and be independent with them.
Glue Sticks
Purple glue sticks are the best! They’re a little like magic for kids (they make things stick together!) and another supply that’s needed for activities AND for kids to practice with before their school days.
Wet Glue
Another must: wet glue. Again, I know this can be scary but it’s really necessary that kids have a chance to use and practice with wet glue long before they head to school. It’s also a major hand-strength work out to use it.
Liquid Droppers
Perfect for water play. bath tubs, science experiments, and potions: these little droppers come in handy.
Stickers
Love owning random stickers. This pack is great to start with. Grandma sends us lots of stickers each holiday and season, which is a great way job for her.
Sensory Bin Bases
I keep my sensory bin bases in airtight plastic containers or reusable zipper bags. I’ve had each of these bags for 3-7 years. You read that right.
You’ll want to check out my sensory bin basic post for ways to store these items and this post on introducing sensory bins to toddlers (and how to keep things tidy).
- 5 lbs rice (I do rainbow rice, always)
- Bag of dried oats
- Bag of Pom Pom balls
- Dried beans (assorted 3 lbs)
- Kinetic sand
Some of these items aren’t pictured because they’re in use. We always have rainbow rice and kinetic sand out to play with.
Sensory Bin Tools
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Miniature Colanders
These are lifelong favorites here. In fact, for a long time, I gave these as 2nd birthday gifts to every kid we know. They’re sweet and perfect.
Funnels
Funnels are the absolute best for sensory play. 10/10. We have a sensory bin set and an outdoor set. Actually, I think we have two sets for outside.
Fine Motor Tool Set
A great set: this can work in wet sensory bins and dry sensory bins, in fine motor play, in play dough, in science projects. This is a great little set.
Measuring Cups
Years ago, I finally caved and got my kids their own measuring cups for sensory play (mostly because I was tired of not being able to find my good ones anytime I was cooking).
Plastic tongs
These have been a Busy Toddler staple since I launched in 2015. They’re the perfect size for kid-hands and sensory bins.
Ice Cube Trays
Even if you have an ice maker, grab a few ice cube trays. They’re fantastic for sensory bins (and you’ll use them in paint projects and science projects, too).
Plastic Bowls
Another hardworking tool: the dedicated set of sensory bin bowls. I can pull out as many I was want for the sensory bin or in the colors we need.
Here’s a link to what I actually put my sensory bins in:
Storage Container
Here’s what I put my sensory bins in. This can live under a bed, behind a couch, in the laundry room or the garage. You can also hold a lot of your activity supplies in this bin.
Where else do I store activity supplies?
The bulk of my supplies live in this system in my laundry room. However, life is full of exceptions:
- Paint containers are huge so I store them on a shelf in my laundry room.
- I have a small closet under my stairs where I store my kids’ homeschool supplies.
- Baking soda, vinegar, and bubble bath are in the garage
A past look at my activity supply set-ups:
It’s been a good evolution to this much better system for us.
Much less “cramming things in drawers” and narrowing down to just what we need.
Here are some other “supply” posts that might interest you:
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no firm amount. This will vary based on family, home structure, budget, and need. I recommend waiting and buying just 1-2 supplies at a time rather than putting together a “supply kit.” See what your child(ren) enjoy. See what they play with. Add from there.
Kids can begin small activities from babyhood on up. Of course, this will depend on the baby and use considerable judgement and supervision.
No way. Activities are not a necessity in childhood. Activities are a tool for parents/grown-ups to use when the adult needs help and support. Activities are a great way to change the mood, fix the vibe, hit reset, and help settle the home if things aren’t going well.
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
