Best Creative Gift Ideas: Arts and Crafts for Kids 2023
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Discover the best creative gift ideas in arts and crafts for kids that will provide hours of creativity and imaginative thinking!
From the best of 2024 ideas to classics that will never go out of style, here you’ll find arts and crafts gifts, kits, and supplies to make any child happy.
Go Here for the Complete Holiday Toys and Books Gift Guide!
Arts and Crafts for Kids
Educational Insights Pom Pom Kit
age 2+
Develop fine motor skills and creativity with this activity kit where kids decorate the animal dress-up design cards with pom-poms!
Mini Shake Shop (KLUTZ)
ages 7+
Make adorable and colorful drinks for your shake shop with the air-dry clay provided, a book of directions, and accessories, including cups, straws, sprinkles, and more. This was a hit with my daughter’s babysitting charges this summer.
Mouse Town 30+ Kids Crafts Made From Recycled and Everyday Materials written by Jodi Levine & Margaret McCartney
If your kids are like my youngest and like tiny things and upcycling, they will love this darling book about making a mouse town with a fun story about two mice friends! Build your own mouse town with a mouse house out of a milk crate and accessories like a bed, a dresser, and toys. Read how to build buildings for the town, like a bakery and library, and add lots of itty bitty things like fruit and toy food. All the craft projects list the materials needed and are well written, making them easy to follow with photographic directions, plus adorable cardboard mice photos.
Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets Dinosaur Glow
ages 3+
Dinosaurs never go out of style. Scribble colorful designs on your Dino pets with the washable markers, including two that glow in the dark. Wash off and start again!
Harry Potter Clay Charms
ages 7+
if your kids love making small miniatures, they will love this kit with a 48 page book of ideas, 7 colors of clay, a charm bracelet, and everything you need to craft your favorite characters, objects, and creatures from Harry Potter.
Kawaii Mini Erasers
ages 7+
My daughter loves making these erasers as gifts. This kit gives you 35 designs with step-by-step directions to make adorable erasers in rainbow colors of clay.
Play-Doh Activity Table
ages 3+
Use the flat side and the playmats or the 3D side with a pretend river and other features. This includes 15 accessories and 6 colors. When you want to clean up, simply place everything inside the table and put on the lid. My kids would have loved this table!
Fashion Angels Sticker Book
ages 6+
Your kids will love the 40 sheets of unique and strong adhesive stickers.
Colors of the World Markers
ages 3+
These 24 new Crayola colors represent the skin color of people from around the world and are essential for homes and classrooms.
ages 2+
This is a classic gift for young children who like to draw and write. My daughter carried this exact notebook around with her for a year until she filled it up. Of course, I saved it because it’s so precious! The spiral binding makes it so easy to use. LOVE!! Pair with jumbo crayons or jumbo colored pencils in a cute carrying case.
Tara Toy Barbie Necklace
age 3+
Make Barbie-themed jewelry with beads, necklaces, and charms. Makes five necklaces!
Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Cookie Creations
ages 3+
Make cookies out of Play-Doh using the cookie cutters and rolling pin!
Jumbo Coloring Pad
ages 3+
Give your preschoolers a blank sketch pad and watch as they develop early writing and drawing skills.
On the Farm: Color & Erase
age 3+
Color in this reusable activity pad of farm scenes with the included washable markers.
Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets Scrub Tub
ages 3+
Color & customize your animals, then wash them and start again! Isn’t this a cute arts and craft for kids gift?
Cat Mermaid & Friends
ages 4+
Make a seahorse, narwhal, and cat mermaid using the directions and included supplies.
Foil Fun
ages 4+
Pick from any theme (unicorns, animals, space, dinosaurs), then create pictures using the foil sheets and picture canvases. What a wonderful creative craft that develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination!
Bluey Aqua Art
ages 3+
Do your kids think these are magical? Mine did! Add water to your water pen and color the images. Watch as the colors appear! Once it dries, the colors disappear and you can do it again.
LEGO DOTS Panda Tray
ages 6+
Make a cute and useful panda tray with your LEGO DOTS.
Elmer’s Squishies
ages 6+
Make your own squishy toys that you can squish, stretch, and scrunch. But first, follow the directions to mix and pour into the molds.
Diamond Painting Light
ages 7+
Make your own night light with diamond painting gems.
Make Your Own Dinosaur Lantern Night Light
ages 6+
Make a dinosaur lantern/night light with step-by-step directions. Choose where to place your dinosaurs on the vellum landscape.
Unicorn Terrarium Kit
age 5+
Design a unicorn garden with crystals, mini mushrooms, and a unicorn.
Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad
ages 6+
This pad comes with over 100 images that kids can trace by putting their blank sheets over the awesome light-up pad and drawing away.
Watercolor Wonders
ages 6+
I don’t want to give away this book of darling illustrations to watercolor– because I want it for myself. (That’s ok, right?) The 54-page book also has 18 pages of instructions plus 7 pretty colors of paint, a paintbrush, and a mixing tray.
American Girl Dress Up by DK
ages 6 – 9
If your children love American Girl dolls and books like mine, I predict this sticker book will be a new favorite. Dress the characters in signature outfits and create new outfits and styles.
Paint by Number Kit
ages 7+
With nine designs, follow the directions to paint wall art.
A Million Dogs: Fabulous Canines to Color by Lulu Mayo
ages 7+
Adorable, cute, lovable dogs fill these pages. Which will you color in first? Lulu May’s coloring books are enthusiastically endorsed by kids! If you like the Lulu Mayo drawings, also try her Bears, Owls, Cats, Sloths, and Unicorns coloring books. (Her drawing books are also fantastic, both my girls love them!)
Craft-tastic DIY STring Art Sea Turtle & Hibiscus Flower Patterns
ages 10+
Use push pins and string to make a turtle and hibiscus flower.
Tiny Ceramics Studio
ages 8+
Use the materials provided (including a pottery wheel) to sculpt, paint, and glaze projects from the 24-page book of ideas.
Latchkits Yarnimals
ages 6+
Latch hook crafts like this owl are calming and fun! Easy to learn — just follow the pattern.
Spirograph Mandala Designs
ages 8+
Create beautiful Spirograph mandalas with easy-to-use wheels and stencil designs.
How to Draw a Bunny and Other Cute Creatures with Simple Shapes in 5 Steps by Lulu Mayo
age 7+
Do you love Lulu Mayo as much as my kids and me? In this new how-to-draw book, you’ll learn how to draw so many CUTE animals including a guinea pig, bunny, and duckling, plus a sloth on an Easter egg, a llama bunny, and a unicorn. The directions are easy to follow and the book gives you plenty of space for your own drawings next to the directions.
Sew Mini Gardens
ages 10+
Sew your own garden plants — using the book of colorful, step-by-step instructions and the provided materials like felt and stuffing. Darling.
One by Wacom Digital Drawing Tablet
ages 10+
The original Wacom tablets cost $500+, so this is a more affordable option at $60 for kids who want to get started with digital art. Plug into your computer and start drawing!
Faber-Castell Dual Tip Watercolor Markers
ages 10+
Your artist will LOVE these beautiful markers because they blend smoothly and beautifully. (My artist daughter loves hers.) Use them with heavyweight mixed media paper like the sketch pad below.
Even More Classic Arts and Crafts Gifts
Playhouse Blank Castle
ages 4+
Customize your castle with stickers, markers, crayons, or paint!
Melissa & Doug ABC 123 Wild Animals Dot-to-Dot Coloring Pad
ages 3+
Follow the letters or numbers to complete the scenes. I love how this does double duty — it’s fun and educational!
Crayola Pip-Squeaks Washable Markers
ages 4+
This carrying case makes it easy to carry your markers anywhere. And washable markers are a must-buy arts and crafts gift for creative kids!
ages 4+
Here you’ll have everything you need for your arts and crafts projects with 64 crayons, 20 short pencils, 40 washable markers, and 15 sheets of paper.
Created by Me! Flower Magnets
ages 4+
Use the provided paint, stickers, glitter glue, and paintbrushes to decorate your wooden flower magnets.
Craft-tastic Make a Fox Friend
ages 5+
Make your own fox stuffie, clothes, and accessories with a few simple stitches through precut holes.
Create with Clay Mythical Creatures
ages 5+
Create a unicorn, dragon and phoenix sculptures with this colorful clay set!
Chalkboard T-Shirt
Use water-based chalk markers to decorate your t-shirt. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and change your design. Machine washable. (Comes in many colors!)
Ninja Kitties Coloring Book
ages 4+
Even my teenager loves this book — the illustrations are darling and the messages positive and encouraging. Aren’t these kitties cute?
Quick Knit Loom
ages 7+
Your child gets to make two knit hats using the provided loom and chunky yarn!
Fashion Angels Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio with Stencils
ages 6+
My kids LOVE these! 40 sketch sheets with pre-printed models’ silhouettes to make fashion drawing easy for beginners or for anyone who wants to improve their drawing techniques. Use the removable stencils with over 50+ clothing and accessory shapes to help create different outfits and styles.
Give this Book a Cover: Spark Your Imagination with Over 100 Activities by Jared Lerner and You
ages 6+
Drawing and writing prompts will give kids fun activities to complete on their own. They’ll get to finish a comic panel story, write a story about a cactus, learn to draw in steps, and much more. Engaging, perfect for summer.
Blank Comic Book – Draw Your Own!
ages 8+
Kids can come up with their own comic-book-style stories with this exciting blank journal, where they can take their imagination to new heights!
Paint By Stickers Unicorns & Magic
ages 7+
Use the sheets of numbered geometric stickers to match the numbered shapes and make a sticker mosaic of a mermaid, unicorn, castle, fairy, and more.
Smencils
ages 6+
Kids love these scented pencils!
WikkiStix for Doodlers
ages 3+
This minimal mess craft is perfect for helping kids become imaginative by letting them experiment with 2D and 3D doodles through the use of the colorful WikkiStix!
The Ultimate Art Museum by Ferren Gipson
ages 8+
WOW — this is the MOST impressive, well-organized, and beautifully designed art history book for children that I’ve EVER read. It’s a curated book that takes children chronologically through 18 galleries from geographical regions and cultures such as the Far East, Ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe, and Byzantine period. Colorful borders and design, photographs and paintings with descriptions. Gorgeous — I highly recommend this incredible book!
Harry Potter Coloring Book
ages 8+
Intricate illustrations and elaborate designs let kids color in explorations of Hogwarts Castle, the Forbidden Forest, magical creatures, and iconic scenes from the films. Want more? Look for Harry Potter Magical Creatures and Magical Places.
National Geographic Mega Slime & Putty Lab
Ages 8+
Do your kids love slime? This is a great starter kit for kids to make 8 types of slime and putty including magnetic putty, fluffy slime, and glow0in0the-dark putty. Not only is it great for crafters, but it’s also very helpful for children who need sensory play. Includes storage tins and accessories and a 16-page guide. Non-toxic.
This is very informative and interesting post.
We also bought our daughter Kawaii Doodle Class, she really liked it, now we are looking for something like this to buy, maybe you will advise?
I’m so happy to hear that she liked it. The same author, Pic Candle, also has Mini Kawaii Doodle Class and Kawaii Doodle Cuties. My daughter also liked How to Draw a Unicorn and Other Cute Animals by Lulu Mayo. Hope that helps!