Art Things I always have in Bulk

Olivia’s Fox Creation

I always purchase the items below in bulk, rather than buying it every week or every month in smaller packs. I bring several packs of these whenever I go out with the kids. These items are regularly thrown into my diaper bag (except the water color and markers). They come in handy waiting at the restaurant, in the car during unexpected traffic or anywhere where children may have to wait. I like these because it keeps them busy and lets them be creative. Sometimes I agree it’s okay to just let the kids figure out their own things to do. Other times, when you are with guests or want to let the kids just do their own things safely, without crawling and climbing all over everything, I just hand these over and know the kids are playing safely. Of course always supervise your kids while they are playing regardless. I just find these easier to keep them all in one place.

Model Magic

$34 for 75 assorted colors comes down to about 45cents each. This is a lot less messy than play dough. It’s less sticky and has a nice texture to it, kind of like taffy? At home, the children use this alongside with a Modeling Clay Animals book by Bernadette Cuxart to create things they see or to use as inspiration to create other things. I like that these won’t stick to hair, clothing, rug and other items as easily as play dough. It’s also a great sensory item for children to strengthen or practice their fine motor skills. It’s similar to a putty I bought, designed specifically for strengthening hands and fingers. Another great thing about it is once it dries, it stays shaped how you molded it and can be painted! The bulk pack I regularly purchase comes with the primary colors and the girls love mixing them to get the other colors. Just mixing the colors is like another activity in itself. There are endless possibilities with model Magic. Stay tuned, as I will be making a post soon on add on items (google eyes, craft sticks, etch) to creat even more elaborate creations.

Ultra Washable Markers

I’ve only purchased the Crayola set in Bulk. It’s what in the classroom when I was still teaching. I liked these markers, as they are definitely more washable than the regular washable Crayola markers, however I did find they are also more smudgeable and a little messier. Not sure if I prefer ultra washable and messy or not as ultra washable, but cleaner. Nonetheless, I love the bold colors and the extra clear caps that come in the bulk set. The definitely worth purchasing these in bulk as they come handy for parties, trips (out a few in a ziplock with coloring sheets or blank paper). We use them often at home for free draw or homework. I may be trying these out on Easter Eggs sometime in April to see what happens when they are drawn in the eggs and sprayed with water. I’m thinking it can elicit a water color effect.

Watercolor Set

I only purchased the Color Swell brand in bulk- and we love it. Each set lasts a long time and comes down to $1.08 per set. We love the colors. They are vibrant and very pretty on paper. I don’t think I used the Crayola brand to be certain, but I feel this brand may have more color in each compartment and goes a longer way. He paint brush feels sturdier and the. Rush head feels more flexible to paint with. The bristles seem to be better quality than Crayola. Just give your little one a cup of water, paper and let them paint away. The mess is so minimal, it’s almost like giving them markers. This is also great for giving out to your child’s class during holiday times. We played to give these to the kids at Olivia’s Preschool for Easter. We used these watercolor sets to give out as prizes for when Olivia had her fox party.

WikkiStix

These cost between $17 (34cents each) and $22 (44cents each) for a pack of 50 depending on the price on Amazon. It is essentially string coated with some sort of wax to make it malleable. Love that they are colorful too.We hand them out to other children we see, cousins or friends too. I don’t know one kid that I’ve handed out to that doesn’t find this material intriguing. Kind of sticky (feels kind of like glue stick), but not slimy and it molds really well into what we you try to make. We find it does leave a light coating of wax similar to glue stick if you stick it in the table or window by accident. These are also great to throw in goodie bags and tuck in your bag for anytime fun. They come in a variety of fun themes such as under water, travel and you can even customize them in their website! Plus when they’re done with them, you you can use them to tie your plants or tacky to stick up their drawings.

Faces Sticker Sheets

$8 for 96 sheets and comes down to about 8cents each. There’s a variety of 5 animals and 1 race car in the pack. So convenient and fun. Sometimes adults like to make a face too. Also great for goodie bags!

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