One corner of our house is bursting with art supplies, the drawers full of colored pencils, markers, beads, pipe cleaners, construction paper, and oh so many odds and ends. The kids use all of our random art supplies when they just want to explore and experiment. That alone can be an incredible way to encourage creativity in kids.
But sometimes kids just want a project to play with, or to test out a new art technique. Fortunately, there are so many fun and unique gifts that are perfect for creative expression.
This holiday season, I’m rounding up some of my kids’ favorite gift ideas that will spark the imagination of your kids.
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STEM kits
You thought this list would be full of just art-related ideas, didn’t you?
But creativity extends beyond art. For one, I see how my son’s eyes light up when he tries out a new STEM kit. Sure, it has step-by-step instructions, but his little mind is whirring and learning as he figures out how all the pieces fit together. Even the STEM building kits are like 3D puzzles. Bonus: sometimes he decides not to follow the directions and make his own creation… or he improves upon what he’s made. We also now have a whole bin of ‘extra’ parts that he uses when he’s designing new creations.
Our favorite STEM kits:
Creative Sensory Boxes/Experiences
If you’re looking for something a little bit more open-ended, or a chance for your kids to explore, sensory boxes are wonderful for sparking imaginative play. The beauty of sensory boxes and experiences, even if they can get messy, is that there are so many fun ways to play with them! Depending on what the kit includes, kids can engage their senses as they set up scenes with characters, or go digging in kinetic sand. The possibilities are endless.
Our favorite sensory boxes:
- A Learning with Kelsey subscription
- National Geographic science kits (some with kinetic sand!)
- Air-dry clay
Fabric Arts and Crafts to Encourage Creativity
There is something so incredibly calming about weaving together a pot holder or stitching together a quilt with a sewing machine (both things I did when I was a kid). My daughter also introduced me to latch hooking. I will not lie: it took us a solid hour to figure out how to properly do this, but once we did, it felt like stress relief and play all in one.
Our favorite fabric crafts:
Creative Writing and Art
Ever since I was eight years old, I dreamed of writing books. I filled journal after journal. I made Bear Books and filled each and every page. Not surprisingly, I have some fun gift ideas for the budding writer, artist, cartoonist—basically any kid who dreams of creating.
Drawing and Painting Fun
Embrace the messiness of creativity—as long as it’s washable. As a family, we’ve spent so many weekends gathered around the table creating. My daughter even went through a period of enlisting the whole family in three-marker challenges. She would dump the markers into the middle of the table, everyone would close their eyes, and we’d blindly pick three markers each. When you can’t pick the color, it forces you to get creative!
Our favorite drawing and painting gift ideas:
- Gigantic art set full of pencils, pastels, and more.
- Marvin’s magic markers
Bonus: Cardboard Creativity… And Accessories
We seriously have a whole closet packed with cardboard boxes, so that when my kids get bored, I encourage them to go “build something!” My daughter has crafted whole big houses for her figurines. My son, currently, is making different weapons inspired by his favorite video game, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
To encourage this free-form creativity, give them a gift of duct tape at Christmas. You think I’m kidding? I’m not. My kids got a huge laugh out of this the first time we gave them duct tape as a present. After all, they do go through a few rolls every season.
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There are so many ways to be creative and to encourage the imagination of our kids. I hope you found a few ideas from our favorites! Happy shopping!
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I got my nieces craft kits from Annie’s Attic. They’re only $1.99 today! Or some of them. I only spent $20 (including shipping) and they got two kits each.
I get some of their crochet and knitting kits so I am familiar with the company.