How To Set Up An Arts & Crafts Station for Kids

Arts and crafts are so important in early development for so many reasons. It fosters creativity and imagination, independence, and self-esteem. It helps little ones with fine motor skills and older kids with the concept of patience and expression.  

We are well into the arts and crafts phase in our house, which is why we needed to find a space that can be a hub for all things creative. Instead of having construction paper, markers, and glue throughout the house, having a place where everything can be kept makes doing arts and crafts more accessible and clean-up easier. Want to dive into setting up your own arts and crafts station for your kids? Read on for tips on how to do just that.  

Find a Space

The first thing you need to do is find a space in your home that will host all the materials used for some great crafts for kids. Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, a big space or a corner, it doesn’t matter. Find a place that is easily accessible to encourage kids to visit the space frequently.  

Stay away from back corners or rooms in the back of the home. A corner tucked away in the kitchen or by the living room are all good options. For little ones, a space where a grown-up can supervise can be helpful. The goal is to have a place that kids will want to visit and feel comfortable creating something awesome.  

Furniture 

You need a place for your kids to sit and draw. While this can be on the floor or at the dining room table, I love suggesting a small table and chairs set to do this. It gives kids a designated space to do their own thing without having to clear it for dinner or get it off the floor.  

Some suggestions include a wall-mounted drop leaf table or murphy art desk. Think about adding some floating shelves, peg boards, an art cart, or a multi-purpose bookshelf if you have the room. You can either find furniture that will grow with your child or keep it minimal and add to it as they get older and interests/abilities develop and change.  

Storage 

After finding the perfect spot, think about where you want to store all the awesome crayons, glue, paper, googly eyes, and pom-poms. I like a drawer solution that is clear and easy to get to so kids can help themselves to whatever materials their little mind is wanting to create. This also keeps everything tidy while teaching kids to be independent and problem-solve.  

Having everything in its place is also helpful when it’s time to clean up. For items that are randomly found around the house or while out and about, think about having a designated basket to hold “treasures” that can turn into crafts later. We have a basket-like this at home and it’s a great treasure box for new materials and ideas.  

Materials 

Let’s talk about what to put in your new arts and crafts station! Now that you have the space and storage solution, it’s time to fill it with all sorts of kids’ tools that will become something creative and colorful. Some good starters are a box of crayons, glue (washable), markers (also washable), and construction paper. Some other ideas include:

• Paper (a sketchbook is great to keep everything together) 
• Drawing materials-  crayons, markers, and pencils
• Painting materials- watercolors, finger paint 
• Collage materials- stickers, buttons, dried pasta, googly eyes 
• Sculpture materials- wooden craft sticks, toothpicks, pipe cleaners 
• Modeling materials- play-doh, cookie cutters 
• Art materials- scissors, tape, glue 

There are also kits out there that come with all sorts of craft objects like googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms and paper to help get your kid started. Once you have a space that your little one loves and feels confident in making their own creations, you’ll get a better idea of what materials and tools get the most love. 

You don’t have to be crafty to have an arts and crafts station for your kids. While I do not consider myself a craft person, I love having a station in the house that my kids can sit at any part of the day and draw and create something out of toilet paper rolls and string. It’s been a great way to get siblings to work together to create something as a team, or a quiet moment while cooking dinner or working.  

We hope these tips have inspired you to find a nook in your home that can be a host for creativity, imagination and fun. Whether it’s a 5-minute craft or an afternoon project, you’ll have the tools ready to go.