Drawing and art are important for a child to increase their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and to encourage them to use their imagination. Art is important in everyone’s lives and by encouraging children to draw and create from a young age is imperative to better health and well-being as they get older. Knowing the best toys to get for kids who like to draw is important information, whether you are purchasing a gift or want to add to your own children’s collection of art supplies.
My grandkids love to draw and I love that about them. Creative people are intelligent, fun, and interesting and I like the fact they are growing up to become creative adults so I encourage their love of art. They also travel a lot with their parents for the dad’s job which means they are in a vehicle on the road quite often and drawing, as well as art-related, gifts come in hand.
I buy them each a new drawing toy before they leave on each trip to keep them busy in the vehicle and to have something to do on rainy days at the hotel they will be staying at when they get to the destination.
Drawing is very important for children’s development since it allows them to express what they are feeling and thinking. It also helps them learn to focus on one task for long periods of time and to develop manipulative skills that will help them in their writing and reading too. It also helps them increase their fine motor skills and fosters their creativity.
Because of these reasons, I encourage my grandchildren to draw and I always encouraged my children to draw when they were growing up. My adult children are pretty good artists, much better than I am, and I am proud of that fact.
I am always on the lookout for toys for kids who like to draw and have compiled a detailed list, that can also be used as a gift guide, to help you out also. Check it out below.
Crayons, Colored Pencils, and Markers
I always make sure my older grandchildren have markers and colored pencils to take on their trip along with crayons. I also buy a small pack of the larger-style crayons for my younger grandchildren to color with on their trip. I spend a little more money on crayons for the older kids since they are starting to learn how to take care of things and have even bought them beeswax crayons that they really enjoy using.
Putting together a bag of art supplies is a great art gift for young children or older children foster the child’s imagination.
Coloring Books
Older children as well as little kids love coloring books that will foster their creativity and allow them to use their fine motor skills. Just pay attention to what your child or grandchildren like to watch on TV as far as cartoons and other kids shows go because there will be a coloring book out there with that exact theme and they will love it and it will hold their attention even longer. Right now I am buying a lot of paw patrol coloring books and unicorns.
Sketching Set
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A sketching set makes a great gift for an older child who loves to draw. Most of the sets include both charcoal pencils and graphite pencils as well as sketchpads and other items they can use for their art. Some of them come with a nice travel case or you can buy some kind of case or bag for them to keep their supplies and so they can take it with them on a road trip or even to grandma’s house when they go visit.
Sketch Pads
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You have to buy sketchpads, or a drawing pad, as a gift for kids who love to draw because they need plenty of those so when the inspiration hits them they can draw a picture, paint a picture, sketch something, or simply doodle.
Illustration Markers
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While the old throwback of Sharpies can work as an art supply for kids who like to draw but it is better to get them a nice set of illustration markers that will last a long time and are waterproof, smear-resistant, and will not bleed through paper.
Boogie Board Tablet
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A Boogie Board tablet allows kids to write and draw while using an electronic which is wonderful for a road trip and is essentially an electronic chalkboard. Kids can erase their work and raw or right over and over again so it cuts down on the amount of paper they need to use. These tablets are also lightweight and easy to take with them wherever they go.
Magna-Doodle
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I love a good Magna Doodle magnetic drawing board for all my grandchildren, especially for my younger ones. This is a great art toy to help your toddler use their little hands to use basic shapes and turn them into wonderful children’s drawings. It also helps younger kids to improve their hand eye coordination and become an amazing young artist as they get older. They can create so many different things and show off their creations to family and friends.
Chalk with Chalkboard
My grandkids have a large chalkboard in their home school classroom at their house and I have chalkboard paint in my office so when I’m writing at my computer they can draw on the wall. They love this and it keeps them busy and occupied for hours.
You can also purchase smaller chalkboards for kids who like to draw that you can take with you on trips or simply in the car when you’re running to the grocery store so they have something to do to occupy their time that they enjoy.
Sidewalk Chalk
No matter the kids age, they will love sidewalk chalk. They can make some really cool drawings on the sidewalk that will stay there until it rains. This is a great activity to get them outdoors and taking in some sunshine while being away from the TV in using their artistic ability.
Notebooks and Paper
Notebooks and paper are important for all kids to have and you can even buy big rolls of easel-style paper that kids can use for a long time to come. Notebooks of any size for them to doodle and sketch things is great especially for on the go. They also make a great gift or stocking stuffer at Christmas time.
Bullet Journal
My granddaughter loves to use her bullet journal Ann can write about her day and draws pictures to go with it. This is great for fostering her creativity and enhancing her artistic ability. I bought her a set of planner markers as well as a special pen to use for her bullet journaling as well as art materials so she can create different drawings to go with each entry in her journal.
Doodle Books
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Doodle books make a wonderful activity book for kids of all ages and there are even specific themed ones that you can buy according to the child’s preferences. This makes a wonderful gift to buy for a child before a road trip since they can very easily take it with them when they are traveling.
Window Markers
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Window markers are great for kids who like to draw when they are traveling in a vehicle. They clean up easily and it will keep them busy and satisfied for a long time during your road trip.
Drawing Lessons
For older children who love to draw, signing them up for some 3-D art classes or other art classes is the perfect gift for them to have. There are tons of art classes you can enroll them in online or sign them up with a private teacher.
Craft Kit
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Both young kids and older kids love a good craft kit. There are even art kits you can purchase in which they can make their own soft toy, such as a stuffed animal, and use their own drawings on the outside of each animal they create. Each kid can use markers, crayon, or even a colored pencil or two to create the drawings and designs for the stuffed animal.
Tracing Pad
Letter tracing is a lot of fun for kids of all ages in you can get free printable worksheets online or purchase a letter tracing book for your kids to take on the trip.
Workbook Collection
My grandchildren love workbooks, also known as a busy book, that are appropriate for each of their ages. You can purchase a workbook or create a packet of workbooks for each child with their name on the front. I also send crayons and colored pencils with them so they have something to write with while they are traveling. The younger kids even enjoy them and will just color or scribble. They are always excited to get new workbooks.
Melissa and Doug Water Wow Books
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These particular books are wonderful for road trips because they provide the opportunity for your kids to paint various pages but not with actual paint, but with a water brush instead. This will foster their imagination and creativity without causing a huge mess of paints for you to try to clean from your vehicle later. You simply refill their water brushes throughout the trip when you stop for gas, to rest, or to eat. You can purchase them on the Melissa and Doug website or through online sites, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Finger Paint
Kids love to use their little hands to create amazing artwork So what better toy to buy for little ones who love to draw but fingerpaints. These do not do well on a road trip but they are fine at home or in a classroom.
Road Trip Activity Binder
I like to create a road trip activity binder for each of my four older grandchildren by printing out several different activity sheets that are created for their age and educational level. I even add printable coloring pages that are geared toward each of their interests.
You can simply put the pages into a three-ring binder with each child’s name on the front (I like to decorate each binder for each child) and add in a three-ring binder pouch to hold some pencils, crayons, and colored pencils or washable markers. It is a great educational toy that can include drawing prompts.
Magnetic Stamps
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Kids love this type of art kit that allows them to create pictures using magnetic stamps. This type of drawing board will keep them busy for hours and allow them to use their imagination and to gain a sense of accomplishment.
Flash Cards
A great art project for older kids is to create flashcard sets for each other or for younger siblings. Flashcards are great for helping children learn math problem solving, a new language, or even sight words in shapes depending on their age. Kids can draw pictures to go with the sight word on each card.
FAQs About Toys for Kids Who Like to Draw
How does drawing help learning?
Our hands were made for drawing and creating. Research has shown that drawing is a very important part of learning as well as communication. This means that kids can learn about things like history and science by drawing which can enhance their memory.
Is drawing a talent or a skill?
Drawing is a skill as it can be taught and learned. It takes more time and effort for some people to learn how to draw while others seem to be a natural at it but it can still be a learned skill for anyone who works at it.
What are the main skills of drawing?
The ability to determine edges, lines, and angles is one of the main skills of learning. Also, to determine proportion and perspective, how to decipher shadow highlights and tone are two others. The last one includes the ability to tie them all together.
Should you teach a child to draw?
Yes, children should be exposed to art and taught art. This is the reason it is important to not only continue having music classes in school for kids but also art classes which are just as important.
