18 of the best art sets for kids 2023

Looking for a gift for a creative child or ideas to help kids keep busy during the school holidays? Art sets for kids are a brilliant way to keep children entertained – and they might discover a fun new hobby in the process!

It's always a good idea to keep art kits for kids around for a rainy day – you could even invite their friends around to join in. Some of these art sets for kids will require some grown-up supervision, but there are some that they will be able to attempt by themselves.

We've included a variety of art kits for kids in this collection, so you're bound to find something perfect for the child in your life, from block printing sets to colouring pencils.

If you're looking for ideas to help keep your children entertained, discover our craft ideas for kids and crafts for toddlers.

Read on to discover the best art sets for kids…

18 art kits for kids

1. Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour paint set

This small watercolour paint set would make a lovely present for a child who wants to learn how to paint. Winsor & Newton are known for producing fantastic materials for artists and this set is a great introduction to their range. The paints are high quality and will last a very long time. Half pan colours can be left for a long time between uses, so this set is great for kids who may fancy dabbling with their art brush every now and then!

The set also comes with a travel brush, so it's a handy set to pack up and take on the road if you're looking to entertain your kids whilst you're away on holiday.

If you want to buy more watercolour supplies for your child, check out our guide to the best watercolour paints.

2. Rainbow painting boards

Scratch away the black coating of these boards to create bright rainbow paintings! This set contains 50 sheets, five wooden stylus sticks, four rulers and a pencil sharpener - so everything your budding artist needs to get going and create a masterpiece. Your children will be entertained for hours and this set is great value for money.

With 50 sheets, this fun art set would make a great addition to a children's birthday party - create an arts and craft table, and let the kids get creative. Children can also draw whatever takes their fancy, from animals and wildlife to a family portrait!

3. Block printing kit for kids

• Buy now from Cass Art (£12.95)

This fantastic set created by Essdee is a fun way to introduce children to the art of block printing. Unlike many of the block printing sets designed for adults, this set doesn't contain any sharp tools, so you don't need to worry about your child hurting themselves while they're printing.

To create a design, you simply draw a picture on the foam blocks provided before applying ink using the roller. Children will love creating their own artwork and applying ink to their printing blocks!

Looking for block printing ideas for adults and older children? Take a look at our block printing for beginners guide.

4. Little Brian paint sticks bucket

Paint sticks are a mess-free way for kids to get creative. They can be used for a variety of techniques including blending, stamping and colour washing. These sticks create very bold paint colours and the paint dries in minutes – no brushes or water needed!

5. Melissa & Doug build your own birdhouse set

This is a wonderful project for you to make with your child. You can construct your own bird house together, decorate it using the paints provided, then hang it outside and watch birds nest inside!

6. Pentel Fabric Fun pastel and t-shirt set

Decorating a t-shirt is a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon! This set includes 15 fabric pastels in beautiful colours, plus a plain white t-shirt to cover with funky pictures or patterns. This activity is suitable for children aged 3-12.

7. Ooly Sparkle gel crayons

• Buy now from Ooly ($17.99)

You can never have enough glitter! These fun sparkle crayons will add a shimmer to all of your child's drawings. These pens are made from a kind of gel, so they'll produce smoother drawings than normal crayons. They're also water soluble, so you can go over them with a wet paintbrush to create some very interesting effects.

8. Derwent Academy colouring pencils

This beautiful set of colouring pencils is ideal for children. Derwent is known for producing high-quality pencils and this set is wonderful to use. The pencils are blendable and come in a selection of rich colours. It will take any child's artwork to the next level!

9. Crayola Inspiration art case

This rainbow art set produced by Crayola would be a brilliant choice for a child who loves to draw. There's a wide selection of felt tip pens, crayons and pencils in amazing colours, all contained in a bright and handy case. Just imagine what they'll create!

10. Kids gouache painting set

• Buy now from BrightMinds (£11.25)

Gouache is very similar to watercolour paint, but has an opaque consistency. This set is suited to children over the age of seven and comes with a brush and eight lovely colours.

The finished painting can be framed and will look stunning in your home.

11. Make your own glitter art set

• Buy now from Not On The High Street (£22.50)

Playing with glitter is always fun! With this art set, children can create their own sparkling art work to display in their rooms. This glitter art set is available in a selection of designs including mermaids and animals.

12. Kids watercolour painting set

• Buy now from Not On The High Street (£26.00)

This watercolour painting set is a great way to introduce children to watercolour painting. There are several different themes available such as dolphins, dragons and unicorns. Each set includes two or three designs for children to paint. The paint-by-numbers designs are marked out using an invisible wax barrier so that the colours don't run into each other. This would be a good gift for older children to try.

13. Derwent metallic colouring set

Add some metallic shine to any drawing with this brilliant set of pencils produced by Derwent. These pencils are highly pigmented to produce rich, blendable colours. This set is presented in a beautiful black box and would be an excellent choice for an older child who loves to draw.

14. Spirograph set

This classic retro art set for kids will allow them to create amazing spiral designs. It comes with instructions, five washable markers and jumbo gears to make it easy for small hands to use.

15. Personalised child's wooden art box

• Buy now from Not On The High Street (£37.00)

This lovely wooden art box would make a wonderful personalised present for a child. The beautifully presented two-tier box contains sketching pencils, 60 colouring pencils, plus glitter and gel pens.

16. Daler Rowney Simply Complete art set

• Buy now from Cass Art (£39.95)

If you know a young aspiring artist, this would be the perfect gift for their birthday or for Christmas. It contains absolutely everything they need to explore their creative ideas, including drawing pencils, watercolour paints, paper, a carrying case and even an easel! This set will inspire them to develop their artistic skills and the materials are all excellent quality.

17. Early Learning Centre double-sided easel

• Buy now from Early Learning Centre (£49.99)

This is an excellent gift for young children who love to draw! This easel features a chalk board on one side and a white board on the other, so your child can draw to their heart's content. It also has extendable legs, so you can adjust it to suit the child's height.

18. Janod string art animal set

• Buy now from Janod ($22.99)

String art is an engaging activity for older children to try and they can use this set to create their own incredible animal art. As this is a tricky technique to try, this kit is not recommended for younger children.

Looking for ideas for Christmas presents? Take a look at our pick of the best gifts for artists. If you would like to stock up on art supplies, explore our guides to the best acrylic paints and the best drawing tablets for beginners. If you fancy learning a new skill then head over to our how to make balloon animals for beginners guide here on Gathered.

Featured image by Pexels/Yan Krukov.