Equipment list for an Art Room

Art and craft plays an important role in the development of a child tactile, spatial and visual awareness in the early years; so it’s important to provide basic art and craft supplies to aid in there development. For designing, creating and making; opportunities needs to be provided to enable children to investigate different type of materials, explore colours, shapes, texture and patterns. A well stocked art room setting should provide children with easy access to choice of art and craft materials in order to develop their own creations with their imagination. The following list gives you a basic guideline of art materials that should be readily available in any art room setting for children:-

• Selection of drawing equipment such as pencils, pens, markers, crayons, chalks, pastels, erasers and sharpeners
• A selection of child safe non toxic paints such as powder paints, ready mix paints, finger paints tempera blocks and washable paints.
• Paint brushes of different sizes and thickness
• Paint palettes and paint pots
• Art aprons/smocks, splash mats or table covers.
• Paint drying racks
• Craft paper and card such tissue paper, poster paper rolls, sugar paper and paper shapes
• Craft adhesive such as glue sticks, washable PVA glue and tape. PVA glue can be used for sticking heavy collage materials or added to paint to make it shiny.
• Child safe easy grip craft scissors (left handed and right handed)
• Collage Materials (fabrics, sequins, pipe cleaners, buttons, etc )
• Natural materials such as shells, leaves, twigs, pebbles, sand, etc.
• Modelling Material (Clay, Play dough, Modroc, etc)
• Storage containers is essential to keep your art area tidy
• Art Templates and Stencils

Art and craft in the early years enables children to make representation of their own environments, make pictures of their family, explore properties and learn names materials, develop fine motor skills and introduces numeracy and literacy skills. This basic art room supplies list was compiled by Early Years Resources; stockists of a comprehensive range of art and craft supplies for schools, nurseries, children’s play centres, childcare professionals and parents.