The more accessible your art materials are, the more likely your kids are to use them! And with so many
emotional, developmental, and educational benefits to crafting, encouraging arts and crafts is a super smart idea. EI’s Experts in Play are here to help you stock your art cart with five must have materials sure to inspire your kids to get crafty every day of National Craft Month – and beyond!
1. PaperThe foundation for all kinds of projects, you’ll want to supply several different kinds of paper, including scratch paper, construction paper, cardstock, and even sheets of cardboard. Cut any bits left over from previous projects into shapes and squiggles to be used in future projects.
2. Pencils, Crayons, and MarkersInclude basic graphite pencils as well as colored pencils (chunky sizes are easier for little hands). Go for washable markers and be sure to separate each type of supply into its own cup or bin so kids can easily find what they need.
3. Paints and PaintbrushesWatercolors are wonderful for quick and easy painting projects. Tempera paints are washable and come in a huge range of colors that sticks to paper, cardboard, cloth, and even wood. They’re also great for finger painting! You’ll want to stock your cart with several sizes of kid-friendly paintbrushes, as well as a cup for water, a plastic palette, and a smock.
4. Sculpting MaterialsEncourage 3-D creativity with sculptable materials like air dry clay (or Fimo for older kids). Non-toxic, moldable
Playfoam® is the perfect compound for your art cart since it never dries out and your kids can reuse it again and again.
Photo Credit: @madina_toys
5. ExtrasInclude a bin for the extras, including child-safe scissors, glue sticks, pom poms, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, beans, beads, and glitter, if you dare.
Once you’ve stocked your art cart with the basics, you may need a bit of inspiration. Visit our
Pinterest page for endless creative craft ideas for little ones. Welcome spring with crafts including step-by-step instructions for
drawing Hoppy Floppy and creating a
chick and a
bunny out of Playfoam pods!
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SpinZone® Magnetic Whiteboard Spinners-- $19.99Spin some fun into your home or classroom with these three giant 11" spinners! Use it for custom games or activities on the whiteboard for the whole class. Simply draw a circle, write in content, attach a spinner, and play!Get your spinners here: 
You Rock™ Student Hall of Fame-- $19.99Give a whole-class shout out to your Rock Star of the Week! Spotlight your star of the week with this jammin’ new chart! Included templates provide space for “Get to Know Me” responses like “Check Me Out,” “My Faves,” “My Family Rocks,” and “Awesome Appearances.” Reuse this chart year after year and let your students shine!Check it out here:
Positive Reinforcement Stamps-- $12.99Cheer on successful student work with these 6 illustrated positive reinforcement stamps! The set includes a stamp pad built into a convenient, compact desk set. As an educator, you can never have enough!Get your stamps here: 
Class Scrapbook-- $14.99Teachers take hundreds of photos each year! Quickly and easily display them in this adorable wall-hanging Class Scrapbook. It's another great pocket chart to use year after year!Check it out here:
Save trees—and help students focus-one pencil at a time with today's Deal of the Day. It's Thursday August 16th and today we're featuring our Bucket of 50 Peppermint Smart Smencils!These eco-friendly Smencils are made of 100% recycled newspaper and emit the invigorating scent of peppermint. Why peppermint? Well it has been said that the scent of peppermint improves student alertness. They come a biodegradable plastic container that keeps each Smencil fresh for up to 2 years!This bucket of 50 Smencils usually goes for 
