Coloring is one of the best-value activities for kids. A few dollars of supplies can provide hours of creative play. Here’s how to make the most of a small budget.
What’s worth buying
- A basic box of crayons (16 to 24 colors is plenty)
- A set of washable markers
- A set of colored pencils for older kids
- One or two good coloring books your child loves
What’s not necessary
- Huge boxes of 100+ colors
- Novelty supplies that break quickly
- Lots of coloring books at once
Make supplies last
- Caps on markers.
- Store pencils carefully.
- Use broken crayons, which are great for grip. See crayon grip tips.
- Melt crayon stubs into new crayons (adult job).
Buy smart
- Back-to-school sales are the cheapest time to stock up on crayons and pencils.
- Buy one good coloring book rather than several cheap ones with thin lines and paper. A book with characters kids love gets used more. Trace Then Color: Cute Cartoon Animals and Trace Then Color: Cartoon Dinosaurs are long-lasting favorites.
Free coloring pages
- Our free pages feature sample pages from Kevin Coulston’s books.
- FirstArtBooks.com has free printable drawing, tracing and coloring pages.
- Libraries often have free coloring sheets and activities.
Free coloring activities
- Draw outlines for kids to color.
- Color on cardboard boxes and paper bags.
- Use the backs of old envelopes and junk mail.
- Chalk on the sidewalk.
Questions parents ask
Are cheap crayons OK?
Many inexpensive crayons work fine. Very cheap ones may be waxy and pale. Look for nontoxic labels.
How many coloring books does a child need?
One or two at a time is plenty. Rotate them.
Is printing coloring pages cheaper?
Printing can be cheap for a few pages, but ink adds up. A book is often better value for many pages.
About Kevin Coulston
Kevin Coulston is a cartoonist and member of the National Cartoonists Society who has written and illustrated more than 100 drawing, tracing and coloring books for kids, including the Trace Then Color series. Meet Kevin or browse all his books on FirstArtBooks.com.
