Our Absolute Must-Have Process Art and Play Materials
Loose Parts (e.g., shells, stones, pine cones, buttons, pom poms, bread tags, bottle caps, lids): Whether natural or man-made, these items encourage children to explore patterns, sorting, and building while developing fine motor skills.
Plasticine Clay and Playdough: Offering endless possibilities for sculpting, molding, and texturing, clay encourages tactile exploration and is excellent for building hand strength.
Watercolor Paints and Brushes: Watercolors allow for gentle, flowing expression and mixing. The transparency encourages layering, blending, and exploration of color theory.
Cardboard Boxes and Tubes: Recyclable cardboard is fantastic for building structures, imaginative play, and creating props, costumes, or small worlds.
Fabric Scraps and Yarn: Fabric encourages sensory exploration and can be used in various activities, from weaving to costume-making and collaborative projects.
Black Felt Tip Pens or Sharpies: The best for intricate lines, patterns, early mark making and observational drawings. Sharpie and watercolor is a favorite invitation for all ages.
Magnatiles and Wooden Blocks: These materials allow for endless building possibilities and are excellent for spatial awareness, problem-solving, and creative exploration. Pair with loose parts or fabric pieces for more elaborate construction. Magnatiles and battery tea lights are a match made in heaven for light exploration and to up the cozy factor.
Wire and Pipe Cleaners: These materials are great for 3D sculpture projects, paired with the tea lights or flashlights to make shadows, as well as bending, twisting, attaching, connecting, and encouraging a whole host of fine motor skills.
Beads or Cut Paper Straws: Encouraging focus and fine motor control, beads are even better with wire or pipe cleaners.
Colored masking tape, washi tape, and dot stickers. We consider these to be essential. They pair perfectly with paper, envelopes, and scissors for an open-ended making invitation, but are also great for wrapping, connecting recyclables, taping off watercolor paper for crisp borders and so much more.
A basket of recyclables. Replenish frequently with drink holder cartons, egg cartons, smaller pieces of flat cardboard, and any other interesting packaging you can get your hands on. Make cutting down cardboard much simpler with our favorite cardboard cutting tool.
Black Felt Tip Pens or Sharpies: The best for intricate lines, patterns, early mark making and observational drawings. Sharpie and watercolor is a favorite invitation for all ages.
Magnatiles and Wooden Blocks: These materials allow for endless building possibilities and are excellent for spatial awareness, problem-solving, and creative exploration. Pair with loose parts or fabric pieces for more elaborate construction. Magnatiles and battery tea lights are a match made in heaven for light exploration and to up the cozy factor.
Wire and Pipe Cleaners: These materials are great for 3D sculpture projects, paired with the tea lights or flashlights to make shadows, as well as bending, twisting, attaching, connecting, and encouraging a whole host of fine motor skills.
Straws: Encouraging focus and fine motor control, beads are even better with wire or pipe cleaners.
Colored masking tape, washi tape, and dot stickers. We consider these to be essential. They pair perfectly with paper, envelopes, and scissors for an open-ended making invitation, but are also great for wrapping, connecting recyclables, taping off watercolor paper for crisp borders and so much more.
A basket of recyclables. Replenish frequently with drink holder cartons, egg cartons, smaller pieces of flat cardboard, and any other interesting packaging you can get your hands on. Make cutting down cardboard much simpler with our favorite cardboard cutting tool.
Do you need help reimagining your classroom as a hub of creativity where children share ideas and feel seen, known, and celebrated? Learn more about our Materials Matters course and Professional Learning Workshops and transform your creative practice today.