One of my favorite parts of being a parent is watching my children discover their individual interests and passions. My 4-year-old daughter, for example, is a budding artist who brings home beautiful paintings from preschool daily. While I encourage her creative exploration, I also admittedly shudder at the sight of unscrewed markers or open paint in our house. Stained furniture and cluttered supplies seem all too likely with most at-home projects.
But then I realized I could be stifling her ambition by saying ‘no’ to art because I’m worried about the mess. So, I got creative and found several mess-free art kits and activity sets that come with no risk of permanently colored walls. Here are the 11 best ones we’ve tried, from foam stickers to a Bluey activity kit and an LCD writing tablet, that kids will adore just as much as their mess-averse parents.
Skillmatics Peel & Press Foil Fun
One of the first mess-free projects I tried with my daughter was this exact unicorn-themed foil art set. We chose this one as that’s what she’s interested in, but there are loads more themes available, from holidays to animals, butterflies, planets, dinosaurs, and more.
Each set includes over 100 foam stickers, 100 colorful foil sheets, and 10 picture canvases. To use them, simply adhere foil to one side of a sticker, pull it off, and the color instantly transfers onto the foam. Then, place each sticker on a board to create an engaging and whimsical playscape. We usually work on them together since, at age 4, she sometimes needs my help with the larger, more detailed stickers, but that just means bonus one-on-one time.
Jackinthebox Poke Art
While my daughter loves her foil set, there was a learning curve initially. But not with this next art project. She was able to hit the ground running with poke art, which creates 3-D art by poking fabric squares into a pre-punctured board. Poke art comes in themes ranging from animals to unicorns, and no glue, cutting, or painting is required.
I like how it encourages her hand-eye coordination, improves her pincer grasp, and sparks creativity to either complete it according to the color-coded guide or follow her own imagination as to what the final result should look like.
Melissa & Doug Washable Poster Paint Set
I initially tried to keep messy painting as an activity solely reserved for school, but I hated feeling like I was holding back my daughter’s interests. Thankfully, I found these washable paints, and I no longer have to worry about the colors staining her clothes or skin. To play it safe, we only paint in the garage to avoid nice furniture, but I’ve had no problem rinsing paint away after it inevitably colors her hands or clothing.
The set comes with four vividly bright colors for just enough variety, and each bottle is eight ounces, which lasts us quite a while. If you purchase this Melissa & Doug paint set, include the brand’s dishwasher-safe, spill-proof paint cups, which have an air-tight lid that snaps shut to preserve unused paint for the next session. Plus, if one gets knocked over, the design of the lids will prevent paint from pouring out easily.
Skillmatics Dot It Stickering Activity
Kids love stickers and with this set, I appreciate that they end up as art on one contained board instead of all over my walls, floors, and cabinets. My daughter received this Skillmatic Dot It Set as a gift, and even her 19-month-old sister was able to help since the stickers, which range from small to extra-large circles, are easy to peel off and stick onto themed boards. Choose from Disney princesses, Mickey Mouse, space, and more themes to create playful illustrations.
ZMLM Rainbow Scratch Set
I bought these notebooks as party favors for my daughter’s friends, and my kids loved them so much they kept a couple, too. Each spiral-bound pad has 20 black-topped pages that can be scratched away with the wooden drawing stylus to reveal beautiful, bright rainbow colors without one marker or bottle of paint. Multiple drawing sticks are included in case any go missing, as well as four drawing stencils to create cool shapes and patterns.
Skillmatics Fun With Foam
Another mainstay in our house, Skillmatics Fun with Foam, is a no-mess activity set with over 800 sparkly foam stickers that are used to decorate six picture boards. The stickers come in various shapes and sizes and are easy to peel and press onto each board to create engaging designs and patterns. My older daughter likes to use these to create detailed scenes while my younger toddler enjoys peeling individual stickers, allowing her to develop fine motor skills.
We have the unicorn set, but the set also comes in ocean, animals, and puppy themes.
Play-Doh Hair Stylin' Salon Playset
Play-Doh is a classic for good reason. The fun, easy-to-mold colors are great on their own, but unique sets like this take playtime to new levels. With this Play-Doh salon set, my younger daughter is happy to squish and press any of the six included colors, while my older daughter can immerse herself in imaginative exploration. When they’re done, I load the Play-Doh back into each canister and throw all the pieces into a bag to stow away until next time.
Crayola Color Wonder Bluey Activity Kit
For a truly mess-free art kit, i.e., no dried-up Play-Doh crumbs, papers lying around from peeled-off stickers, and zero risk of stains, you can’t do better than a Crayola Color Wonder set. These markers only work on the accompanying paper (not even regular paper, fyi) so even if your toddler wanders off with an open marker on a mission to draw on the couch, they won’t be successful, nor will they end up covered head to toe in ink.
These sets come in all sorts of themes; we have this Bluey one right now but have also bought it in Peppa Pig, Disney Princess, Baby Shark, Frozen, and others. I especially love them for travel, too, as they make for a great airplane activity.
Tecjoe 2-Pack 8.5-Inch LCD Writing Tablet
An LCD writing tablet is one of my favorite art-themed items to pack in a carry-on when we travel. It requires no piles of paper and you don’t have to worry about a marker or crayon rolling away under airplane seats, never to be seen again.
The lightweight device looks like a tablet, but no apps or games exist—it’s purely for drawing. The board utilizes pressure-sensitive technology, so there’s no blue light, glare, or harsh lighting. Both of my girls draw with ease, either with the included pen or their fingers or other firm objects. When they’re finished, we simply hit the erase button (no clean-up necessary).
Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pad
I’ve purchased many of these pads over the years for my girls and as gifts. To use the Melissa & Doug Water Wow!, unscrew the pen, add water, close it back up, and get to drawing. The water activates special paper with black-and-white outlines of shapes and scenes to reveal bright colors, transforming the pages into colorful works of art. Once the pages dry, they return to black and white, providing multiple uses for each pad, adding value and reducing waste.
The water-filled pens don’t transfer color anywhere else. The pads feature fun themes, such as underwater creatures, a jungle, a farm, and more.
Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Markers
Sometimes, my daughter just wants to color on regular old paper. And that’s okay—so long as she uses these washable, easy-to-clean markers. As she’s still refining her fine motor skills, the markers sometimes slip off the page, but they’re easy to clean off, whether they land on her fingers, clothes, or my dining room table.
These washable Crayola markers are nontoxic and long-lasting, so I don't have to throw them away if a marker accidentally goes uncapped for a few hours. We even used them to decorate pumpkins at Halloween, and I particularly like how this set includes stencils for added creativity and fun.
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