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Chicago kids Easter gift guide - creative art toys for Easter basket gifts

Inntrax Twig Crayon Set
Twig Crayon Set (© Inntrax)

Chicago parents can encourage kids to take an interest in art and pay attention to the signs of spring and the sights of summer by filling children's Easter baskets with a collection of small or moderately priced good quality art supplies and/or art and craft kits. Chicago-area toy stores, Chicago-area art and craft stores, and online retailers offer a variety of fun options.

Shopping for children's art and craft supplies in Chicago

Families located in the city of Chicago can visit local toy stores such as Building Blocks Toy Stores and Psycho Baby for art materials for painting, drawing, and sculpting by great brands such as ALEX. Such stores also stock fun art and craft kits by ALEX and Creativity for Kids, with themes such as creating cotton clay jewelry or making your own paper.

Families in the suburbs can check stores such as Tree Top Kids (in Hinsdale) and Berwyn's Toy Trains and Models (in Berwyn), which both have art sections full of crayons, paints, paper, and other art materials by ALEX. Geppetto's Toy Box in Oak Park also has a fully-stocked art section full of great natural art supplies.

Another option for families in both the city and the suburbs is to check local art materials stores and arts and crafts stores, such as Blick Art Materials, Pearl Art & Craft Supplies, Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, and Hobby Lobby. And the Land of Nod also has a lovely assortment of drawing and painting supplies, as well as craft kits and Art Clips for displaying finished works of art.

Ideas for art materials to use as kids' Easter basket gifts

  • Crayola crayon boxes
  • Stockmar block beeswax crayons
  • Modeling clay
  • Modeling wax
  • Colored pencil sets
  • Colored chalk sets
  • Cray-pas® oil pastels
  • Face-painting crayons
  • Rubber stamp and ink-pad sets
  • Sketch books or sketch pads with nature-themed covers
  • Sheets of colored felt
  • Sheets of colored foam
  • Sheets of colored construction paper
  • Bags of foam shapes
  • Spring or summer-themed sheets of stickers

Five unique art tools for kids' Easter basket gifts

Bonus art Easter gift ideas: Track down Taro Gomi's Drawing and Painting Books (including Scribbles and Doodles) at area Land of Nod stores or find copies of Susan Striker's Anti-Coloring Books.
Easter gift guides: Read about children's baking tools and supplies and small classic outdoor toys that also make good Easter gifts.
For more information about art and kids: Parents can read Young at Art by Susan Striker to get ideas for how to introduce art to young kids without hindering their creativity. MaryAnn Kohl's line of art books (including First Art, Preschool Art, and Scribble Art) contain great ideas for specific art projects using a variety of media.
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, Chicago Children's Toys Examiner

Renée Carver is a stay-at-home mother of two and a freelance writer specializing in educational products and parenting issues. Using her degree in education to raise children who are active, thinking individuals, she is on the hunt for toys that are safe, fun, enriching and eco-friendly. Carver...

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