I like to think that a great gift sparks creativity and imagination in your little ones. While you can find many templates and from-scratch activities on our site, sometimes you need a premade crafting set that already has everything you need to get started. To help you out, we rounded up the best gifts for kids at Walmart that will keep them entertained and occupied for hours on end.
As a bonus: Many of these gifts offer some sort of learning experience too. Whether your kids are budding artists, future scientists, animal lovers and/or dream of becoming designers, there’s something here that they will light up over.
The Best Gifts for Kids at Walmart
1. For the Little Artist: Crayola 100 Colored Pencils
This Crayola set is a classic that’s a must for budding artists. It has 100 different colors, all of which come pre-sharpened so your kids can get right to drawing straight from the box. They’re non-toxic, washable, and safe for little ones who are at least 5 years old.
2. For the Creative: Play-Doh Fold & Go Playmat Starter Set
Play-Doh is practically a childhood rite of passage. It’s fun for the kids and provides sensory play that can help develop skills and creativity. This set comes with a four-sided face stamper, 12 cutters, Play-Doh scissors and four bright-colored cans, so your kids can make faces, animal shapes or anything else they can dream up.
Parents will also love it because it comes with a washable, foldable playmat that makes cleanup quick and easy. Plus, it comes in a handy storage bag that you can pack and take with you on trips or play dates.
3. For the Painter: FolkArt Matte Acrylic Craft Paint Set
These Acrylic paints from FolkArt are one of my favorites for kids and adults alike! In terms of quality, they’re a few steps up from other kid-based paints, but they’re still sold at a very reasonable price. This set includes the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue), plus white, black, and green, so your kids can stick to the basics or mix their own shades. They work well on a bunch of different surfaces, like paper, wood, Styrofoam, and paper mache, and are washable with just a little soap and water.
If you need an idea to get you started, check out my blog post for instructions on this super cute snow scene pointillism art project idea.
4. For the Plant Lover: Creativity for Kids Grow N’ Glow Terrarium
If you have a little one who wants to nurture their green thumb, check out this Grow N’ Glow Terrarium from Creativity for Kids. This kit comes with a plastic mason-style jar, decorative lid, potting mix, chia and wheat grass seeds, cute garden figurines, decorative sand and stones, and glow-in-the-dark stickers so the kids can admire their masterpieces at night. There are enough seeds for two life cycles and it comes with a plant mister so kids can learn what it takes to keep the garden growing and thriving.
5. For the Beginner: Little Buffalo DotArt Activity Kit
DotArt is a fun activity for all, but it’s especially great for beginners who are just learning the ropes of drawing and developing their motor skills. This kit from Little Buffalo comes with 8 jumbo-size markers, which are easy for little hands to grip, and a 50-page activity book that lets them show off their skills. The activity book also helps them learn their letters and develop word associations. It’s ideal for ages 3 and up.
6. For the Aspiring Soapmaker: Dan&Darci Soap Making Kit
This Soap Making Kit from Dan&Darci is the perfect STEM project that combines science and fun. It includes eight soap-base blocks, two non-toxic fragrances, four liquid colors, four molds, four beakers, and eight popsicle sticks so the kids can make multi-colored and layered scented soaps. And all the ingredients are safe for little ones so when the masterpieces are finished, they can actually use them in the bath.
7. For the Coloring Book Lover: Smarts and Crafts Coloring and Drawing Kit
This kit is an all-in-one gift for the budding artist. Instead of one coloring book, it has 24 individual coloring cards that can double as wall art when your kids are finished with them. You’ll also get 12 markers, 12 colored pencils, and a pencil sharpener. Everything is nicely organized into a fun little case that has a handle that’s easy for little hands to grip.
8. For the Arts & Crafts Lover: Dan&Darci Arts and Crafts Vault
If you have a little one who’s full of imagination, they’ll love this Arts and Crafts Vault from Dan&Darci. It has over 1,000 arts and crafts supplies—like pop cleaners, pom poms, wooden pieces, felt strips, sequins, googly eyes, glitter glue, feathers, buttons, and more—so they can make anything they want whenever the mood strikes. There’s no instruction booklet; instead, they can use their imagination to bring all their inner thoughts to life (or try a craft from here!). All the pieces are stored in a 2-drawer case for easy cleanup and organization.
9. For the Constant Drawer: Crayola Creativity Tub
Crayola’s products are a staple for any imaginative kids. Instead of just one packet of crayons or markers, this tub has over 100 Crayola favorites, including 24 classic crayons, 24 bright crayons, broad line markers (that are thick enough for little hands to grip), six washable paints, and two packs of paintbrushes. They’ll also get 30 pieces of construction paper and six packs of model magic so they can make 3D art.
10. For the Butterfly Lover: Crayola Paper Butterfly Science Kit
Bring the magic of butterflies inside with this Butterfly Science Kit from Crayola. It comes with everything your kids need to make 12 butterflies that actually flap their wings. They’ll build each butterfly, and then use the included markers and paints to color the butterflies and bring their vision to life. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a STEM learning experience that teaches them about physics—and they’ll never even know it!
11. For the Kids Who Like to Display Their Art: Made by Me Create Your Own Window Art
If you’ve run out of refrigerator space for displaying your kids’ artwork, the Made by Me Create Your Own Window Art kit will open up a whole new world. It comes with 12 ready-to-paint suncatcher frames in different themes, from a peace sign to a lion to a flower pot, and 8 different paint colors. There are also suction cups included, so once the suncatchers are painted and dried, they can be proudly displayed in the window, casting a colored glow on anything they stream onto.
12. For the Social Butterfly (or Swiftie): Just My Style Friendship Bracelet Making Kit
With this Friendship Bracelet Making Kit, your kids can bling out their friends like they’re going to the Eras tour. It includes hundreds of different-colored and shaped beads with bright and elastic cords, all neatly organized into a fun unicorn jewelry case. Your kids can tie together classic friendship bracelets or use the alphabet beads to spell out their name or their favorite Swiftie phrase.
13. For the Bead Lover: Perler Bead Mania Fused Bead Activity Bucket
This Fused Bead Activity Bucket from Perler will keep the kids entertained for hours. It has a whopping 8,500 beads that can be used to make all sorts of fun shapes. The kit also includes three pegboards—a square, a star, and a heart—to guide creativity and ironing paper.
Note that this process will require some help from you: Once done, you’ll need to heat the beads with a hot iron to fuse them together.
14. For the Out-of-the-Box Thinker: Dan&Darci Rock Painting Kit
Painted rocks have been having their moment, and this kit from Dan&Darci makes it easy to swap out the paper canvas. While your kids can certainly bring their own favorite rocks, it comes with everything you need to get started: 10 white river rocks, 12 paints, two glitter glues, stickers, googly eyes, and more. Your kids can turn the rocks into fun characters, or use the included paintbrush to make their own masterpieces.
15. For the Jewelry Designer: Rainbow Loom Bracelet Making Craft Kit
Rainbow Loom won Toy of the Year in 2014, and 10 years later it’s still going strong because kids love it! This kit has more than 1,200 elastic bands and enough beads to make 25 colorful bracelets. There are easy-to-follow instructions so you can help your kids get the hang of it, and everything is neatly packed in a carrying case. As a win for you: This kind of activity can help your kids develop their fine motor skills.
$9.97 at Walmart
16. For the Future Artist: Royal & Langnickel 36 Watercolor Artist Paint Cake Set
Watercolor is one of my favorite activities for kids, and this basic set is a mess-free way for them to get started. It has 36 highly pigmented paints in a wide range of colors and includes a fine-tipped paint brush so your kids can work on their detailing skills. The paints are washable, and the mixing wells are easy to clean with water, too. For a fun, complete gift idea, you can print out some of my watercolor templates and give them to your kids together.
17. For the Future Designer: Made by Me Quilt Making Kit
Quilting is complicated, but your kids can get their feet wet with this easy-to-use kit that doesn’t require any sewing or cutting. It comes with 24 fleece squares that they can tie together to create a bright, ruffled design. There are also felt shapes, like unicorns, stars, and rainbows, plus a fabric glue that keeps them in place as your little ones snuggle up with their finished blanket.
18. For the Colorful Soul: Smarts and Crafts Scratch Art Studio
Scratch art is a fun twist on classic coloring. This kit comes with 48 white and black scratching papers that reveal colorful or holographic art underneath. Your kids will also get two wooden scratchers and a sharpener so they can draw precise lines. It also includes a clipboard and a handy travel case for activities on the go.
19. For the Mini Sculptor: Crayola Air Dry Clay
This non-toxic Air Dry Clay from Crayola is one of my favorite hands-on activities for kids! It’s lightweight and easy to mold, and you can easily dye it with non-toxic paints—because it’s white it holds onto color really well. This tub weighs five pounds, so it will keep your kids busy for a while. If you need a fun idea, check out my pie crafts, which are fun to make all winter.
20. For Detail-Oriented Kids: Eeekit 24-Piece Polymer Clay Tools Set
This clay tools kit goes great with a tub of the Crayola Air Dry Clay if you want to give a themed gift. Packed with everything kids need to shape, engrave, cut, scrape, chip, and brush, it’s perfect for honing artistic and motor skills. Whether they’re beginners or aspiring sculpting pros, this kit is a fun and creative addition to any craft collection.
21. For the Marvel Fan: Lego Marvel Dancing Groot
Legos are almost always a hit, and this Dancing Groot will entertain Marvel lovers even after it’s built. It has everything your kids need to build Groot in a flower pot, plus fun accessories like headphones, glasses, and extra leaves so they can give him some personalized character. Once Groot is built and decked out, your kids can turn a handle to make him dance on command. His arms are also posable, so your kids can shake things up as he shakes.
22. For the Builder: Magna-Tiles Stardust 15-piece Magnetic Construction Set
Magna-Tiles give your kids endless possibilities to build 3D structures. They can combine the magnetic pieces in any configuration that they can dream up. This kit comes with 11 squares (mirrored and glittered) plus four triangles for a realistic roofline. Plus, all pieces work together, so if your kids already have a growing Magna-Tiles collection, they can combine these with what they already have.
Prices were accurate at time of publishing.
