Are Parents Getting It Wrong When Buying Art Supplies For Their Kids
Are Parents Getting It Wrong When Buying Art Supplies For Their Kids
Before I get started in this article, I want to make clear this is not a blame game or finger pointing exercise, I would never in a million years try to tell parents how they should parent. The information in this post focuses on huge mistakes my wife and I made with our kids when they were growing up, for what it is worth, I hope you can learn from our mistakes and apply what you may find helpful to your kids.
I have wanted to make a video on this for the longest time but was worried about getting it wrong and coming across as one of those arrogant people, trying to tell everyone else how to parent, this of course couldn’t be further from the truth, and I promise my intentions are only to help and hopefully avoid others from making the same mistakes.
When Vicky and I had our kids, of which the age gaps between the three of them are quite close, we wanted to allow them, where possible, to try their hand at as many sports or hobbies as possible. As I write this post, our eldest daughter Niamh is 24, our Son Jude is 20 and our youngest daughter Amelia is 19. They all pretty much are very different kids, Niamh is very Art orientated studied Art, English Literature and Classic Civilisations at College, Jude is very academic studying Aerospace Engineering at University and Amelia although a very successful Gymnast is now studying Performing Arts at college. Needless to say, they all wanted to try different things.
Jude played Hockey, American Football, Football, Basketball and Rowing, Niamh was into horse riding, Archery and swimming and Amelia also done horse riding, Gymnastics at an International level, ribbons, Ballet, Irish Dancing and Tap. However, some of the activities they took part in only lasted a few weeks and we thought this was okay. We didn’t want our kids to think quitting was a good thing, but at the same time, this was just about them finding what they loved as kids and then pursuing it.
From about the ages of six to Ten or Eleven, every Christmas, Vicky and I would buy them each, as a filler to their other main presents, these art sets that cost between £10 to £25 each. The sets themselves, to someone not interested in art, looked very impressive and so Vicky and I always thought the kids would love them and get loads of use and fun out of them. However, the reality was much shorted lived and again, as a non-artist, neither of us understood why these opulent art sets lasted such a short period.
I have purchased a set very similar to the sets we purchased the kids for Christmas to highlight what I mean and hopefully help to demonstrate to you why I think they are quite detrimental to a kids first impression of art. I am in no way trying to shame the companies that make these art sets, every one is entitled to make a living, just as I am entitled to hopeful help parents avoid them. Nor am I suggesting that every child has to become an artist.
Of all the education we provide for our kids, Art is the one that is overlooked the most, and the same was true for Vicky and I; I think this is due to the fact, parents want their kids to become doctors, lawyers etc, to become rich and successful and unfortunately when we look at art, we don’t see this as the key to any such future. I have also uploaded a YouTube video showcasing this very art set and the problems they create for young people, simply follow the link to watch.
The Endorphins of Art
A while ago, I completed a lot of research into why art can be helpful to those of use suffering with mental health problems. This research led me down some rabbit holes one of which was how and why people become addicted to slot machines and casinos. Other than the obvious with slot machines which is of course winning money, there is a reason people are drawn in to them in the first place and that is the colourful lights. Slot machines are purposely designed to have millions of flashing lights, bright colors and noises, it is just like a moth to a bright flame. All of those lights and colors release endorphins in our brain which cause us to feel good, that is what draws us to the machines in the first place, winning the money is the hook.
With art the concept is very similar, as artists we are surrounded by color all day, when I am sat in my studio surrounded with all the colors of my markers, colored pencils, pastels etc, I can feel my mood improve. It is the visual aspect of the colors that starts our brains to release endorphins and in turn makes us happy. I know you are asking, “What the heck has this got to do with cheap art sets for kids”? well, allow me to explain.
My wife has worked with young kids for over 30 years, she has a degree in child psychology and has always been fascinated in what makes a young Child’s brain work, what makes them happy, how they develop etc. She has helped me understand this issue and just how detrimental these particular art sets can push our kids away from ever pursuing art, be it as a career or a meaningful hobby that can help them in later life relax and centre.
When a child is given a Crayon and piece of paper, all the child wants is to place the color of the crayon onto the paper, to make marks. However, if when the child starts to scribble with the crayon on the paper and there is no color appearing on the paper, the child will continue scrubbing until the child either becomes frustrated and stops, or the paper rips from the excessive scrubbing. In most cases, the child will select another color and start the process over again, but if the same result happens a few more times; the child will stop and move to a different activity.
In essence this is what is happening when parents buy these large art sets for their kids, most of us will buy them for our kids at the ages I have already mentioned and at these ages, kids want instant results. They don’t care if they create a masterpiece, all they want is results. When you watch my video showcasing all the mediums in the set I purchased, you will see how terrible each medium is.
Contents Of 187 Piece Art Set
If parents are buying these sets for their kids, the chances are the only paper in the house will be printer paper or the paper that can sometimes come in the sets. The paper that came with this set is like Newsprint paper, the stuff they wrap your fish n chips up with, so even if the various mediums were a decent standard, the surface the child is given is terrible. It took me a long time to work out the value of good quality paper and I was interested in art, when I purchased these sets for my kids, it was simply either the few sheets of paper that came in the set or printer paper laying about the house.
In the art set I have purchased, there are a total of 187 pieces, 24 Felt Pens, 48 Wax Crayons, 48 Oil Pastels, 24 Coloured Pencils, 12 Watercolour Cakes, 20 Paper Clips, 5 Sheets of Paper, 1 Liquid Glue, 1 Sharpener, 1 Eraser, 1 HB Pencil, 1 Paint Tray and 1 Paint Brush. Do you like the way 20 paper clips is included in the count along with the paint tray the watercolour cakes are housed in?
When we gave these sets to our kids, as you can see from he test, the Crayons and Oil Pastels were a waste of time, there is no coverage at all from them, at least not on the type of paper expected to be used. This left the coloured pencils and felt pens to save the day and for the most part, they did, for the next 2 or 3 hours.
The felt tip pens would dry out of ink so fast rendering them unusable and if they were lucky enough to get a set of colored pencils that had any pigment whatsoever in them, by the time it came round to sharpening them, the sharpener either snapped and broke or the core of the pencil continually broke.
In this particular set, there is also a brush for the watercolors, but as you can see from the image, the brush is useless, it has no ability to absorb as the bristles are like that of a yard brush. Even if the watercolour cakes delivered a significant amount of color, there is no way of applying it to the flimsy paper provided.
In our house, both the girls would still be using the set by Boxing Day, on a good year but for our Son, his time with the set lasted an hour if we were lucky. I have to say, I am not suggesting that every single art set like the one I am showcasing is terrible, I couldn’t possibly say that as I have not used them all, but the ones we bought for our kids over at least six Christmas periods were terrible, as is the one I have for this article.
You can also purchase sets exactly the same content as the one on review here, only rather than a plastic case containing them, they are packed into a wooden box set. There is no denying the fact they look much better, however it is exactly the same content inside. The only difference is that you won’t need to fill up your empty Roses tin of sweets with the scattered crayons and pencils cause the kids accidentally stood on the plastic container, the wooden boxes do hold them a little bit longer.
A Better Alternative
It is highly unlikely, that you will be able to buy exactly the same amount of individual art pieces, that is present in such large art sets, separately. However, if you would like to provide your kids with a good insight into the world of art, I have come up with a few alternatives that might cost a little bit more, but will most certainly provide your kids with a much better experience.
I would also like to say, I am not suggesting that all kids should be forced to become artists, not at all, I do however think, that kids should be provided a good introduction to the subject and if they chose after that; art is not for them, then so be it. At least you and your kid will know for certain art is not for them, despite the wonderful products they just played about with.
Ages 6 - 12 Years
The items in this list are just a few ideas, lining up with the same mediums inside such large art sets. But there will be loads of other similar type products out there that you can look for, this is just a list of products I know are excellent and will provide value to your kids.
Crayola has been a kids favourite for many years and in place of the horrible crayons in the art set, you can buy a 64 set of Crayola Crayons for £7.99 or $10.99
If you wanted to step it up a notch you could get the 12 set of Faber Castell Jumbo Grip Crayons for £6 or $12
You could also replace the Crayons and Watercolour cakes in the art set with a 24 set of Giotto Cera Water Soluble Crayons for £4.50. Rather than just watercolour pans, these crayons give kids the best of both worlds
The Stabilo Trio Thick Colored Pencils 12 set will cost £5 and they deliver a lot of color thanks to their thick core.
A 12 set of Giotto Mega Chunky Colored Pencils is another alternative at only £8, again the thick core delivering easy coverage and bright color.
A 24 set of Bic Kids Washable Felt Tip Pens is a fantastic alternative to the small quick drying out felt pens in the art set and 24 pens for only £5.
Again Crayloa do very well in the Felt Tip Pen art supplies with a 24 set only costing £5 or $8
Finally if you would like to give your kids an introduction to the world of watercolors try this Shuttle Art 48 Set for only £12.99 or $8.99
Ages 13 - 17 Years
For the older kids, perhaps at high school sitting art exams or just wanting to get serious into art as a hobby, you could try these alternatives.
Caran d’Ache set of Neocolor II, a water-soluble set of highly pigmented crayons for £15.99 or $28
Mungyo is another excellent brand of art supplies and at a reasonable price, this set of 12 water soluble oil pastels will cost approximately £12 or $7.99
I am always raving about how good Lyra products are and this set of 24 Lyra Aquarelle Crayons are no exception selling at £26.
Giotto is a label under the Lyra banner and this 36 set of Giotto Di Natural will be amazing for any young artist student and only for £23.
The Faber Castell Classic Red 60 Set of Colored Pencils are absolutely amazing especially for the price, these highly pigmented pencils will serve any student artist well at only £13
Another Faber Castell set will be an excellent alternative to the Classic Red and that is the Faber Castell Black Edition 36 Set for only £14.
A much better alternative to the felt tip pens in the last art set is the Ohuhu dual tip 48 Marker Set at only £19.
Failing that, you could try the Shuttle Art Dual Tip 88 Marker Set for only £21, this will help to provide any young artist with the tools to create amazing art.
Conclusion
As I stated at the beginning, I am in no way trying to tell anyone how to parent, but still to this day I feel terrible that when our eldest daughter Niamh was sitting her Art GCSE exams, we got for her the cheapest colored pencils and watercolour pencils that we could get. I have to be honest, the main reason for this was because Art wasn’t important to me at that time and so I selfishly pushed that onto my daughter. I am always telling her to take whatever art supplies she wants from the Studio as some way of trying to make up for it, even though she holds absolutely no resentment about it.
This is simply a helpful look at the huge mistakes Vicky and I made when it came to art in our kids early years and I am hoping that anyone reading or watching can take something away from this that may help them.
I am not suggesting either that art is the most important thing to get your kids involved in, simply that if you would like for your kids to try art or they have expressed an interest in art, don’t buy a large art set for them, no matter how tempting that will be.
If you have any questions about this post, or you would like to share your own experience of buying art supplies for your kids, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section. The comment section on The Art Gear Guide is for me the most important part of the channel, it is here we all get to share and chat about our own experiences and share tips and techniques.
If you would like to watch my YouTube video review of this set and see how each medium actually behaves, follow the link to my YouTube video.
