As Christmas approaches, we’re mega-stocking the shelves in our art section.  We have well-crafted art easels, made in the USA by Beka.  We have several kinds of tie-dye, paint/color by numbers, and jewelry-making kits.  We’ve expanded the coloring book section to six racks.

And we have gobs and gobs of great stuff from the Alex line.  They make just about anything you can think of and more: all the standard crayons, paints, brushes and other supplies; easels for the floor, the wall, the lap, or the car; and creative kits from sticker-making to knitting to collage.  Here are three of my favorites for tiny hands:

Finger Crayons – Ten knobby little cones with holes in the bottom, so you can grasp the knob to draw, or you can wear them like witch fingers and make lots of different color lines at the same time.  They make craft time both creative and silly.  $6, Ages 2+.

My Finger Paint – Three primary colors in three convenient dispensers, so there’s no pouring and no mess.  Washable.  $17, Ages 2+

Giant Watercolors – Eight bright color biscuits and a paintbrush in a sturdy-ish storage case.  Since the age of five, I have been royally frustrated by cheap big-brand watercolors – they’re super-drippy, they’re too washed out, and they run out in about 2 uses.  So I present to you these awesome watercolors.  They’re very rich and bold, so you can paint thick and juicy like a big fat marker.  They’re also long lasting.  One summer I went painted my way through three of these sets, but I made literally hundreds of cute works (see bag art).  Give ‘em a try.  $5, Ages 3+

Prices and availability may vary – call store for current info.