Every child has a creative instinct. It might show up as bold sweeps of paint, careful pencil drawings, intricate paper folding, or an afternoon happily lost in a craft kit. Whatever form it takes, one thing is consistent — quality materials that work beautifully make the experience genuinely enjoyable, and that's what brings children back to creating again and again.
As a gift-giver, finding the right creative gift for this child is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Quality materials that work the way they should — paint that flows smoothly, crayons that feel good in the hand, craft kits with everything needed to bring an idea to life — build real creative confidence. When the tools cooperate, children discover that making things is genuinely enjoyable, something to return to again and again.
Our Creative & Crafty collection brings together art supplies, craft kits, and creative projects chosen for exactly this reason. Here, organised by age, are some of our favourite creative gifts for children — from first crayons for little hands to sophisticated art sets for developing artists.
For Under 5s: First Mark-Making and Creative Exploration
The early years of creative expression are really about discovery — the satisfaction of pressing crayon to paper, the surprise of colours mixing, the pleasure of making a mark and seeing it stay there. At this stage, the experience matters far more than the result, and the best creative gifts for young children are those that make that experience as enjoyable as possible.
The Honeysticks Jumbo Stencils & Crayons Activity Set is a particularly thoughtful first art set. Made from beeswax rather than paraffin, the chunky crayons are designed for little hands still developing their grip, laying down rich, smooth colour with satisfying ease. The jumbo stencils introduce shape and pattern whilst leaving plenty of room for a child's own creative instincts. For children who love to draw on every available surface, the Kitpas Medium Crayons open up an exciting possibility — these Japanese water-soluble crayons write smoothly on paper but also work on glass and mirrors, wiping clean with water afterwards. Drawing on windows and washing away to start again is the kind of creative freedom young children find endlessly compelling.
Jumbo Stencils & Crayons Activity Set by Honeysticks
Familiar characters make wonderful creative companions for this age group. The Gruffalo Art Activity Set brings Julia Donaldson's beloved monster world into a child's creative play, with paints, pens, stickers, and activities all themed around the Deep Dark Wood. The World of Beatrix Potter Art Activity Set does something similar for Peter Rabbit fans — a beautifully presented collection of everything a young artist needs to explore painting, drawing, and crafting within a world they already love. For something with a purpose beyond the page, the Paddington Paint Your Own Bug Hotel invites children to decorate a wooden bug hotel that then goes in the garden to attract insects — making with meaning, and the particular satisfaction of creating something that does something useful.
Gruffalo Art Activity Set by Robert Frederick
For Juniors: Expanding Skills and Creative Confidence
As children move through primary school, creative interests become more defined. Some discover a love of intricate detail work; others prefer bold colour and pattern. Many find that making things with their hands offers a kind of focused, satisfying engagement that's hard to find elsewhere. These years are about finding what kind of making brings them joy — and having materials good enough to take their ideas seriously.
The Studio Roof Wall Art Plane: Piper is a brilliant example of making with a wow factor. These Dutch-designed paper sculptures transform from flat cardboard sheets into beautifully detailed three-dimensional aircraft through careful assembly and creative decoration — the kind of making that looks genuinely impressive and delivers real pride in the finished result. For children drawn to crafting with fabric and thread, the Cotton Twist Save Our Oceans Craft Kit is outstanding. Pre-cut felt pieces and embroidery threads come together to create a textile ocean scene, with clear instructions that guide technique without limiting interpretation. It teaches new skills whilst celebrating something the child cares about.
Wall Art Plane by Studio Roof
The Poppik World Tour Discovery Sticker Poster is a creative project that doubles as a geography lesson — hundreds of numbered stickers find their places on a beautifully illustrated world map, building a detailed picture of global landmarks, wildlife, and cultures. The finished poster is genuinely worth displaying, which gives the making a satisfying sense of purpose. For children who love both creativity and colour, the Cotton Twist Colour Your Own High Street Kit includes watercolour pencils and a set of pre-printed buildings to colour and customise — their own town to interpret freely. And Studio Roof's Wall of Curiosities Set: Fish takes paper craft to a genuinely striking level — each fish assembles from flat card into a three-dimensional form, and a whole shoal arranged on a bedroom wall becomes both creative achievement and art installation.
World Tour Discovery Sticker Poster by Poppik
For Older Children: Developing Artistic Voice
By the later primary years and into secondary school, children who love creating start to develop real artistic preferences and ambitions. They're ready for materials that offer genuine creative control — tools that feel grown-up enough to match the seriousness with which they approach their making. The right gift at this stage is one that treats a young artist as exactly that.
The Liberty London Capel Coloured Pencil Set is precisely this kind of gift. Twelve quality pencils wrapped in Liberty's signature Capel print — a set that feels special before it's even opened. The pencils themselves lay down smooth, vibrant colour that makes detailed work a genuine pleasure, the kind of tool that makes a young artist feel their creativity is worth taking seriously. For a broader creative toolkit, the World of Beatrix Potter 87 Piece Art Set brings together crayons, pencils, markers, paints, and pastels in a beautifully presented case — everything a developing artist needs to experiment across different media, all in one treasured set.
The Galison Mudpuppy We are Colorful Skin Tone Crayon Set is a thoughtfully created set that gives young artists what so many art supplies have historically lacked — true skin tones that reflect the real diversity of people. For an older child who loves drawing portraits, characters, or the world around them, having the right colours to represent real people accurately is both practical and meaningful. It's the kind of detail that matters to a serious young artist.
We are Colorful Skin Tone Crayon Set by Galison Mudpuppy
Whatever stage of their creative journey a child is at, the gift that makes the most difference is one that takes their making seriously — materials that work beautifully, projects that guide without limiting, and tools that invite them to keep creating. That's what builds genuine confidence and brings children back to art and craft again and again.
Browse our full Creative & Crafty collection to discover more creative gifts for children, or explore gifts by age: Under 5s, Juniors, and Older Children.
We offer premium gift wrapping using FSC-certified, sustainable paper in a choice of designs, with each gift expertly hand-wrapped in plastic-free packaging. Add a personalised message and we can send directly to the recipient — perfect for thoughtful creative gifts that arrive ready to inspire.
