s/o What art products are your kids' favorite?

As I just posted in the Crayola thread, we haven't had much luck with any kind of paint. A&S love to color with markers (on anything -- thank goodness they're washable). They also like crayons and dry-erase markers (though I can't seem to find washable ones).

My sister gave us a bunch of art supplies last Christmas. She says her 3-year-old has used them since she was 2, but maybe my kids are artistically delayed, because they can't get the hang of them. The finger paint (Melissa & Doug) stays in a big gelatinous glob and is hard to smear. The Crayola tube paints (which are supposed to dry "raised") are super hard to squeeze. And the poster paint seems to be too thick for the brushes. What gives?

They come home from daycare with all kinds of art projects -- I should find out what supplies they use. But in the meantime, what are your favorites for 2-year-olds?

 

I buy the short fat bottles of glitter glue. Then I give them some beans or whatever I have laying around to have them glue it to. They just LOVE to squeeze it out and that's all they do! They don't "make" anything.

The other thing we love is the huge stamp pads. They love to make handprints and with clean feet, foot prints! (Washable)

Watercolors are a HUGE hit as well. After a while, they are ALL black...but they don't care!!!

 

Sidewalk chalk. The twins are also getting into safety scissors and coloring, etc.

 

washable tempera paint. Mine love to take mini 4x4 trucks and run them through a plate with a litght color then make tracks on a darker/contrasting piece of construction paper.
pudding. finger painting is SO much more fun when it tastes good.
Bingo dobbers. Dot, dot, dot.... a huge favorite with the 2 year old set.
feathers, buttons, bits of paper and glue. Great on a holiday or seasonal themed pic. Pic of a chicken, with feathers and glue... Buttons on a pic of a snowman. etc...
I'm sure there are other crafts we've done with E/I at that age that we've done again at home.
OOOHHH, FOAM SOAP. I kid you not. It's like colored shaving cream. I spray it onto the shower wall in the back of the tub, have them face it and I can actually wash their hair fit free while they make doodles on the wall with it.

 

My girls love washable tempera paints too. I bought a set of paint brushes and showed them how to clean the brushes in the water and then blot on paper towel and then choose the next color. It takes some real patience at first and you have to let them explore things for themself a bit but they will soon get the hang of it. My one dd LOVES to paint and I don't think I'm biased or anything but she is quite talented. She could spend a good hour painting.

I'm also planning on buying safety scissors today and teaching them how to cut paper and glue it on and make a collage.

 

glue (they love to glue anything, noodles, beans, marshmallows, etc.; for an added challenge we glue around a shape or letter)
safety scissors (cut long strips of paper and let them snip away)
pipe cleaners and cheerios (for lacing)
shoe laces and wide noodles (for lacing)
playdough (they love the garlic press and mini muffin pans to work with)
stamps/stamp pads
Crayola Color Wonder markers