Easy Art Ideas for Kids: How to Easily Assemble an Art Box

Are you looking for open-ended and easy art ideas for kids? Fill some art boxes with a variety of materials and watch your kids’ creativity go wild. use art boxes in your art center, maker space, or as a gift for a special child.

Art boxes are a great way to provide kids with many materials that will spark their creativity.  Learn how to assemble an art activity for preschoolers in a box.

An art box or a tinker tray is like a portable maker space.  Kids can grab it and have lots of materials at hand to create, explore, and make art.

The Box

You can start with any kind of container to hold your art supplies.  I like the versatility of divided plastic containers.  Here are some additional ideas for boxes to use:

• divided silverware trays,
• tackle boxes
• divided serving trays
• plastic drawers
• anything that will hold and organize a variety of supplies.

Where to Find Art Supplies

I love looking for materials to add to art boxes.  Almost anything can be placed in the box.  I always have materials in my supply closet that can be used, but I also enjoy picking up a few special items at the art or craft store, Dollar Store, or thrift store.

What to Put in an Art Box

I assembled the box above as a gift for a little friend.  Because I wanted it to have a girly theme, I included foam flower stickers, paper flowers, pretty washi tape, sparkly foam letters, and of course….googly eyes.

I made some blank books to add, then place in some markers, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick.

I found some small sheets of colored card stock that fit perfectly in the box.  You can add any kind of paper.  Small sheets of tissue paper could be a fun addition.  Don’t limit children to the small paper and books that fit inside the box.  It’s a good idea to provide plenty of larger paper as well.

In another art box, I added dot stickers, yarn, brads, feathers, puffballs, pipe cleaners, washi tape, markers, a bottle of glue, a pair of scissors, and a hole punch.  Give children an art box and some paper and just let them experiment and get creative.  You might be surprised by what they do with the materials.

Here is another art box that I put together.  It was full of connectors….pipe cleaners, zip ties, washi tape, brads, yarn, paper clips, clothespin clips, toothpicks, different sizes of hole punches, scissors, and glue.  Paired with pieces of cardboard, paper, cardboard tubes, small containers, and paper cups…this box will encourage 3-D creations.

Assemble a few boxes and place them in a maker space or in an art center.  Whether you use art boxes in your home or in your classroom, I think that your kids will have blast with them.  I hope that you have as much fun gathering supplies as I did.

You may also be interested in the following open-ended creative resources from my store.  Click on the images below to check them out.