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Painting is a great way for your kids to express their creativity while developing fine motor skills. However, not all painting supplies are kid-friendly. The best paints for kids are washable and nontoxic, so they’re easy to clean and safe for painters of all ages. As with any paints, the good ones will also have rich, vibrant colors so that your child’s artwork comes out just as they imagined.
Because any child with paint could theoretically make a mess (especially younger children), paints labeled as “washable” will make your life much easier. This label indicates that they’ll be easy to clean from surfaces — and your little one's skin and clothes — with just a bit of soap and water. If your child is young enough that ingestion is a concern, you should also opt for paint that is labeled “nontoxic." This label doesn't rule out all harmful ingredients altogether, but it may be safer than paint without the label. If you're really trying to be careful, any paint with an AP seal from The Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) has been evaluated by a toxicologist, and is — for certain — non-toxic. Regardless, you should always monitor your kids to ensure they don’t ingest paint; it’s not intended to be eaten.
Whether your child is into finger painting or water colors, they’ll surely make masterpieces with these five picks that parents on Amazon can’t stop raving about.
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
1The Overall Best Paints For Kids
Ages: 4+
This pack of Crayola paints comes with six different colors — blue, violet, green, red, yellow, and orange — so your kiddo can create bright and beautiful artwork. The washable paint is ideal for beginners and can be applied with a brush, sponge, stamp, stencil, or honestly, any tool your child pleases. Like all Crayola products, the paints are ACMI-certified nontoxic. Amazon reviewers gave this pick a near-perfect star-rating on the site among 4,200 and growing reviews. And don’t worry — plenty of reviewers indicated that this paint is actually easy to clean from hands and surfaces.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "This is a great, non-toxic paint set for little ones. I bought this box of paints for my nephew who truly LOVES doing craft projects and paintings. The "washable" in the title really holds true. We have gotten this paint on clothes, carpet, upholstery, etc. and it really does come out with little to no effort at all. My son uses the same paint at daycare and we have never had an issue with it not coming out of his clothing, even after it has been dried on there for hours."
2A Watercolor Paint Set
Ages: 4+
This Prang watercolor set comes with the AP seal from the ACMI, so you can rest easy knowing that it’s a safe and truly nontoxic choice for your kiddo to enjoy. The watercolor set comes in a sturdy box and contains eight different colors — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black, and brown. A brush is even included, too. With more than 470 reviews on Amazon and a solid 4.6-star rating overall, tons of reviewers indicated that they prefer Prang paints over competitor paints since they are unbelievably saturated and vibrant.
This washable formula will easily come off skin and most clothing. If your child would appreciate more variety, the watercolors also come as a 16-color set.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "The color saturates better than other similar products. I work at a school and have 2 small children so have seen many brands. I would choose these again! It washed out well when splashed on [clothes] too"
3An Easy-To-Clean Finger Paint
Ages: 4+
If you’re on board with a little extra messiness, your kid will certainly love getting creative with this finger paint from Crayola. It is slightly thicker than average paint — which is what makes it so easy to work with — and comes in a squeeze bottle with a flip top cap to help prevent major spills. When it comes time for cleanup, the paint easily washes off clothes and skin with no problem, whatsoever.
The paint comes in nine different colors sold separately, or in a set with six colors. And just like all Crayola products, the paints are ACMI-certified nontoxic.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My kid makes a HUGE mess with paint, so i have fully tested the washability of this paint. 100% cleans up with water"
4A Full Watercolor Paint Set For A More Advanced Artist
Ages: Not specified (However, watercolors are typically intended for ages 4+)
With more than 500 reviews on Amazon and a 4.7-star rating, it’s clear that this watercolor paint set from AEM Hi Arts is a good one. The set comes with everything your little artist needs to create their next masterpiece, including 24 tubes of high-quality odorless watercolor paints, three brushes, a palette for mixing colors, and 12 pieces of watercolor paper. The set even comes with a box to hold all of the pieces, and a free how-to ebook for beginner watercolor artists is included with every purchase.
The paint is labeled as nontoxic and washable. If you have any issues with it, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee and one-year free replacement warranty. According to AEM Hi Arts, for each set purchased, they'll give one set "to an organization in need of art to heal and find joy."
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I bought two watercolor kits for each of my daughter's. They both absolutely love them! They come fully stocked with all the supplies needed to paint a beautiful picture. The paints are of a high quality; thick, bright, and rich in color."
5Mess-Free Paint Markers
Ages: 3+
Looking for a less-messy alternative to paint? These markers from Do A Dot Art! are the perfect solution. Each easy-to-grip marker holds 2.5 ounces of paint that only comes out when your child presses down on the paper. Otherwise, the paint won’t drip or squirt out of the tube. The set comes with six different colored markers: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The paint is labeled as nontoxic and washable, and dries super quickly, too. Amazon reviewers approve of this pick, giving it a standout 4.7-star rating among 1,400 and growing reviews.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My 18month old daughter absolutely loves these paint markers! I find that the mess is super easy to contain, as the markers do not drip and even if they fall they do not squirt paint everywhere. It's also super fun for toddlers who are beginning to experiment with paint and art materials in general. My daughter thinks it's the funnest thing to make paint dots on paper; she makes noises as she makes the dots and has now figured out that if she applies enough pressure, she can also make longer paint strokes. Great developmental tool to stimulate the artist in your toddler!"
