Written by Paul Worrall
This article started with me sat on the sofa searching “kids art set” on my phone. My two are 6 and 9, both are into drawing at the moment (my 9 year old, Zach, would draw all day if we let him), and I wanted one big box with everything in it. Coloured pencils, felt tips, crayons, paints, the lot. Something that lives under the table, comes out on a rainy Sunday and doesn’t cost a fortune when half of it ends up trodden into the carpet. My budget was under £20.
I’ve spent sixteen years in the UK art supplies industry, including nearly a decade at ARTdiscount, and I still found the results confusing. Every set claims 150, 200 or 250 pieces, the photos all look the same, and it’s genuinely hard to tell which ones are decent and which ones are a case full of filler. So I did the research properly. Here’s what I found, and the one I’d buy for my own kids.
If you’re shopping for an older child or a grown-up artist, our gifts for artists guide covers every type of artist, and our Black Friday art supplies deals are live now.
Best Kids Art Sets UK: Quick Picks
Best overall under £20: Crafty Co. Kids Art Set 250 Piece
Best branded set: Crayola Inspiration Art Case 140 Piece
Best with an easel: Hobbycraft Pop-Up Easel Art Set 140 Piece
Best cheap backup: Hobbycraft Deluxe Art Set 120 Piece
Best “wow” Christmas present: 200+ piece trifold easel sets
Best for a 9 to 12 year old getting serious: Build your own kit
What to Look for in a Kids Art Set
Before the picks, a quick reality check on the piece count, because it’s the number every listing leads with and it’s the least useful thing on the box. A “250 piece” set usually means 60 individual watercolour pans, 48 chalks, a sheet of stickers counted one by one and a single brush. That’s not a criticism. It’s just how these sets are counted, and it’s worth knowing so you don’t pay extra for a bigger number.
What actually matters for kids is simpler. Does it have the materials they’ll use most, which for most children is felt tips and colouring pencils? Are the markers washable? Does the case close properly, or will it spring open and scatter crayons accross the floor every time it’s picked up? And is there anything in it that isn’t neccessary for their age, like loose chalk pastels for a four year old? Get those right and almost any set will be a hit.
1. Crafty Co. Kids Art Set 250 Piece (Smyths Toys)
This is the one I’d have bought, and having done all the research, it’s still the one I’d buy. At £9.99 it’s half my budget, and the contents are properly mixed: 60 watercolour paint pans across five palettes, 10 watercolour markers, 45 crayons, 36 oil pastels, 48 chalks, 10 colouring pencils, two drawing pencils, six paint brushes, coloured paper, sharpeners and a sheet of stickers, all in a case with a carry handle.
The honest bit. Only 10 colouring pencils is light, and colouring pencils are what most kids reach for first. The watercolour pans are small and basic, and the chalks will be the first thing to end up on the floor. But for under a tenner you get every type of material in one box, and that’s the real value of a set like this. It shows you very quickly what your child actually enjoys. If they live in the oil pastels, you know what to buy properly next time.
Smyths rates it 4.8 out of 5, though from a small number of reviews. It sells out online at this time of year, so check your local store too. Ours in Blackpool had it in stock when I looked.
2. Crayola Inspiration Art Case 140 Piece
If you want a name you trust, this is the set. It’s been around for years and it’s probably the best known kids art case in the UK. Inside you get 64 crayons, 20 short coloured pencils, 40 washable markers and 15 sheets of paper, in a case that folds out flat and closes properly.
There’s no paint and no pastels, and for a lot of parents that’s the point. Everything in it is low mess, and Crayola’s washable markers really do come out of clothes, which matters more than any piece count when you’ve got a six year old. The quality is a clear step up from the cheaper unbranded sets, especially the markers. The downside is less variety. If your child wants to paint, you’ll need to buy that seperately.
Expect to pay around £20. Argos and Amazon both stock it, and it’s regularly reduced on Amazon in the run up to Christmas, so it’s worth checking before you pay full price.
3. Hobbycraft Pop-Up Easel Art Set 140 Piece
Search data shows plenty of parents look specifically for a kids art set with an easel, and most of those sets cost well over £20. This Hobbycraft own-brand set is £10, and the case pops up into a little tabletop easel, which younger kids love because it makes them feel like a “proper” artist.
It’s an own-brand set, so don’t expect premium materials. But as a first art set or a present for a younger cousin, it does the job, and the easel gives it a bit of theatre on Christmas morning that a flat case doesn’t. Hobbycraft often runs 3 for 2 on its art sets, which makes this even better value if you’re buying for more than one child, or stocking up on presents for school friends’ birthday parties.
4. Hobbycraft Deluxe Art Set 120 Piece
Also £10, and the one I’d keep as a backup. With two kids in the house, I’ve learned that having a second set means fewer arguments about who’s got the good felt tips. It’s a mixed set in a case, with the same kind of basic quality as the others at this price.
It’s a good one to keep in the car or take to grandparents’, so the main set stays at home in one piece. If you’re near a Hobbycraft, it’s worth picking it up in store rather than paying for delivery on a £10 order. Hobbycraft gets an honest write-up in our city guides too, like the best art supply shops in Sheffield, because for this kind of shopping it really does the job.
5. Amazon 200+ Piece Trifold Easel Sets
Search Amazon for a kids art set and the top results are big sets from brands like KINSPORY, with 200 to 290 pieces in a case that unfolds into a double-sided trifold easel. They’re often pink or black, they look impressive in the box, and they’re designed to be opened on Christmas morning.
They usually cost a bit more than my £20 budget, and quality varies from listing to listing, so read the recent reviews rather than the star rating. Look for comments about the markers drying out and the case clasps breaking. Those are the two common complaints with this type of set. But if you want the big reaction under the tree, especially for an 8 or 9 year old, this is the set that gets it.
See trifold easel sets on Amazon →
6. For a 9 to 12 Year Old Getting Serious: Build Your Own
This is where my work and my parenting overlap. My 9 year old is starting to notice the difference between a cheap colouring pencil and a good one, and at that point a 250 piece set can become a bit embarrasing to a child who wants to draw “properly”. If your child is drawing every day, here’s what I’d do with the same £20.
Spend most of it on a decent tin of coloured pencils, which are the thing they’ll use most. Our best sketching pencils guide covers graphite pencils for drawing. Add a pack of washable felt tips and a proper sketchbook, and that’s a kit they’ll actually grow into. If they’re into manga or comics, alcohol markers are the next step up. Our best alcohol markers guide and Copic vs Ohuhu comparison explain the options, including budget sets that don’t cost Copic money. For kids drawn to digital art, our best drawing tablet guide includes some affordable starter tablets.
It’s less exciting on Christmas morning than a giant case. But it’s the kind of present they’re still using in March, which in my experience is the real test of any art supplies gift.
Coloured pencil tins on Amazon →
Which One Would I Buy?
The Crafty Co. 250 piece. For under a tenner, both kids get to try everything, the paints come out for my 6 year old and the oil pastels for my 9 year old, and if the case gets trashed by February I won’t lose any sleep over it. For Zach, I’d add a tin of decent coloured pencils on top, because he’s past the point where 10 basic pencils will keep him happy.
One last tip. Kids art set prices are persistant about moving at this time of year, especially Crayola, which drops and rises week to week on Amazon. Check our daily art supply deals and biggest price drops before you buy, and you’ll know if you’re getting a good price.
Kids Art Sets: FAQs
What is the best kids art set in the UK?
For most families the Crafty Co. Kids Art Set 250 Piece from Smyths Toys is the best value all-in-one set. At £9.99 it includes watercolour paints, oil pastels, crayons, chalks, colouring pencils, watercolour markers, brushes, paper and stickers in a carry case. If you want a branded set with washable markers, the Crayola Inspiration Art Case is the step up at around £20.
Are 250 piece art sets for kids worth it?
Yes, as long as you know what you are buying. The piece count is inflated by individual watercolour pans, chalks and stickers, and the quality is basic. For children aged around 4 to 10 who want to try everything, a big cheap set is a great way to find out which materials they actually love before you spend more on better quality versions.
What art set is best for a 6 year old?
At six, washable materials and a case that is easy to open matter more than quality. The Crayola Inspiration Art Case is a good choice because the markers are washable and there is no wet paint. The Crafty Co. 250 Piece set is great value but includes watercolour paints, so it suits a child who is happy painting at the kitchen table with some supervision.
What art set is best for a 9 year old?
Around nine, many children are ready for better quality materials in fewer colours. A big all-in-one set is still fun, but a good tin of artist coloured pencils, a sketchbook and a small set of markers often gets more use. If they are drawing every day, that is the time to upgrade.
Where is the cheapest place to buy a kids art set in the UK?
Smyths Toys, Hobbycraft, Argos and Amazon all sell all-in-one kids art sets, and prices move a lot in the run up to Christmas, especially around Black Friday. Hobbycraft regularly runs 3 for 2 offers on its own-brand art sets. Always compare prices before you buy, because the same Crayola set can vary by several pounds between retailers in the same week.
