What's in Our Craft Bin: Gift Ideas for Toddlers
Updated: Oct 9
People ask what we keep on hand, so here it is: the books, craft supplies and learning toys we use most on Sprocket & Sprout. If you are shopping for a little one ages 2 to 4, these get used again and again.
You do not need any of it to follow along. Most of our activities work with paper, crayons and whatever is in the fridge.
We use every item below on the show or at our own kitchen table. Under each one is why it earned a spot in the bin and one easy way to use it this week. If you only buy a few things, start with the jumbo crayons, washable paint and a couple of the books.
Books
The Family Book by Todd Parr
Why we like it: Bright, bold pages that show every kind of family: big, small, two moms, two dads, one parent and more. It is short enough for toddlers and opens up easy conversations about who is in your family.
Try this: Draw your own family page together after you read it.
Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
Why we like it: A joyful, rhyming celebration of all kinds of bodies. Toddlers love finding someone who looks like them, and it fits our My Body week perfectly.
Try this: Point to each body part as it comes up and name one on yourselves.
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Why we like it: Animals do a move and ask "Can you do it?" Your toddler will be stomping, clapping and wiggling by page three. A great book for a wiggly day.
Try this: Do every move together, then make up one of your own.
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Why we like it: A rhyming countdown where the farm animals keep eating the apples. Counting, animal sounds and a satisfying ending, perfect for Apple Week.
Try this: Count down on your fingers as each apple disappears.
My Five Senses by Aliki
Why we like it: A simple, classic first look at seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Calm pictures and short sentences make it easy for 2- and 3-year-olds.
Try this: After reading, pick a snack and name what each sense notices.
Dinosaur Roar! by Paul and Henrietta Stickland
Why we like it: Big dinosaurs, small dinosaurs, loud and quiet ones. The opposites are perfect for toddlers, and the roaring is very much encouraged.
Try this: Use a big voice and a tiny voice for each pair of opposites.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? by Jane Yolen
Why we like it: A funny, gentle book about saying goodbye, from the much-loved How Do Dinosaurs series. Great for kids who find drop-offs hard.
Try this: Practice a goodbye routine together, like a hug and a high five.
Art and craft
Crayola Jumbo Crayons
Why we like it: Thick crayons that are easy for little hands to hold and hard to break. We use them in almost every week's project.
Try this: Tape paper to the table and color together for five minutes.
Crayola Washable Kids Paint Set
Why we like it: Bright paint that washes out of clothes and off tables, which matters a lot at this age. It is the paint we reach for first.
Try this: Paint with just one color, then add a second and watch them mix.
Chubby Toddler Paint Brushes
Why we like it: Short, fat handles that toddlers can grip with their whole hand. They make first painting much less frustrating.
Try this: Try painting with water on the sidewalk on a warm day.
Waterproof Kids Art Smocks
Why we like it: A long-sleeve smock that covers clothes on messy days. Put it on and say yes to the paint.
Try this: Let your toddler put on the smock by themselves as part of art time.
Melissa & Doug Rainbow Washable Stamp Pad
Why we like it: Washable ink in lots of colors for fingerprint art and stamping. We use it for fingerprint apples, bugs and leaves.
Try this: Make a fingerprint caterpillar, one color for each finger.
Crayola Toddler Safety Scissors
Why we like it: A safe first pair for practicing snips. They cut paper but not hair or clothes, so little ones can practice with less worry.
Try this: Draw thick lines on paper strips and snip them into confetti.
Pipe Cleaners, 20 Colors
Why we like it: Bend, twist and build. Pipe cleaners are cheap, quiet and great for fine motor skills.
Try this: Thread cereal loops onto a pipe cleaner to make a bracelet.
Felt Squares
Why we like it: Soft felt that sticks to itself for collages and storytelling. Cut shapes once and reuse them for months.
Try this: Cut a few shapes and build a face, a house or a farm together.
Learning and play
Fisher-Price Giant Rock-a-Stack
Why we like it: The classic ring stacker, but big. It teaches sizes, colors and counting, and toddlers come back to it for years.
Try this: Stack the rings biggest to smallest, then count them as you take them off.
Small Colorful Baskets
Why we like it: A set of bright baskets we use for sorting, scavenger hunts and cleanup. They show up in a lot of our activities.
Try this: Hide toys around the room and sort them into baskets by color.
Alphabet Cookie Cutters
Why we like it: A full set of letter cutters for toast, sandwiches and play dough. They make letter of the week practice tasty.
Try this: Cut this week's letter out of toast for breakfast.
Shop by week
Every book and supply from the show, sorted by week, is in our Store.
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