What are the best utensils to use for coloring activities?

There is a need for the best supplies to begin a coloring journey!

Any parent or teacher who wants to start teaching their children to color will ask themselves some important questions. What can I use first to give children to color with? What are the best recommendations? Is a certain brand better than the other? Where can I get the best coloring utensils or coloring pages?

It is a long post, but it is very important to learn as much as possible about this type of activity! Each section contains a list of recommended products for that category. Later, a short explanation of these recommendations (and products to avoid) follows.

The first consideration is what to color with. There are crayons, colored pencils, water-based markers, alcohol-based markers (a.k.a. permanent markers), gel pens, watercolor pencils, pastels, watercolor paint, paint pens, etc. What is the difference? Which should you use? 

Read the pros and cons below and see what you prefer.

Crayons

They are very popular for children but not as popular with adults, as they are difficult to use on fine details, and the color can be blotchy. However, crayons are easy to find and cheap (especially during back-to-school sales) and can still be fun with the right design.

Colored Pencils

Colored pencils are versatile for fine detail and are largely used for coloring in the lines. It is much easier to blend and shade with them than with markers. You can teach children to layer two colors to achieve another color (e.g., blue and green to get turquoise), so you don't have to have a huge set to get a wide range of colors. If you use lightly applied layers of color and make a mistake, you can usually erase your mistake. And they work well on almost all types of paper.

What are the drawbacks to colored pencils? 

They usually aren't as vibrant as markers. Some children find that their hands hurt while using a pencil, but it is often a result of how they hold the pencil and the quality of their pencils. If the pencil lead is hard or the pigment is of bad quality, it will be necessary to push harder to get the color more saturated on the paper. Even with quality pencils, you should apply many light layers and build up the color instead of applying lots of pressure to get maximum coverage on the first layer.

Parents can use many different kinds and grades of pencils for children. Pencils can be made with wax oil or other fillers, which affect how hard or soft they are and how smoothly and quickly the color is applied to the page. Pencils also have different pigment qualities, affecting the color's richness. There can be three categories of pencils to use. 

• The beginner sets are truly the best for the price. Many other cheap sets have poor pigment quality and are very hard, so you will not get smooth, rich colors. 
• The student-grade sets are recommended for art students. They are a step up from pencils for children but still more economical than the highest artist-grade sets. 
• The artist-grade sets are your best bet with the best pigments, smoothness, blendability, and color selection. 

Note that you can get metallic pencils, which you can use for some nice effects. While not as shiny and shimmery as the metallic or glitter gel pens, they can still be fun, adding sparkle to fairy wings or shimmer on a leaf.

Creative Ideas and Projects for Coloring Utensils

Coloring enhances children's creativity, helps their motor skill development, and provides a calming effect. To maximize the benefits and enjoyment of coloring, here are some creative project ideas and challenges tailored to the types of utensils discussed in the article.

1. Crayons: Wax Crayon Mosaic Art
1. Project Idea: Create a colorful mosaic using crayon pieces. Children can draw a simple pattern or picture on a piece of paper and fill it in with small pieces of crayon in different colors. Once the design is laid out, cover it with wax paper and gently iron over it to melt the crayons slightly, creating a beautiful, textured mosaic effect.
2. Suitable for Ages: 4+
2. Colored Pencils: Color Blending and Layering Challenge
1. Project Idea: Challenge children to create a scene or object using only primary colors and black and white pencils. They must blend these colors to create secondary colors and different shades. This project teaches color theory and the skill of blending and layering colors with pencils.
2. Suitable for Ages: 6+
3. Water-Based Markers: Watercolor Marker Magic
1. Project Idea: Draw with water-based markers on watercolor paper, and then use a paintbrush dipped in water to blend the colors, creating a watercolor effect. This project allows children to explore the fluid dynamics of water-based markers and the artistic effect of blending.
2. Suitable for Ages: 5+
4. Alcohol-Based Markers: Gradient and Shading Techniques
1. Project Idea: Use alcohol-based markers to create artwork focusing on shading and creating gradients. The project could involve drawing fruits, animals, or simple landscapes that require the application of light and shadow to bring the drawings to life.
2. Suitable for Ages: 8+
5. Gel Pens: Glittery Galaxy Art
1. Project Idea: Use gel pens' shimmer and vibrant colors to create galaxy-themed art. Start with a dark paper background and use different colors to dot stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Layer colors and use white or silver pens to add star highlights.
2. Suitable for Ages: 7+
6. Watercolor Pencils: Wet and Dry Art Experiment
1. Project Idea: Create two identical simple pictures, coloring one with dry watercolor pencils and the other with wet watercolor pencils. This experiment shows the versatility of watercolor pencils and the different effects that can be achieved.
2. Suitable for Ages: 6+
7. Pastels: Soft Pastel Landscape Challenge
1. Project Idea: Using soft pastels, challenge children to create a landscape based on a place they'd like to visit or their favorite outdoor scene. Focus on teaching them how to layer colors to create depth and texture in the landscape.
2. Suitable for Ages: 9+
8. Paint Pens: Rock Decorating Project
1. Project Idea: Collect smooth stones or rocks and decorate them with paint pens. Encourage children to turn these rocks into colorful insects, animals, or abstract designs. This project can be a fun way to create decorations for the garden or gifts for friends and family.
2. Suitable for Ages: 5+

Each of these projects not only leverages the unique properties of the different coloring utensils but also encourages creativity, fine motor skill development, and an understanding of artistic techniques. By engaging in these activities, children can explore the vast possibilities of their imagination and the materials at their disposal.