Pipe Cleaners & Pom Poms

Choosing Fuzzy Kids Craft Supplies by Age

Age is the first thing to read on the pack. Pom poms under an inch and loose wiggle eyes are small parts, so for children under three the larger two-inch pom poms are the honest choice. Quality here is mostly about the wire: a good chenille stem bends at the same spot twice without the core poking through the fluff, and the cheap ones shed color onto damp hands.

These are supplies for making rather than for drawing, and that is the point of the shelf. A child who has lost interest in a sheet of paper will often keep going for another half hour once the art becomes three-dimensional, and the fun of it is that nothing needs to dry. Keep the colors in one flat tray rather than a deep tub; loose fuzzy materials are only organized while you can see them.