1. My pick
   

   Crayola Color Wonder Magic Light Brush

   $17.69 was $27.97 rare price

   price as of Oct 13, 3:40pm ET

   I loveeee this for letting kids "paint" with zero worry. It works on any of the color wonder paper.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

2. If you want paint with very little mess

   

   Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paint Sticks

   $11.07 was $14.00 on sale

   price as of Oct 15, 9:03am ET

   i prefer these over paint and crayons a lot of the time. very little mess, but great, saturated colors.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

3. If you want markers they can use on their own

   

   Disney Pixar Toy Story 5 Imagine Ink Magic

   i'm selective about the kinds of markers I leave open access to. These books are always in his room because the markers are foolproof on multiple levels. Grab them when you see them ~$4.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

4. If you need it for a restaurant or waiting room

   

   Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow!

   $7.50 was $8.99 on sale

   price as of Oct 18, 6:30am ET

   i've lost track of how many of these we went through. great for ~18mo+ IMO. they're so good for restaurant, waiting room, on-the-go entertainment. look out for bundle deals or ~<$6

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

5. For a step up from Water Wow

   

   3 Pack Paint with Water Watercolor Activity Set

   these live in the on-the-go bag. good paper quality, good illustrations. the self-watering brushes are the key here. target price: under $12

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

6. If you want a classic

   

   Cra-Z-Art Retro Magna Doodle

   $10.89 on sale

   price as of Oct 13, 4:16pm ET

   another classic for a reason. it never goes on sale. anything under $11 is solid.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

7. If you're packing light

   

   2 Pack LCD Writing Tablet

   another on-the-go bag must. I'm actually surprised by how long these have lasted considering they don't appear to be the sturdiest. I like them under $10.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

8. If they love stickers

   

   Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow! Astronaut Bundle

   $10.87 + coupon rare price

   price as of Oct 18, 7:12am ET

   I keep a couple of these of varying themes in my gift stash, especially for the 2-3 year olds. they've never gotten a bad review. i grab a couple when i see them in the $8-9 range for a bundle.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

9. If they are learning to peel stickers

   

   Sinceroduct 3200+ 3D Puffy Stickers

   3200+ puffy stickers. these were a stocking stuffer @ 2.5 because they were easy to peel and we still use them regularly. worth every penny.

   Buy it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Prices and availability are as of the time shown and change.