Guide to art and craft supplies for kids in Hong Kong

It can be a challenge to find art and craft supplies for kids in Hong Kong. It’s definitely not a one-stop-shop kind of town!

Whenever you pass a stationary store, it’s tempting to just pop in and take a quick look, buy the items that you remember you just ran out of last weekend and maybe grab some colourful or unique items that catch your eye.

This approach has some limitations and can cause some frustration. Sometimes you double up on certain items (how much white glue do you really need?) and sometimes you forget a critical item that only becomes apparent when you try to get your kids to be creative on a Sunday afternoon (arggh! where’s the black paint!).

My recommended approach is to stock up on the core art and craft supplies for kids, and then over time add more specialized items to build your art and craft supplies box!

What types of art and craft supplies for kids do you need at home?

So what types of supplies should you buy to stock your art and craft box at home? I organize them into 6 categories which you can use to shop for and store with your art and craft supplies at home.

Paper

It seems obvious that you need paper! But to extend the range of art and crafts that your child can make you need a variety of different types of paper.

• Drawing – this really can be any type of paper!
• Painting – thicker and absorbent, look for drawing/sketch pads
• Scrap – put those misprints to good use!
• Decorating/collage – wrapping paper, tissue paper, crepe paper, colour/patterned paper
• Cardboard
  • Thin – tissue boxes, cereal & other food boxes
  • Firm/thick/strong – like delivery boxes

Modelling & sculpture materials

These items are more on the craft side. Clay is great for moulding into different shapes and to use as a base for constructing and building. These days you can get a variety of different types of clay which come in many colours too. All kids love clay!

• Playdough
• Clay
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• Craft sticks
• Toothpicks

Glue/adhesives

The key to success for many projects is to have the right glue for the job! Glue stick is quick and perfect for adhering paper and flat items. White glue takes some time to dry but it is stronger than glue stick and good for 3D items. Sometimes you’ll want a quick drying, strong glue, for when kids are impatient or you need something to dry fast!

• Glue stick, small and large size for different size pieces of paper
• White glue
• Quick drying glue/stronger
• Brushes or plastic glue spreaders for white glue
• Tape
  • Clear tape – store in a dispenser for easy use
  • Double-sided tape – use where possible instead of white glue

Drawing materials

Drawing and colouring are quick, no fuss ways to keep your kids busy with no cleanup required! For younger children, their little hands need bigger crayons and markers. Wax crayons are great for colouring-in pictures and pencil crayons are better for fine details.

• Wax Crayons
• Pencil crayons
• Markers – washable
• Pencils

Other items needed for art and craft projects

You need some tools handy for your projects. It’s best to have kids size tools (especially scissors) and not just share your home office equipment.

• Erasers
• Sharpeners (for fat crayons too)
• Scissors (for kids and adults)
• Ruler, short and standard 30 cm
• Stapler
• Hole punch

Where to buy these items in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has often been called a “shoppers paradise”, but for art and craft supplies, it’s not quite heaven. Here are links to shops with larger selections and sections for kids art supplies. Don’t forget that you can find lots of good materials in the small, local stationary shops as well as the large supermarkets.

• Artland – A large selection of art supplies, but the prices are a bit on the steeper side compared to other places.
• CN Square – 10,000 sq/ft of space and over 20,000 items in stock.
• Paper Art – Paper Art offers a wide range of paper materials for all your paper sculptures and art projects.
• Art Supplies Professional – Art Supplies Professional stocks a variety of high-quality art materials.
• Art Shop Hong Kong – ArtShop offers a wide variety of high-quality art supplies.
• Small, local stationary shops around HK
• Larger supermarkets/superstores – Wellcome, Fusion
• Jusco Living Plaza
• Ikea

Recommended brands?

Often no-name brands are just fine, but I recommend going for reputable manufacturers of children’s art and craft supplies. Though they might be a bit more expensive, they will often last longer and you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Crayola
• Colleen
• Faber-Castell
• Stadtler
• Elmers
• Pritt

So are you ready to get started doing art and crafts with your child at home?

If you are looking for fun arts and craft ideas, check out the DIY activities on our blog. Or if you are interested in a convenient way for your kids to learn creative thinking at home with your kids in Hong Kong, sign up for ActivityBox!

Sign-up for a flexible Month by Month Plan or get the full benefits from our 3-Month Plan and 6-Month Plan.

Each month you’ll receive a Box with 4 art and craft activities to do together with your kids at home. Step by step instructions and all the materials you need are included, so it’s easy to get started this weekend. And the art Tool Kit makes it even more convenient

Questions? Check out our FAQs page for more info.

Happy Crafting!

Until next time,

~ Miss Julie