Finally, after being asked for paper ten times a day, I got smart and I gave her a stack of colored paper, which she is going through at an alarming rate. I decided to put together a little art center for her. I somehow managed (not!) to round-up all the various markers that live in our house. And in addition to the basic can’t-live-without Crayola WASHABLE markers, her center contains the following supplies:

Tape. She uses tape to wrap items, tape things that she cuts out, and to tape her art on the wall. I can say with certainty that this tape dispenser from Lakeshore has changed the décor of our house. Who knew that making tape designs on the floor was an art activity?

Scissors. She likes to cut colored paper, playing cards, princess cards, play money — basically anything that is paper or her scissors will cut through. I am continually cleaning up small random scraps of paper. I found scissors like these fun kids scissors in Little Tokyo. They are a hit.

Glue sticks. When we were in Italy over the summer, I picked up some Coccoina Adhesive Glue Sticks at the suggestion of my friend. They are sticky, non-toxic, non-solvent, and acid free. And they smell like marzipan. My friend claims that they are ok to eat, so no worries when your toddler takes a bite. Yum.

Beeswax crayons. My Waldorf friends turned me on to these block crayons by Stockmar. They seem to glide better than the crayolas. And they are easier for little hands to hold. Since they aren’t wrapped in paper, it is one less thing to clean up.

I never knew that I would, or could posses so much great art to keep or recycle.