Hundreds of Options
If you walk down the paint brush aisle at a store like Michaels, it’s a bit overwhelming. Different sizes, different materials, and made for different mediums, it’s hard to narrow it down to a general all-purpose paint brush that’s perfect for kids.
Ordering on amazon or another art site like Dick Blick is equally as exhausting.
Let’s break it down into a few basic ones that you can use in your homeschool to get started.
The Wrong Paint Brushes
I went through a journey of figuring out what I didn’t want, and I’m happy to save you the trouble from going through the same purchases.
First, let’s talk about the brushes that come with those adorable craft kits. As a new parent you might pick one up in a moment of weakness, or you might get inundated with them at your child’s birthday party. Throw that thing away, or repurpose it for another crafty purpose. Convincing that brush to put paint on the paper in a decent way is never going to happen.
Second, brushes that are longer than your five year old’s arm…probably not a good fit. If you’re searching on Amazon, make sure to pay attention to the length of the handle.
Not to mention, having large paint brushes encourages sword fights in the house or classroom.
Or to run around with them and use them as torches.
My Favorite Paint Brushes for Kids
Hands down, the green Royal Brush Big Kids Choice brushes are our favorite all-purpose paint brush for kids.
Easily purchased on amazon, the set comes with 12, which is perfect for only a couple of kids, or a large homeschooling family and all of their friends (and when you lose one or two). These brushes are loved by art teachers and art studios as well. We use them daily, and they’ve held up wonderfully, and are easy to clean.
There are two other types of brushes you might want to consider.
First, a wider brush for painting the background. Kids can quickly get hand fatigue from painting an entire background, especially on larger paper. This can be frustrating when you are so excited to have your kids paint, but they are too tired to continue.
Also, wider and flatter brushes are wonderful for creating painted paper, which you can later use in collages.
This set by Royal Brush comes with a larger brush and is perfect for kids, or you can pick up a set of mixed brushes at a local craft store. Look for ones similar to the white one in the picture below.
Second, a smaller round brush for detail work, especially for older kids. Nothing says unhappy like an older kid who wants to paint only one part of their dinosaur but the brush is too large for the space.
I love this all purpose 13-piece set by DUGATO. It comes with enough smaller round brushes for the entire family, and they’re inexpensive. The brush size differences won’t be noticed by the kids when they’re younger, but they will have a nice range to play with as they get older.
Once you have your paint brushes, you need some paint. Read the following for my favorites.
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