10 Best Watercolor Kits for Kids to Inspire Budding Artists
If your child's watercolor set gets abandoned in a drawer after one soggy afternoon, the paint usually isn't the whole problem. Many "watercolor sets" marketed to kids are just pans of color with nothing else, which is exactly what our sister guide to the Best Kids Watercolor Paint Sets covers. This guide is about kits: bundles that pair paint with a brush, a palette, and often paper, so a kid can sit down and start painting right away.
We tested all ten kits ourselves, letting our five-year-old and eight-year-old paint with whichever one was open on a given weekend over several weeks of kitchen-table sessions, and some got adopted immediately while others did not.
Below, we cover which kits held up to daily use, which are worth a higher price, and which budget picks still deliver real color payoff without a bigger mess than the painting.
NoteOur eight-year-old claimed the ARTISTRO tin within the first week; our five-year-old kept reaching for the Melissa & Doug set for its oversized pans.
Blablaovy 48-Color Washable Watercolor Paint Set — Best Overall
The Blablaovy 48-Color Washable Watercolor Paint Set tops this list for how little setup it demands: the palette's lid detaches into its own mixing tray, and a refillable water brush pen is built in, so there's no water cup to spill or hunt down mid-session. Forty-eight colors round out the appeal, enough for two kids of different ages to each claim favorites without sharing one pan. It's listed as 100% non-toxic, conforms to ASTM D4236, and typically runs around $7.99, though Amazon pricing swings by seller.
Pros
- 48 colors, more range than most kits at this price
- Refillable water brush pen included, no separate water cup needed
Cons
- Single bundled brush with no backup
- Price fluctuates by seller
Crayola Washable Watercolors, 8 Count — Best Budget Pick
Crayola's Washable Watercolors, 8 Count is the set we keep restocking for our five-year-old's everyday painting, since it's rated ages 3+, carries Crayola's AP seal, and still runs around $2.47 a box. The bundled brush, real hair fiber with a metal ferrule, is a genuine step up from older Crayola brushes. Yellow, green, and blue perform well, but black, orange, purple, and brown read weak, and the pigment separates in the pan with regular use.
Pros
- Only about $2.47, the cheapest kit here
- AP-certified non-toxic; bundled brush outperforms the paint
Cons
- Several colors (black, orange, purple, brown) read weak
- Pigment separates in the pan with regular use
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Watercolor Paint Set, 21 Colors — Best for Toddlers & Beginners
Pan size matters more than color count with a preschooler, and that's where the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Watercolor Paint Set, 21 Colors wins: rated ages 3+, its oversized wells let a whole brush tip load without scraping the sides, which is why our five-year-old kept reaching for it over kits with twice the colors, and the flip-top case doubles as a mixing tray. The paint doesn't hold up forever: one pan wore through in about two sessions and ran sticky under small fingers. Pricing ranges from $6.99 to $16.00 depending on retailer.
Pros
- Oversized pans, easy for small hands to load
- Flip-top case doubles as a mixing tray
Cons
- Paint wears down faster than pricier kits
- Price varies widely by retailer ($6.99 to $16.00)
ARTISTRO 50 Color Watercolor Paint Set — Best Portable/Travel Set
The ARTISTRO 50 Color Watercolor Paint Set lives in our car, not the kitchen drawer, since our eight-year-old grabbed it for ride after ride. After weeks of that treatment, everything still nests into its own slot in the metal tin, the included paper resisted warping, and the brush still hadn't frayed. It arrives with no printed instructions, which tripped us up before we found the water brush's twist mechanism. It's $16.99, and ARTISTRO's marketing lists both "ages 3+" and "ages 4+," so treat 4 as the safer floor.
Pros
- Sturdy, lightweight metal tin with everything nested in place
- Brush and paper both resisted wear after travel use
Cons
- No printed instructions in the box
- Age guidance is inconsistent (3+ vs. 4+ across listings)
Taotree Watercolor Paint Set, 48 Colors — Best All-in-One Kit
The Taotree Watercolor Paint Set, 48 Colors goes further than ARTISTRO, coming closest to a complete studio in a single case: 48 colors, 10 wooden paint brushes, 2 refillable water brushes, a drawing pen, and a 12-page spiral-bound watercolor pad, all fitted into a sturdy portable case with a detachable-lid mixing palette. That's enough brushes and paper to cover more than one kid's project without a supply run, and it's rated non-toxic and ASTM D4236-certified, running about $21.99 on sale ($23.99 regular).
Pros
- 10 brushes plus 2 refillable water brushes included
- 12-page watercolor pad means paper is already covered
Cons
- Priced higher than most other kits on this list
- That many loose brushes take up more drawer space
Funto Watercolor Set, 48 Colors — Best Non-Toxic/Safety-Focused Pick
The Funto Watercolor Set, 48 Colors is washable and non-toxic, meeting ASTM D4236 and EN71, backed by 10 brushes, 4 refillable water brush pens, and a 30-page, 9x12-inch pad. We'll be honest that the paint itself is student-grade, but what kept us reaching for the Funto set anyway was its foldable mixing palette, easy to use despite its small footprint, and it's listed around $29.99, though that's a third-party price worth confirming before you buy.
Pros
- Meets ASTM D4236 and EN71 non-toxic standards
- 10 brushes plus 4 refillable water brush pens included
Cons
- Paint quality is noticeably student-grade
- Priced higher than similar-sized kits
Faber-Castell Creative Studio Portable Watercolor Palette, 24 Colors — Best for Tweens & Older Kids
This is the one pick we'd hold back from a five-year-old, since Faber-Castell rates its Creative Studio Portable Watercolor Palette 13+ on its own site, and the 24 pans reward more patience than a younger painter usually has. That puts it out of reach for the preschool household we usually test with, more a kit to grow into than a starter kit. None of the 24 pans came loose after a weekend trip in a bag, and the water brush never leaked or shed a bristle, though its small reservoir ran dry mid-session. At $53.00, it's the priciest kit here.
Pros
- Sturdiest travel case of any kit we tested
- Water brush never leaked or shed bristles
Cons
- Officially rated 13+, not a young-kid starter kit
- The priciest kit on this list at $53.00
Crayola Deluxe Watercolor Kit, Over 60 Pieces — Best for Guided Art Projects
The Crayola Deluxe Watercolor Kit, Over 60 Pieces is built for a kid who wants more structure than a blank page: 40 watercolor paints, 20 premium pre-printed line-art pages, one brush, and a how-to guide. Crayola prints no specific age grade on the box, but the product's own framing points toward an older kid or adult rather than a first-timer, since the line art is detailed enough that filling it in neatly takes real patience and finer brush control, and it lists for $16.99, though we've seen it discounted to roughly half that.
Pros
- 20 guided line-art projects included, not just blank paper
- Frequently discounted well below list price
Cons
- No specific age grade printed on the box
- Detailed line art is too advanced for younger beginners
Ohuhu 36-Color Watercolor Paint Set — Best Value for Color Range
For $12.99, the Ohuhu 36-Color Watercolor Paint Set (sold as the Fundamentals Watercolor Artist Set) packs in more color per dollar than almost anything else here. It's non-toxic, meets ASTM D4236 and EN71, and the case lid doubles as a mixing tray. The bundled brushes disappoint first: bristles pulled loose faster than we'd like, so budget for a replacement. Some colors also read less vibrant dry than they looked wet on the palette, and Ohuhu lists ages 3 and up, though that's marketing language rather than a printed grade.
Pros
- 36 colors for about $12.99, strong value per color
- Non-toxic, meets ASTM D4236 and EN71
Cons
- Bundled brush bristles pull loose quickly
- Colors read less vibrant dry than wet
Faber-Castell Young Artist Learn to Watercolor — Best Learn-to-Paint Kit
Rated ages 5+, the Faber-Castell Young Artist Learn to Watercolor landed almost exactly at our five-year-old's level, and it's built like a real first course: 12 paints, watercolor and plain paper, two brushes, an easy-squeeze water brush, a collapsible cup, a painting mat, sticky putty, a watercolor-resist crayon, and illustrated instructions that teach actual technique. The paint resists turning goopy or drying out even when left half-closed, and at $22.00 it's a real step up in structure and durability, though small parts mean it isn't for a child under 3.
Pros
- Full beginner curriculum, not just paint and a brush
- Paint resists drying out or turning goopy over time
Cons
- More components to keep track of than a simple set
- Small parts mean it's not for children under 3
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Watercolor Kit for Kids
Once you've narrowed things down by color and character, a few practical factors decide whether a kit gets used past the first week.
Age Suitability
Check the age grade on the box, not the marketing category, since most paint-only pans here are rated 3+, while Faber-Castell's Creative Studio palette is rated 13+ and ARTISTRO's marketing bounces between "ages 3+" and "ages 4+," so match complexity to what your child can actually manage.
Color Variety
More colors sound better on the box, but color payoff matters more than count. Crayola's Washable Watercolors deliver good yellow, green, and blue but noticeably weaker black, orange, purple, and brown, which is a good reminder that somewhere between 24 and 50 colors is usually plenty.
Safety Standards
NoteLook for ASTM D4236 on the label or an AP seal from the Art & Creative Materials Institute, meaning a toxicologist reviewed the product under the federal hazardous-art-materials law, not just the manufacturer's marketing.
Every kit here claims non-toxic status and cites ASTM D4236 or EN71, though it's still worth checking for small parts, like brush caps, if you've got a child under 3.
Ease of Use
Parent tipAcross nearly every kit we tested, the bundled brush is the first thing to wear out, not the paint. Budgeting for a replacement round brush or two extends a kit's life more than buying a pricier set.
Water brush pens cut down on setup since there's no cup to spill or forget outside, a palette lid doubling as a mixing tray saves a dish at cleanup, and printed instructions matter too, since we found one kit that skipped them entirely.
Portability & Storage
A metal tin held up to travel better than a cardboard or plastic case, and nothing rattled loose inside it. Look for a kit where the brush, water container, and palette nest into dedicated slots.
Budget Considerations
The bundled brush is usually the first thing to fail on a bargain kit, not the paint.
Expect $2 to $13 for a genuinely good budget kit, $17 to $30 for a fuller bundle, and $50 or more for a premium, travel-proof palette, though marketplace prices fluctuate enough that it's worth checking the current price before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are watercolor sets suitable for very young children?
Many are, but check the printed age grade rather than assuming: kits with oversized pans, like Melissa & Doug's Deluxe set, are rated 3+, while palettes with tiny pans and finer brushes suit kids five and up.
What's the difference between an AP seal and a CL warning label on kids' art supplies?
An AP seal means a toxicologist found no health hazard even with long-term use, the standard you want for a young child. A CL seal means the product carries some hazard warning and calls for adult supervision, so a CL-only label is worth a second look before it goes to a preschooler.
How do I clean watercolor brushes effectively?
Rinse the brush in cool water right after use, reshape the bristles with your fingers, and lay it flat to dry rather than storing it bristle-down in a cup, which bends the tip over time.
Can watercolor paints be used on different types of paper?
They work best on paper made for wet media, or at minimum heavier cardstock, since regular printer paper buckles once saturated, which is why several kits here include their own paper pad.
How long do watercolor paints typically last?
A well-sealed pan set can last a school year or more, since dried pans rewet with a wet brush, though pigment can separate over time, so expect occasional stirring.
Conclusion
After weeks of these kits taking over our kitchen table, our overall pick is still the Blablaovy 48-Color Washable Watercolor Paint Set: enough color range for two kids, a water brush that skips sink trips, and a fair price. If budget rules your decision, Crayola's Washable Watercolors, 8 Count gets real non-toxic paint into small hands for a few dollars, though a color or two reads weak over time. For toddlers, Melissa & Doug's oversized pans still beat a bigger color count, but budget for a refill sooner, since the pans wear thin fast under daily use.
A kit built around a brush, a palette, and some paper will almost always get more use than paint alone. For paint-only options, our guide to the Best Kids Watercolor Paint Sets covers that ground separately. For refill paper, see our Best Watercolor Paper for Kids; for guided projects, try our Best Watercolor Workbooks for Kids and Best Watercolor Books for Kids, or our Easy Watercolor Ideas for Kids and Easy Watercolor Painting for Kids tutorials. Come the holidays, revisit our Watercolor Christmas Crafts for Kids list, and browse our STEM Toys & Science Kits for Kids hub for more hands-on learning.
