The fastest way to transport yourself back to childhood? Open a box of crayons, shut your eyes, inhale. That waxy bouquet offers the promise of limitless creativity (remember Harold and his nation-building purple crayon?). Indeed, the right age-appropriate supplies can unlock any child's artistry, says Nancy Beal, author of The Art of Teaching Art to Children: In School and at Home (Farrar, Straus and Giroux): "When children feel confident with their materials, they'll use them to express their innermost feelings." So Cookie enlisted some pint-size troops to try out a kaleidoscopic range of 2- and 3-D tools and then choose the best and the brightest. With just these essentials, kids can go to town—while creating, Harold-style, an entirely new world.

Explorers

ages 2 to 4

Toddlers like to experiment with new materials and their own flourishing motor skills. We may consider their scribbles masterpieces, but for them, it's more about the exploration than the results.

1 Claycrete Papier-Mâché

No more newspaper: Mix the nontoxic paper pulp with water for a great sculpture medium. $6 for one pound, Amaco.

2 Silky Crayons

The smooth, creamy texture makes them feel like oil pastels—only these markers are water-based and washable. (They also twist up, like lipstick.) $15 for 24, Amos, Crafts & Toys.

3 Chubby Colored Pencils

A triangular shape makes them easy to grip—and keeps them from rolling off tables. $25 for 18, Lyra, Magic Cabin.

4 Tempera Paint Markers

The spillproof bottles and spongy tips make for effortless stamping, stenciling, and polka-dotting. $6 for three, Spoty, Michaels.

5 Finger Crayons

These crayons stack—and fit right on kids' fingertips. $13 for 24, Alex.

6 Post-it Easel Pad

These giant Post-it Notes come on a cardboard easel (which folds flat for storage). They can be peeled off sheet by sheet, then stuck to the wall or fridge. $13, 3M, Toys "R" Us.

Next Page: Art supplies for "designers," ages 5 to 7