Connecting

Kids to Art

Best-Selling Children’s Gifts

Art museum shops offer a variety of merchandise for younger guests to explore the world of art. Sathya Balakumar, director of merchandise at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, said that finger paints are usually a child’s first experience applying color to paper, which is why there is no better gift to begin their creative expression down the right path from the beginning. Eco Kids’ finger paints are food safe and contain non-GMO ingredients, making them the perfect gift for little ones.

Many products feature works of art by artists in Harn’s collections or art featured in traveling exhibitions. Merchandise also inspires creativity through books about art and artists as well as art kits for all ages. ❖

Like Balakumar, Salina Cardias, director of museum visitor engagement at the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Fla., said the best-selling children’s gifts are natural art supplies offered by Eco Kids. Popular products include eco-soy pas for drawing, similar to crayons or pastels, but made from FDA-approved soy-based organic and inorganic pigments. The Eco-stamp sidewalk paint kit includes star, circle and triangular-shaped natural sponges with finger paints made of rice flour, clay, curcumin, beet, black carrot and baking soda. “These supplies provide a creative activity with the added benefit of being all natural,” she said.

Local artist Margaret Lowder’s children’s books and toys inspired by her dog, Amos, fly off the shelves at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery, Ala., said Sarah Graves, manager of visitor engagement. “The pieces are colorful, fun for all ages, and relatable to anyone who loves animals or has a pet,” she said. ❖