The kids art bin you need (that even survived camping!)

How to create a kids art bin that will actually keep your child’s interest!

This past weekend we packed up the kids and headed out for a tent camping adventure in Colorado. Now, if you’ve ever camped with little ones, you know what brave, brave souls we are. 😬🤣 Honestly we love camping, but when you go with kids there are just a LOT of added variables that can make or break the trip. This time, weather was the main variable that got us. Everything was GREAT minus the rain and a soaked through tent.

But in between the rain and the Laundromat runs, one thing that made our trip so much better was a simple little bin of kids art supplies I brought along. Honestly, it was such a hit that I thought—okay, I need to share this idea because every family could use one of these, whether you’re traveling or just want something neat and tidy for at-home creativity. I am going to keep ours exactly as it is in my dining room hutch, so I don’t have to run around and gather supplies from other places (most of our art in in the basement or my daughters room).

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A post shared by Megan Acosta, M. Ed ✨ Photographer + Maker (@meganleighacosta)

What We Packed in Our Family Art Bin

I kept things really simple but intentional:

Mixed Media Sketchbooks – Each of my kids has their own, which keeps the peace and also lets them see their progress over time (I’ve written before about why every child needs a sketchbook).
Small clear bins from The Home Edit collection at Walmart – These are perfect because everything has a place. I used one for washable markers and another for paint sticks. I love a good organized supply! 🤤
Paint Sticks
Washable Markers
Yoto speaker + a few cards – Not exactly an art supply, but such a great quiet-time option while the rest of us finished up projects.
Expanded watercolor palette + neon tempera cake palette – These gave us some fun, easy-to-clean painting options.
Mason jar + brushes – needed for painting!
Washi Tape and tape dispenser
Prisma colored pencils – A family favorite for vibrant colors.
Fine point pens – For details and doodles.
Taste-safe beeswax crayons – Perfect for my toddler and can used for watercolor resists!
Truck stamp + ink pad – This one was for my almost-2-year-old who is currently truck obsessed.

The best part? Everything tucked neatly into the bin and it was easy to chuck it all back in when the rain started (which it definitely did).

The Rainy Tent Story (because you’ll appreciate this)

We also brought along a little $20 play tent as an early birthday surprise for my daughter. When the skies opened up (multiple times!), our main tent leaked everywhere—like, water dripping in from all sides, standing water inside, blankets soaked to oblivion. We ended up hauling bags of wet clothes and sleeping bags to the Laundromat at the state park just to get dry again and survive the night. 😅🤣

The next morning, I warned my daughter that her little play tent was probably going to be a soggy mess, but when we unzipped it… it was bone dry. I mean not a drop of water in sight. Honestly, that thing outperformed our actual tent. So yes, I’m linking it below because apparently every family needs this magical $20ish tent, too. It is now set up in our backyard, but she has requested it be moved to her room too. It is a HIT!

Magical teepee tent here!

Why Every Family Needs an Art Bin

Even if you’re not planning to take your kids camping anytime soon, having a small, portable art bin like this at home is a game changer. You can:

Pull it out on rainy afternoons.
Toss it in the car for road trips or even waiting rooms.
Rotate supplies to keep things fresh.
Encourage creativity without hunting down scattered markers and sketchbooks.

If you’re thinking of creating one, check out my post on how to set up an at-home art space. The art bin is like the travel-friendly version of that—small, contained, and ready to go whenever inspiration strikes.

Shop the Art Bin

Here’s everything we packed (or similar options) if you want to build your own family art bin:

I’ll definitely be keeping ours stocked and ready for our next trip—or even just the next rainy day at home.