If you haven’t stumbled across the Stubby Pencil Company yet, you’re in for a treat! They are a small online shop dedicated to providing ecologically friendly art supplies and simple toys for children. Now, I’ve searched for Earth-Friendly art supplies for the kids in the past, and I have usually come away with products and companies that were Earth friendly, but not Mom’s Wallet Friendly. Everything I found at The Stubby Pencil Company was very competitively priced, they run great specials, and their shipping rates are some of the most reasonable I’ve seen on the web!

We’ve been having a blast trying out some of their products.

Jonas was so eager to dive into the new art supplies that came in the mail that he sneaked out of bed very late at night and I found him in his room coloring away. I had explained to him earlier that I needed to show him how these work, and he assured me, “Mom, I know how crayons work!” I put them up, but they were apparently just too tempting. When I pulled out some water and showed him how to turn his drawings into paintings he was absolutely enthralled! Maggie was too, so it is a really good thing I got two sets. I was pleased with the quality of these. I have more professional level watercolor crayons I like to use from time to time, and these performed almost as well as my $25 a box set.

Another treat they tried out were these crayon rocks. When I bought these I wondered how they would go over. I shouldn’t have worried! Maggie has been playing with them for two days straight, not just coloring but using them as manipulatives for color identification and counting. They come in a little cinch sack, and she loves putting them in and out and sorting them into color families.

I only bought one bag of these because I didn’t think Jonas would be as hooked, but the second he saw them when he got home from school it was all, “These are so cool! Where are mine! Can we share these?” Then he spent quite awhile drawing and sorting them. Both kids just had to count them, which was surprising because that was just how they were inspired to use the product, and not something I had taught them to do. I plan to order a few more of these as stocking stuffers because I am certain that with both kids loving them, they will be nothing more than pebbles come Christmas!

Both kids were very excited to play with the set of recycled cards to color. These were great because not only did the kids color and paint them, but each has a traceable greeting so they were practicing letters as well. Jonas was very excited to send his cards to people, and since they came together so quickly, he was able to write messages in a few of them and get them ready to go out. Grandmas and Grandpas: Expect mail.

Now, I didn’t give the kids everything I ordered. I’m nearly finished with my holiday shopping and this year I committed to buy things that were all organic or handmade or ecologically friendly. No plastic junk, and the gifts needed to be things that inspired creativity and would actually get used. These art supplies were so good, I stashed some goodies for Christmas.

We got both kids some giant colored pencils. The extra girth on these pencils are great for the developing dexterity of younger children. We also snagged these great paintbrushes with chubbier, triangular stems.

The thing that I can’t wait to stuff their stockings with is definitely the set of Smencils. I had no idea what these were until Jonas started first grade, but apparently, these are all the rage at his elementary school. They are scented pencils, and each comes in its own recyclable freshness tube. They are scented with environmentally friendly fragrance, and are really fun to use. I know these will be a huge hit with both kids.

I love how creative my children are and how they prefer to haul out the art bin and run around in dress up clothes over watching television and recreating the marketed stories of the popular action figures. These products are a fantastic way to encourage even the most shy artists to let loose and get their creativity flowing! Now my only problem is figuring out where to hide the rest of my stash before Christmas!

Now, it is my birthday today- so SOMEBODY should get a great present, and the Stubby Pencil Company will give one of my lucky readers who leaves a comment here $50 worth of great product from their shop! So leave me a comment on this post- and I will leave this open for one week- and announce the winner on November 13th!