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Do we ever really need rubber stamps in our digital era? No. But if you have them on hand, you’ll find all sorts of uses for them. Add stamps to drawings and collages, delight someone with a real letter, and give your kids something tactile to do that doesn’t involve clicking or swiping. You can even let them stamp each other—as long as you’ve got washable and non-toxic ink, you’re good.
Pre-historic: fun Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Stamp Set
Amazon
With this cute set of dino-stamps and colored pencils, your kids can create stories on paper in which velociraptors coexist with the doodles of the family pet. Outline each dino-friend with the stamp, and then color it in with the pencils for endless possibilities. The set includes red and blue ink and is recommended for ages 4 and up.
Color options: HUSTON LOWELL Vintage Wooden Rubber Letter Number Stamp Set
Amazon
Evoke the vintage charm of a letterpress as you spruce up your journal. You’ll have a full alphabet, numbers 0-9, and some punctuation at your disposal (the ampersand is particularly crucial for ye-olde-school look). Each letter is about 6-7mm tall. Considering that a dime is 17.91mm in diameter, that’s an ideal size for adding small decorative elements that don’t overwhelm your lists or prose. The wooden box also contains six pads of ink, each featuring four different colors.
Insect collection: Hero Arts LL375 Ink ‘n’ Stamp, Bugs
Amazon
Delight your budding entomologist with an assortment of tiny bees, beetles, butterflies, and arachnids. There are 18 different wooden stamps in this kit, producing insect impressions about the size of a dime, and it comes with a black ink cube to get you started right away.
Nature-inspired: Inkadinkado Trees Mounted Rubber Stamp Set
Amazon
You too can keep a nature journal like Thoreau, though your mother probably won’t make you meals and launder your clothes while you write in your cabin as he did. These beautiful stamps are deeply cut for detail and include a pair of deer in addition to conifers and deciduous trees. For a unique craft project with your child, use them to make custom cards or stationery.
A rainbow of choices: ColorBox Archival Dye Ink Full Size Inkpad
Amazon
Serious stampers will want a wider selection of colored ink and greater quality than the average stamp set, and ColorBox delivers. The deep and rich acid-free colors will dry on a range of surfaces including canvas and shiny paper. Frosted Plum, Dark Cherry, and Squash are just a few of the delicious-sounding (but not edible) choices.