There is a particular kind of disappointment that comes with opening a craft kit, finishing the one project inside it and realising that is that. The best creative toys give children enough of a starting point to get going, then leave them space to make something of their own. That is what makes the Art Lab Paint Colour Maker Kit an interesting option for children who enjoy painting.

The idea is simple: instead of handing children a set of ready-made colours, the kit lets them mix their own. Argos says it can make more than 100 shades, with a colour recipe guide to help them along. There are ten posters to paint, so a child can begin with a guided design and gradually become more adventurous with the colours they choose.

The fun is in finding the colour

Anyone who has painted with a child will know that mixing colours can be as absorbing as painting the picture. A little more blue changes a green completely. Add white, and a bold shade becomes something softer. Sometimes the colour you wanted is not the colour you end up with, which can lead to an even better idea.

The Art Lab kit makes that experimentation the main event. Children can follow the supplied colour recipes and paint-by-number style guides or depart from them when they feel ready. That balance is useful for a child who likes clear instructions but does not want every picture to look exactly like the one on the box. You could even invite them to name their new colours before they start painting: “stormy sea” or “dragon green” feels much more personal than “number four”.

What comes in the kit?

The Paint Colour Maker includes a studio to keep the materials together, five paint bottles, a paint pot, two brushes, two mixing palettes and two water cups. There are also ten posters, colour recipe cards, masking fluid and a frame for a finished picture. Argos lists it for ages six and over and says adult supervision is required.

Having two brushes and two palettes might be handy if siblings want to work alongside one another, although they would still need to take turns with the studio. The included posters offer a ready-made activity, while extra paper would give children more freedom to test their own designs once those are finished. A tray or wipeable table covering is still sensible: the organised station may help contain the paint, but painting with children is rarely entirely tidy.

The frame is a lovely finishing touch. Children often make far more artwork than there is room to display, and choosing one picture to frame gives them a chance to talk about what they made and why they like it. It does not need to be the neatest poster; sometimes the picture with the unexpected colour choices is the one with the best story.

Which other Art Lab sets are worth a look?

If texture appeals more than colour mixing, the Art Lab Fluffy Paint Studio offers a different approach. It combines watercolour paints with raised fluffy paint and decorations, so children can add a tactile finish to their pictures. Argos lists ten posters and ten blank watercolour sheets in that set, giving children the option to follow a design or start from scratch.

The Art Lab Watercolour Case is another option in the range for children who prefer softer washes of colour and a case they can pack away. Its supplies include watercolour paints, paper and tools for trying different techniques. These sets do different jobs: the Paint Colour Maker centres on inventing shades, the Fluffy Paint Studio on texture, and the Watercolour Case on painting techniques.

A way to make it last beyond the first afternoon

One idea is to turn the first session into a colour hunt. Ask your child to choose something familiar, perhaps a favourite jumper, a leaf from the garden or the colour of the sky before rain, and see how close they can get by mixing paint. The next time, they could make colours for an imaginary animal or a place they would like to visit. It gives them a reason to return to the kit without feeling that they have to complete a perfect poster each time.

At the time of writing, Argos lists the Paint Colour Maker Kit at £20, although prices and availability can change. For a child who already reaches for paints, the strongest reason to consider it is the process: they get to make decisions, test ideas and discover that a “wrong” colour can still become part of something they are proud to put on the wall.