There are just tons to choose from, so many brands, colours, styles and materials. Lots of crayons are not suitable for 0-3 year olds, so we went looking for ones that were safe for Floss at 18 months old. Although a product may say suitable from a certain age, I would always recommend adult supervision with crayons for under threes as small pieces may become detached from the crayon and become a choking hazard.
We tested four different types of crayons:
- Scola Chubbi Eggs
- Alex Jr. tots first crayons
- Giotto be-bè
- Honeysticks
In no particular order of preference this is what Floss and I know and thought about each one.
Scola Chubbi Eggs
They’re made in the UK and suitable from 1 year old. Price around £8 for a box of 8.
Pros
- Easy for little hands to hold (they sit in the palm of the hand with the fingers gripped around like a claw)
- A dry feel when holding
- Last ages
- Quick coverage of colour
- Comes in a storage box (not flashy) that’s easy for little ones to use themselves
Cons
- Can’t get precision with these (OK I’m not trying to get my 18 month old to write, but these may not be the crayons I want her to use when she is developing her fine motor control more).
Alex Jr. tots first crayons
These are suitable from 18 months and cost around £2 for 6.
Pros
- Easy grip – there are little bobbles on one side that make these very easy for little hands to hold.
- Supports Tripod grip (three finger grip – see picture on the left)
- Good precision and clear marks
- Cheap
Cons
- Although it says suitable from 18
months. If my little one was still mouthing things I would be reluctant to let her use these with the size. - No storage
Giotto be-bè
Suitable from 2 years and cost around £5 for 10.
Pros
- Clean, precise marks
- Dermatologically tested
- Come with own sharpener
Cons
- A sticky feel to them – doesn’t leave any residue
- Goes down quickly
- Packaging quite hard to use and not easy to store
Honeysticks
Suitable from 1 year and cost around £20 for 12.
Pros
- Smells delicious
- Made in New Zealand from beeswax
- Lovely warm, vibrant colours
- Great for early mark making
- Handmade, non-toxic
Cons
- Expensive
- Hard to be precise
Which one?
Well it depends.
For a first crayon at 12 months old I would probably go with Scola Chubbi Eggs. You can very easily get satisfying mark making and they are sturdy.
For an 18 month old I would go with the Alex Jr tots first. They are cheap and I love that they put Floss’s fingers in a tripod grip. Floss really enjoyed the marks these crayons made and spent much longer with these than any of the others. I wouldn’t get these for a toddler that is still mouthing toys as I said previously. I also wouldn’t get these until your toddler’s fine motor skills allow them to hold objects in fingers.
If you can splurge I would also get the Honeysticks. They are just so yummy to use because of their smell and the lovely rich colour they leave on a page.
For 2+ Giotto be-bè would be a nice move to develop pencil grip further.
The opinions expressed in this post are entirely our own and the products were paid for by us.