Best Crayons for Toddlers

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’re in a hurry and just want to find the best crayons for your toddler, I’d recommend the Crayola Twistable Crayons.

Looking to increase your little one’s fine motor skills? Crayons can be a great way to keep your child on track to reach their developmental milestones while engaging their creativity. But which crayons are best for toddlers?. We have our favorites here for you to consider.

Here are the crayons I will be reviewing:

Reviews Of My Favorite Crayons For Toddlers

There are lot of different options that you might want to consider. Our reviews on the top contenders are below.

Crayola My First Palm-Grasp Crayons

If you have a young toddler who’s just beginning to explore art with crayons, this set from Crayola can be a great choice. They’re specifically designed for toddlers’ young hands and their burgeoning fine motor skills. These egg-shaped crayons fit neatly in their hands and let them begin creating while frustration-free.

This is a set of six crayons. They’re red, green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple. Each oversized crayon is equivalent to 14 traditionally-sized crayons. If your little artist happens to run off the edge of their paper, these crayons wipe up easily for quick clean up.

These crayons don’t have a fine tip, so they’re less suited to artwork that involves coloring inside the lines. They’re great for large-scale projects and scribble art, though. Because of their shape, they’re much less likely to break, which means your toddler will get a lot more use of out them. These crayons are not hollow but solid all the way through.

This set of crayons offers limited colors. However, there are enough there to help your little one learn their colors. They’ll also be able to experiment with early blending skills.

These crayons are designed for children ages 12 months to 10 years of age. They are certified non-toxic and do not include gluten—just in case your little one has a tendency to taste test art supplies.

These crayons aren’t for use in bathtubs, so you’ll want to stick to paper artwork at a table. They’re manufactured in the United States and additional colors can be purchased in the larger set option.

Pros

  • Great first crayon for small hands
  • Extra-large capacity helps these crayons last
  • Non-toxic and gluten-free
  • Easy to wash off when needed

Cons

  • Limited colors
  • Not suitable for coloring books

GiBot Finger Crayons

These crayons offer a unique shape that is perfect for young artists. The large bulb at the bottom fits easily in the palm of a toddler’s hand. There’s still enough of a point at the tip to give your little one some precision. This is a great crayon for a child with evolving fine motor skills.

Twelve different colors are included in this set. Your little one will get the basic primary colors as well as light green, light blue, black, and three different shades of pink.

The inside of the crayon is hollow. This allows the crayons to stack easily on top of one another and makes storage a breeze. They can even be stored out in the open for easy access. When your little one is finished using them, they can practice stacking, which will build dexterity and coordination while developing small muscles.

These crayons are hollow all the way through to the tip. This serves as a precautionary safety measure should your little one accidentally swallow the tip of the crayon. It won’t serve as an obstruction to the airway or a choking hazard.

In the event the crayon is swallowed, you can take comfort in the fact that these crayons are non-toxic. They do contain paraffin and soy wax, so be aware of any allergies your little one may have. They are CE-approved and have an EN71 certification. These crayons are easy to grip and write smoothly on paper. When needed, they are quick and easy to wash up off of surfaces.

Pros

  • Can serve as a small manipulative for stacking
  • Hollow through the core as a safety measure
  • Non-toxic
  • Fun color selection
  • Can suit a young child while also being fun for a more sophisticated artist

Cons

  • Their hollow core can make them easier to break
  • These crayons can be quite sharp when they do break

Crayola Triangular Crayons

Tired of crayons rolling out of your little one’s grasp and breaking when they hit the floor? Or do you find yourself climbing around under the table to constantly retrieve them? A triangular-shaped crayon helps prevent rolling and can be easy for a beginner to grasp.

This triangular crayon also encourages the proper grip your little one will need when they begin to write. Learning how to hold an implement early on can help avoid the creation of any bad habits that slow down future learning.

This set of crayons from Crayola consists of eight larger crayons in basic colors. Your little one will have brown, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to experiment with.

These crayons are easy-to-use. Your toddler won’t have to press down too hard to use them. They write smoothly on different kinds of papers and create consistent color. They’re also durable. Solid all the way through, their shape and density help prevent your crayon from breaking during use.

Though these are a great shape for young toddlers, they still offer a precise point. This point will allow your little one to easily color within lines and use them for more sophisticated projects. They can be a great crayon for a transitioning artist who’s leaving scribbling behind and refining their skills.

Have a grandparent who spends a lot of time coloring with your little one? These crayons are also a great choice for arthritic joints. Their size and shape help prevent hand and finger fatigue without sacrificing the experience of coloring.

Pros

  • Thicker crayons to help create extra durability
  • The larger size and unique triangular shape promote proper holding techniques
  • Triangular design prevents rolling

Cons

  • This set doesn’t offer extensive color options
  • These crayons can be hard to sharpen

Honeysticks Beeswax Crayons

If you’ve been looking for an alternative to the traditional wax crayon, you may want to consider these crayons. They’re made of 100 percent New Zealand beeswax. To keep the product extra safe and all-natural, they’ve opted to use food-grade pigments for the color. There’s nothing toxic in these crayons for your little one to accidentally ingest or be exposed to.

This crayon set is short and fat—perfect for little hands learning how to hold and use crayons. Their size and shape also helps contribute to their durability and prevents accidental breakage.

If environmental concerns are at the forefront of your mind, you can rest assured that these crayons are sustainable. They’re a low-impact product that’s environmentally friendly. The beeswax used in these crayons is the natural byproduct of harvested honey. Using the beeswax helps ensure nothing is wasted and helps to keep the hives and bees healthy.

This set of crayons comes in 12 fun colors to get your little artist started. Their light honey scent just adds to their appeal. These crayons are easy to use. The color transfers well and easily to paper. Your little one won’t need to press excessively hard and they’ll make smooth, even, marks with these crayons.

With the purchase of this crayon set, you’ll also receive a free e-coloring book. You’ll be able to print out your child’s favorite pages to color over and over again. There is a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee that comes along with your purchase. If you are unsatisfied, you can receive a full refund with no questions asked.

Pros

  • Environmentally-friendly and sustainable product
  • Made with food-grade pigment and natural beeswax
  • Sturdy shape prevents breaking and makes it easy for little hands to navigate
  • A 100 percent satisfaction guarantee is included

Cons

  • These shorter crayons smell delicious and little ones may be tempted to try and taste them
  • The beeswax will attract dust and lint, which can make your crayons look dirty

Crayola Twistable Crayons

Tired of dealing with broken crayons and crayon sharpeners? These twistable crayons can help make your life a little easier. They come in a pack of 12 and include gold, silver, red, orange, yellow, green, sky blue, blue, violet, white, black, and brown.

These crayons provide smooth, creamy color on all writing surfaces. Your little one won’t need to press excessively hard to create rich, consistent color.

These crayons look like markers. Just pop off the cap and they’re ready to be used. When your tip wears down, simply twist the pen for fresh crayon. You can say goodbye to the tedium that comes along with peeling back paper and picking up scraps of crayon shavings.

The larger pen-style design makes these crayons easy for little hands to hold and use. However, these aren’t crayons you’ll want to leave very small ones alone with. They’re likely to be tempted to twist the pen more than necessary. If the crayon comes too far out of the casing, it may break off.

While these crayons provide great, easy color, they don’t have the classic crayon finish. Instead, these crayons have a more oily finish. This texture does mean it’s easier to use, but also that it’s easier to leave marks where they don’t belong. It’s also harder to clean than classic crayons.

The casing helps provide your crayon with more durability. Even little ones who have a tendency to press down hard on crayons and break them shouldn’t have a problem with these. There’s just enough crayon exposed to leave its mark, and not enough to easily break. These easy-to-use pen style crayons are great for older hands, too.

Pros

  • Gives great, rich, color without pressing hard
  • Helps avoid the hassle of sharpening
  • Comes in fun colors like silver and gold
  • Used properly, these crayons are hard to break

Cons

  • Harder to clean and prone to staining
  • Can be twisted up too far and broken, wasting the crayon

Why Choose Crayons?

There are a lot of great reasons to go with crayons over other art mediums. Here are some of the big ones:

  • Crayons are less likely to leave a mess: There’s no need to worry about spilled paint or children drawing on their own skin like they’re tempted to do with markers. While crayons may find their way onto walls, they’re less likely to leave their mark on carpeting or upholstery.
  • Crayons are small: Wondering why this is a good thing? It forces your little one to really focus on their finger movements and improves their muscle control. These will both be crucial in a few years when they begin to hold a pencil to write with.
  • Crayons encourage art experimentation: With crayons, your little one can see what happens when they put yellow over blue. They can see what happens when they press the crayon down hard or when they press lightly. Crayons can be a great way for your little one to learn early science and art concepts

Getting The Most Out Of Your Crayons

Opening a fresh box of crayons is always exciting. Here are some tips for when you’re crayon shopping:

  • Range of colors: If you have a very young toddler, you may want to stick with basic primary colors. Older children will love the large range of colors that come with more sophisticated sets.
  • Type of storage: It’s unlikely that pretty crayon box will be around long. Plan on having an easy-to-use storage box to help keep your crayons in order when they aren’t being used.
  • Size of the crayons: Crayons are available in a variety of sizes. Jumbo crayons can be a great option for small hands just learning how to hold them. Very short crayons can be used to help your child master the correct pencil-holding technique. A variety of crayon sizes can be a great choice for your toddler.
  • Use up your old crayons: There are plenty of art activities out there for your crayons that don’t involve coloring. Collect old crayons past their prime and melt them down into new, fun crayon shapes. Use a hairdryer to create melted crayon art. Let your (and your child’s) imagination run wild.

Choosing The Right Crayons For Your Toddler

Crayons are a great tool to help your little one grow and develop. Of these listed here, my favorite has to be the Crayola Twistable Crayons. I love the feeling of drawing with these, since they practically glide along they page. The colors are really rich too, making for great pictures.

Ryan is a co-founder of Smart Parent Advice. When he isn't spending time with his wife, Cristin, or his two children, he can often be found running around on the tennis court.