crayons or markers

At what age do you feel comfortable giving them crayons or markers (the ones that only go on special paper!) to draw with? I kind of want to but I know it is going to go right into the mouth, which I don't want. I think it may be something they'd enjoy but I don't know how or more importantly when to go about it.

 

I got them Color Wonder markers for Easter last year so that would have been about 18 months. Prior to that, they were using regular ball-point pens closely monitored. I didn't want to buy nice markers if they were just going to bite the tips off. They did pretty well at 18 months but still needed some reminding and I'd take the pens away if they ignored their warning. I didn't get them crayons until their 2nd birthday (although they used them a couple times at restaurants) and they've done fine with them. Crayons worried me more because of the choking potential.

 

I believe we started soon after their 1st birthday. We started off slow (just a few minutes at a time) and as soon as they started to go into the mouth, we stopped coloring. Every time we played with them I reiterated the rule about not putting them in the mouth and they began to stop. We bought some thicker, stubbier crayons so that they do not break as easily. Plus Crayola makes some washable crayons and pens which helps with the artwork that doesn't make it on paper!

 

I remember at our 18 month well visit the nurse asked if they were able to hold a crayon, etc.
I had never tried until then, thought it was too early. So I bought some Crayola washable crayons and gave it a try. At first they both tried to eat them, so you need to be very careful at the beginning.


My DD got the hang of it and LOVES coloring now!! I bought her a cheap sketch pad and she just scribbles to her heart's content.

My DS will scribble occasionally but not as much as DD.

Give it a very supervised try and see how it goes.

The crayola washable crayons come off of everything very easily (furniture, walls, even my couch) so I recommend those.

 

I started with color pencils. My boys ate the crayons and would put the markers in their mouth. Colored pencils were harder and they had fun with the colors.

 

We have given crayons on and off since about 16mths but that's mostly at restraunts. Now that my son is 18mths I think I will try sitting down with him and try coloring more. I don't have the fear of him putting it in his mouth his biggest problem has always been throwing them.

 

We also started right after their first birthday. I started off with crayons. I had to sit with them and as soon as it went to the mouth, I would just say, "No. No mouth. Crayons go on paper only." It took a while and once in a while when my head was turned, Lorien would take a little nibble. However, I wasn't too concerned as they are non toxic and it's basically just wax. However, if she did it a couple times in a row, then coloring time was over. I don't know about the one that go on the special paper only, we just started out with good ole' fashion crayons (washable only of course) and paper. Then I moved to markers which was actually so much easier for them. With crayons, they have to learn to push down kind of hard and move it simultaneously so they loved markers so much more.

 

We've done crayons for a long time, probably since they were about 16 months or so. At that age they had to be monitored because they would attempt to put them in their mouth. We tried the color wonder markers, but they got frustrated that the color didn't appear instantly.

 

I actually posted a similar question about a month ago, and based on the responses we decided to give it a try. We got the tadoodles by Crayola crayon holders. They are designed for 12 months and up, and they are easy for little ones to hold. The crayon fits in this plastic ball basically, and the tip sticks out the top for them to color with. I liked this idea to start with because I was sure they would try to eat the crayons....at least this way only the tip was exposed so they couldn't choke on a whole crayon. So we got the crayons and paper out, I showed them how to do it, gave them a crayon each, they bit the tips off.....I told them no biting and showed them how again and gave them another crayon each, they bit the tips off the next ones.....we tried one more time, and they bit the tips off. No color got on the paper! So I'm going to wait a month and try again. My boys aren't quite to their adjusted first birthday yet, so I think it was just too early for their development, but with the nontoxic, washable crayons, there's no harm in trying.

 

I think we tried somewhere around 15 mos. I got the Crayola washable markers, they're non-toxic. I sat them on their little table & pulled up a stool so I could sit right by them & we colored. They did go in the mouth a lot, but that's why I got the non-toxic ones. They washed off a lot easier than I expected, too.

You might try those Magna Doodles if you're worried about the mess. Mine love those!!

 

Since Crayola products are washable and non-toxic, give it a try! If they put them in their mouths more than they color, they are not ready. Simple as that!

We have been coloring since about 15 mos. It is by far their favorite activity. Ben loves to just color with ballpoint pens in a notepad, while Hannah prefers markers in a coloring book. So they each have their preferences. Neither of them are super big on crayons!

 

We started with crayons when they were 18 months old. It did take a few times of telling them not to put in their mouth, but they get it now {most of the time } DD loves to color, DS could do without it...but does enjoy the MagnaDoodle.

Try it! I hope they have a great time!!

 

I started giving them crayons at about a year -- I think they used them even earlier at school, but there is less they can ruin there. Our biggest problem was not mouthing (though that was an issue) but throwing/dropping, so I have to always use the fat crayons that don't break as easily.

I started giving them markers at about 15 months, but did it very rarely until 20 months or so. There was just too much writing on the floor or table, and even though the markers are washable (NEVER give them non-washable ones!), it was a pain to clean up. Since 20 months they've been pretty good about writing on the paper, and whatever ink gets on their hands is usually by accident.