# Encouraging scribbling without eating the crayons!



## colsy

Blimey, I'm a bit chat-happy today. This is about the sixth question I've asked!

I'm wondering about getting LO interested in drawing/scribbling/colouring. He's just turned 12 months and we bought him some wax crayons for his birthday, but TBH at the moment EVERYTHING still goes in his mouth ... so you give him a crayon and he just eats it. They're non-toxic LOL so that doesn't bother me, but it seems a bit of a waste of the crayons. How can we get him to stop eating the crayons and to try scribbling? Should we let him do it even though he eats them? Or should we wait a couple more months yet? What have others done?


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## Kiddo

We had the same problem so we let him scribble with a pencil instead (obviously well supervised)


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## Dee_H

Crayola makes great little crayons,markers and paints for toddlers, they are called Tadoddles. Rian loved them.
https://www.crayola.com/products/list.cfm?categories=BEGINNINGS,FIRST MARKS


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## rach321

Aquadraw!!


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## Scally

i have just bought some tadoodles, one for izzy and some for her little friends for christmas, they are in boots 3 for 2 at the moment x


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## lousielou

My son is 18 months and still isn't particularly interested in scribbling. We have an Aquadraw, but he just likes to suck the water out of the pen :wacko: The only time he seems to want to draw himself is if he sees me writing something like the shopping list, but as soon as I stop, he loses interest!


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## nikkip75

My 15 month old loves scribbling but I give up with crayons for the same reason as you. Now she just uses my 4 year olds pens and pencils or one of those magnetic board things which you wipe clean. She always ends up with felt tip on her somewhere but crayola and the likes just wash of.


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## wispa86

we got Ben an etch a sketch type thingy because setting up for drawing is a right palarva when he only wants to do it for 5 minutes! we just used to say "not in your mouth" and move his hand away with the crayon still in it. If he continued then we took that crayon off him.

now they usually get launched across the room!


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## Kte

Colsy, Chloe also likes to eat her crayons as well. I tend to try 2 things . . . her dummy / an other object like her rubber duck to chew on. Also, sometimes if she gets too edible happy I take the paper and crayons away and go back to them another time. Okay it means sometimes it takes her a while to do her scribbles but helps reduce crayon consumption!

I'm often given arty creations she has done at nursery and wonder how they do them! They do tell me she tries to eat them. So I would be inclined to just keep at it with LO :flower: 

We bought Chloe some paints for her birthday . . . that's going to be interesting!


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## pootle33

colsy said:


> Blimey, I'm a bit chat-happy today. This is about the sixth question I've asked!
> 
> I'm wondering about getting LO interested in drawing/scribbling/colouring. He's just turned 12 months and we bought him some wax crayons for his birthday, but TBH at the moment EVERYTHING still goes in his mouth ... so you give him a crayon and he just eats it. They're non-toxic LOL so that doesn't bother me, but it seems a bit of a waste of the crayons. How can we get him to stop eating the crayons and to try scribbling? Should we let him do it even though he eats them? Or should we wait a couple more months yet? What have others done?

:headspin:
Hey colsy I could have written this one as well?! Are our LOs related?!


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## lepaskilf

Yup having the same problem, will prob try in a few months time! Good idea on the Xmas gift tho!


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## Lazy Leo

I tried G with a pencil a few weeks ago and she hadn't a clue and wasn't interested in being shown. I wil get some at christmas time for her though, as even if she still hasn't got the hang of it, she will at some point in the following few months. 

I don't think I'll be using crayons though, it will be pencils for me. I saw a child black crayon a friend's beige sofa last year, it was not a happy moment for her, telling the other mother it was ok when inside she was furious! But that same friend who had her sofa ruined somehow managed to let her daughter draw on my laminated kitchen floor! It did come off, but only after serious effort. Nope, pencils for Georgia I think! And etch-a-sketch! How I loved my etch-a-sketch!!!


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## CountingDown

Olivia never really wanted to eat her crayons but the first few times she used them, I sat with her and every time one went near her mouth I distracted her and encouraged her to use them on the paper.


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## sarahjanek88

My 15 month old boy loves copying at the moment. I tried him with a crayon and colouring in pad, but like they all do, he just tried chewing it. I left him to play with another toy and started to colour in myself (the childhood temptation was too much!), and suddenly my boy was fascinated and trying to steal the crayons and copy me. 

I would try colouring in yourself without including your LO, and see if that makes a difference when they come over and show an interest :)


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## Neferet

I don't have this problem. Ike uses crayons and doesn't eat them. I sometimes let him use a pen or pencil too. I think it's ok to use those as long as LO is closely supervised.

I highly recommend getting him an aquadraw. I got one for my little brother when he was younger and I'm planning on getting Ike on for Christmas. They're so good!


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## Dee_H

A little note about crayons...if your LO writes on things besides paper..walls, tables etc..toothpaste works great to get it off. If you are trying to promote fine motor skills..throwing some yogurt or pudding on their highchair tray and letting them finger paint with it is fun too.and edible!!!


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## Lu28

lousielou said:


> My son is 18 months and still isn't particularly interested in scribbling. We have an Aquadraw, but he just likes to suck the water out of the pen :wacko:

Exactly the same here! :dohh: She's been doing painting and glueing etc with the childminder and apparently just eats it all. She saw her yesterday shoving handfuls of gluey glitter in her mouth! :haha:


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