Colouring / using markers or crayons

[AlwaysPraying]

What age is appropriate to start introducing crayons? I've heard lots of people say their 1 year old is drawing, but I just don't see my son doing it quite yet. He gets something to draw with and it goes straight into his mouth! I looked for crayons yesterday, and the only ones I saw that were even close to appropriate for him said 18 months +, the rest said 3 years +.

 

[BethK]

We bought some crayons from WHSmith, think they were Crayola and were for 12 months + but Freya's not colouring yet, she just eats them or throws them on the floor.

Have tried felt tips and aquadoodle but she's just not got the patience yet.

Hopefully she will have soon though.

 

[RachA]

We bought wax crayons for ours - not sure that the age was on them but we tend to ignore that anyway on most things.
I don't think it'll do them too much damage if the accidentally eat a bit of wax etc.

 

[letia659]

Ive let Zander try to color a few times but he is just now taking to it he was coloring yesterday with washable markers he had it all over him but he loved it he is 22 months old

 

[sun]

I didn't get any real colouring stuff for Bun until he was 15-16 months - and even then we usually used aquadoodle instead. Way easier as you aren't always taking the crayons out of their mouths! Now at 22 months he likes scribbling and "drawing" but is more into markers than crayons! xx

1 year is pretty young to have the patience and dexterity for drawing! The toddlers at my sons preschool are just getting into it now.

 

[eddjanuary10]

Ihsan would just do a few scribbles at 13months and then be bored. He has never tried to eat crayons or markers but just doesn't have alot of patience for drawing. I'd say at 13months he would be bored after 2-3minutes and now at 20months he will scribble for about 10minutes and then be bored. He will draw for longer now if I draw with him though. I wouldn't worry if your lo isn't interested in drawing yet still so young! x

 

[AlwaysPraying]

Ok GOOD! Thanks guys!!

I went to a friends house and she had drawings on her fridge, I guess they do that at her day care, and another friend said her son was drawing too, all just over 1 year old. I'm totally fine that he's not into it, funny enough, it never occurred to me that he might want to draw at this age, guess I was right! He's a truck kid anyways,

 

[letia659]

yea my friends little girl thats about the same age as Zander has been coloring for a long time now but Zander had rather play with his trucks too Im not concerned they will all be coloring when they go to school! he is now taking to it and thats great but only reason is he sees his big brother coloring lately and he is wanting to do what bubba does

 

[special_kala]

We started around 6 months only had afew crayon eating incidents before she kind of got it lol but its like everything some kids are into it some arnt

 

[OmarsMum]

Omar doesnt put random objects in his mouth since he was tiny so we didn't have eating crayons issues. We got him Crayola chunky crayons at 12 months but he didn't show any interest, at 14 months I bought some bath crayons, he used ask me to draw a 1st then he started to use hem to scribble on the tub at 15 month, few days later he started to use his aquadoodle. I'd recommend aquadoodle for crayon eaters as it's safe & filled with water.

 

[AlwaysPraying]

I'd like to get the aquadoodle for sure. I was thinking of the travel one, so i could put him in his high chair and he could draw like that. They didn't have one when i looked though. I'm not sure he'd really understand the one on the floor yet??

 

[sun]

Just a note - at daycare they often get lots of "help" with their art when they're younger. Bun would come back with some pretty involved artwork for a 15 month old!!
Like cut/paste and colouring. He probably "helped" but I know for sure he couldn't have done it himself. But now at 22 months I have lots of scribbles on my fridge!!

 

[AlwaysPraying]

Hahaha, yes of course!!!!! I don't know why that didn't occur to me!!!! I've only tried true colouring once and it was filled with tears! All he wanted to do was eat the markers! I got him to scribble on his thank you cards for his birthday, I felt so bad having him cry!

 

[OmarsMum]

I'd like to get the aquadoodle for sure. I was thinking of the travel one, so i could put him in his high chair and he could draw like that. They didn't have one when i looked though. I'm not sure he'd really understand the one on the floor yet??

I prefer the large one for starting as you can sit wih him on the floor to scribble. Omar carries it around the house & he lies down on his tummy while drawing. We have the small ones for going out. The pen in the mini ones is thin, the pen that comes with he large one is chunky & easier to hold & use for starting.

 

[Mummy2Asher]

Tristan has been colouring for a couple months...not sure if it's because he copies Ds1 all the time! But he will only do it for two mins before loosing interest and then hiding the crayons places.

 

[DaisyBee]

Megan is way more into coloring now than even a few months ago and she wants to eat them less as well! Lol

Daycare kids craft time/ curriculum I didn't introduce until 18 months.

 

[Nats21]

Callums started to colour in recently. We went to some library activities and they had crayons there. He enjoyed it but after a bit started to try to eat them! I just kept encouraging him to colour with them. he dotted the page with them and did some marks.

I bought him some nice wax crayons from wilkos last week but still have yet to try them out with him xx

 

[lanaross]

We started with finger painting at about 1 year, it was quite a project each time so I'd recommend to do it right before bath time I then introduced the crayons about a month ago, but the crayons are not as bright as her paint tubes so all her drawings are in black since it's probably more contrasty that way. And yeah started finding crayon scribbles on walls -- fun.

 

[cherryglitter]

jake's just started with paint pens and markers.
he eats crayons saying that he eats paint too.

he's quite interested but not for very long at all.
he ends up trying to walk away lol!

 

[Seity]

When we went out to restaurants, they'd always give him some crayons and a child menu to color on. Gabriel didn't show any interest in actually using the crayons for scribbling until right around 18 months. Before that he'd just try to eat them or enjoy throwing them on the floor.