Resource Review: Art Supplies - Crayons

Following on from last week's review of Lyra pencils, good quality crayons are also really worth buying.  We invested in Stockmar Crayons (sticks and blocks) and Crayon Rocks for our children, and they've lasted years. 

The Stockmar Crayons are made of beeswax and come in a tin or a wooden box.  They're popular with Steiner/Waldorf educators and families.  The blocks are especially suited to small children, and activities such as crayon rubbing.  The sticks are strong (ours have not snapped or bent) and offer the same brilliant result as the blocks.  Neither type crumbles or smudges - they are so smooth.

Crayon Rocks are made from soy wax and come in a drawstring bag.  They're ideal for teaching pencil grip and were designed by an occupational therapist.  These are even more smooth on the paper than the Stockmar crayons!  They're not quite as long-lasting (because the wax is slightly softer), but they're still a lot more robust than regular crayons.
Of all the natural wax crayons we tried over the years, these two brands gave the most vibrant results.  They do seem expensive at $15 to $40 per set (depends on type and number of crayons), but as a possibly one-off investment in crayons for your whole homeschooling journey, they're worth it! 

Crayons that don't leave bright marks on the paper, or snap in half during enthusiastic colouring sessions, are disappointing.  Good quality art supplies bring joy to children, and are better value and less wasteful over time.