Crayons vs markers for toddlers: what to buy by age

For most toddlers, start with chunky crayons, add fat washable markers around age 2, and save colored pencils for 4 and up. Crayons ask for a bit of pressure, which is good practice for small hands, and they have no caps to chew. Markers give bright color with almost no effort, which keeps a frustrated two-year-old going. Whatever you buy, look for the AP seal and stay close while they color.

When I made the first coloring storybook for my daughter, I spent more time than I expected standing in the crayon aisle. This is the list I wish I had read first.

The quick answer by age

Age	Best first pick	Add when ready	Skip for now
12 to 24 months	Chunky, palm-grip or egg-shaped crayons	Crayon "rocks", thick sidewalk chalk outside	Thin crayons, anything with small caps
2 to 3 years	Jumbo crayons plus fat washable markers	Washable paint sticks, dot markers	Fine-tip markers, gel pens
3 to 4 years	Regular crayons, washable markers	Triangular crayons, short colored pencils	Alcohol markers
4 to 5 years	Crayons, markers, colored pencils	Fine-tip washable markers for details	Permanent markers

The switch from jumbo to regular-size tools lines up with grip. The CDC lists holding a crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb, not a fist as a milestone by 4 years. Before that, a fist grip is normal, and fat tools are easier to steer with a fist.

Crayons: the case for starting here

Crayons are the cheapest, cleanest place to start. They need some pressure to leave a mark, which means a toddler is working the muscles in the hand and wrist every time they scribble. They do not dry out, they do not have caps, and most wax crayon marks wipe off a table.

What to look for:

• Thick shapes for under 2s. Egg, palm-grip, block or "rock" crayons are made for a fist grip and are hard to snap.
• Triangular crayons from about 3. The flat sides nudge fingers into place and stop the crayon rolling off the table.
• Fewer colors. Eight colors is plenty for a toddler. A 64-pack is more choosing than coloring.

The downsides: crayons break, and broken crayon pieces are small. Crayons are exempt from the federal ban on small parts in toys for children under 3, because writing materials such as crayons, chalk, pencils, and pens are on the regulation's exemption list. That exemption is about the product category, not a promise that a snapped crayon cannot be a choking risk. The CPSC explains the rule defines a small part by whether it fits in a test cylinder sized to a young child's throat. Use that as your own rule of thumb at home: pieces that small get thrown out.

Markers: brighter, easier, messier

Markers are the reward for a toddler who gets frustrated by faint crayon lines. A light touch makes a big bright mark, so kids who press softly or tire quickly often color longer with markers.

What to look for:

• Washable, and say so on the box. Washable formulas are designed to come out more easily; check what the box promises (skin, clothes, walls). "Non-toxic" is not the same thing as washable.
• Fat, broad tips. They survive being pushed hard and cover big areas quickly.
• Caps you can track. Marker caps are small and are the part toddlers chew. Some families keep markers capped in a stand, or use dot markers with built-in lids.

Skip permanent markers, alcohol-based markers and scented markers for young kids. Scented markers in particular invite sniffing and tasting, which is the opposite of what you want.

What the AP seal means (and what non-toxic means)

The most useful label on any art supply is the AP (Approved Product) seal from the Art and Creative Materials Institute. According to ACMI, the AP seal means a product has been certified in a toxicological evaluation by a board certified toxicologist to contain nothing in amounts that could be toxic or injurious to humans, including children, and that it is labeled under the chronic hazard standard ASTM D4236. ACMI says to look for the AP seal on products for children in sixth grade or younger and never to give a CL (Cautionary Labeling) product to that age group.

Two practical notes from the same ACMI page: smell is not a good guide to toxicity, and if a child swallows an art material with a warning label, read the label and call Poison Control at 800-222-1222.

Cutting the mess without cutting the fun

• Tape the paper down so it does not skate away, and put a cheap plastic tablecloth or a baking sheet under it.
• Hand over a few colors at a time. It keeps the floor clear and the choices manageable.
• Keep a "coloring shirt". An old T-shirt over clothes takes care of marker accidents.
• Use a wall. Large paper taped at toddler height works well for scribblers, and Zero to Three notes that early scribbling comes from big arm movements with the crayon gripped in a fist, so a big surface suits them.

Do you need both?

Yes, eventually, but not at once. A good first kit for a one-year-old is a pack of chunky crayons and a stack of plain paper. Add washable markers around 2 and colored pencils after 4. For how all of this fits into development, see benefits of coloring for toddlers and when toddlers can start coloring.

If you print coloring pages at home, markers also behave differently on different paper: thin copy paper bleeds and pills under a wet marker. Our guide to printing coloring pages that come out crisp covers paper weight and settings. All of our guides to making and printing your own pages are under make your own.

Questions parents ask