Skin tone crayons and markers: what to buy and how to use them

For most families, the best skin tone crayons are Crayola Colors of the World, a 24-color set that also comes as markers and colored pencils, or the smaller and cheaper Colorations Colors Like Me, which has 8 skin tones. For toddlers, pick Crayola's large washable Colors of the World crayons or chunky washable markers. Whatever you buy, the trick that makes them work is matching: color swatches on white paper and hold them against your child's wrist in daylight.

Why a skin tone set helps

A regular box usually has one or two colors that pass for skin, and they are rarely your kid's. Older kids can layer colors to get close. Preschoolers mostly reach for whatever is nearest and then announce that it is wrong. A skin tone set gives them a range of real-looking browns, tans, peaches and pinks to choose from, so the page looks like them on the first try.

There is a second reason. The AAP's parent site suggests that when a preschooler asks about someone's skin tone, you can hold your arm against theirs to show the differences in skin tones in your family. A box of skin tone crayons turns that into an activity: everyone in the family finds their own color, and nobody's color is "skin color."

The sets compared

Everything below is from the maker's own product pages. Prices change often, so check the store.

Set	What you get	Best for
Crayola Colors of the World Crayons	24 skin tone crayons in standard size	Ages 4 and up, home or classroom
Crayola Colors of the World Large Ultra-Clean Washable Crayons	24 colors, larger size, washable formula	Toddlers and young preschoolers
Crayola Colors of the World Washable Markers	24 washable skin tone markers	Ages 3 and up who like bold color
Crayola Colors of the World Colored Pencils	24 skin tone pencils	Ages 6 and up, faces and detail
Colorations Colors Like Me Crayons	8 skin tone crayons, regular size	A small, cheaper starter set
Colorations Colors Like Me Markers	8 washable skin tone markers	Group projects, preschool

Crayola Colors of the World. Crayola says the crayons contain 24 specially formulated colors representing people of the world, in three main shades (Almond, Golden and Rose) and the lighter and darker shades between, with names like Deepest Almond, Medium Golden and Light Rose. The same 24 colors come as washable skin tone markers and skin tone colored pencils. On its Colors of the World page, Crayola says it partnered with color experts to develop the shades.

The toddler version. Crayola's Large Ultra-Clean Washable Colors of the World crayons are bigger, which Crayola says makes them easier for small hands to grip, and they wash off skin, clothes and painted walls. For a two- or three-year-old this is the one to get. Our guide to crayon grip by age explains why thicker crayons suit little hands.

Colorations Colors Like Me. Discount School Supply's house brand sells 8 skin-toned regular size crayons and 8 washable markers in realistic skin tones from warm peach to ebony, with classroom packs for teachers. Eight colors is fewer choices, but for a preschool class that is often plenty.

Crayons or markers? Markers give stronger color with less pressure, crayons are cleaner and layer better. If you are unsure, our crayons vs markers for toddlers guide walks through it.

How to find your kid's color

Crayola's own FAQ is a useful explainer. It describes three traditional skin tones (light, medium and deep) and three undertones, and says undertones are not based on skin tone: Rose is cool, Almond neutral and Golden warm, and a light skin tone can have a warm undertone while a deep one can have a cool undertone. In practice, with a preschooler:

1. Pick three or four candidates from the box that look close.
2. Color a small swatch of each on white paper. Crayola's free crayon chart page gives you a ready-made grid.
3. Hold the paper next to the inside of the wrist in daylight and let your child choose.
4. Do everyone. Parents, siblings, grandparents. Write each person's crayon name next to their swatch and keep the sheet in the box.
5. Layer if nothing is quite right. A light pass of one color under another gets surprisingly close.

Expect your child's choice to differ from yours sometimes. That is fine. A four-year-old who picks a slightly darker brown because it is "more like me" is doing exactly the noticing you want.

Skipping the purchase: layering from a regular box

You do not need a special set. Start with the lightest close color and press gently. Add a second color on top (a brown, sienna, pink or yellow) a little at a time. Paper matters here: smooth, heavier paper takes layers better than thin printer paper. This works best for kids five and up, who have the patience for two passes.

Put the crayons to use

Skin tone crayons are only as good as the pages you put in front of them. Pages where the features are left open, or pages drawn from your own family photos, give the colors something to do. Our guides to diverse coloring books and making coloring pages of your family cover both, mostly free. Colorkin can also draw your family into a coloring storybook from photos (drafted with AI illustration tools, then checked and finished by a person), if you want pages made for you.

More on books, holidays and heritage is in our family and heritage guides.

Questions parents ask