Crayons: Did you know.... & $5 Shipping Special

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Crayons Are Not Just For Coloring!
Last week we spoke about coloring for children young and old.  It is a relaxing way to spend some time with your children or without. 
Coloring with crayons on the floor, with a paper taped to a wall, or flat on the table are all great ways to work on fine motor control.  When breaking the crayon or using small crayons, such as crayon rocks, you will promote a mature tripod grasp. 
When you are done with the crayons here are some fun activities you can do with them. 
Melted Crayon Art: Take your crayon with the paper off and hold it over a piece of paper.  With a hair dryer, melt the crayon onto the paper. 
More Crayon Art: Glue your crayons on a large canvas or piece of cardboard.  You can keep the wrapper on or peel it off.  After the crayons are glued to canvas, hold a hair dryer over the tip of the crayon. 
Crayon Pick up Sticks: Pile up the crayons and play pick up sticks!  Can you get the purple crayon on the bottom?  The green crayon under the red?  Use spatial directions and colors in directions as you play. 
Toy Truck and Car Art: Take a crayon or two and tape it to the back of the toy car or truck.  Place the car on a piece of paper, Make sure the crayon touches the paper and start driving.  What can you create?

Crayon Melt Art
If pick up sticks doesn't work- just glue them together and make a crayon sculpture. 

Did You Know:
  • The first box of Crayola crayons was made in 1903. It sold for a nickel and included the same basic eight colors available today: red, blue, yellow, green, violet, orange, black, and brown.
  • 40 new colors were then added in 1949 - 46 years later!
  • Binney and Smith, (maker of Crayola products), started in the late 1800s making the red pigment used in paint for American barns and carbon black that Goodrich later added to tires to change the natural white of the rubber to black.
  • Alice Binney gave Crayola its name. Combining the words craie (French for chalk) with the first part of the word oleaginous (the oily paraffin wax) to make the word ‘crayola.
  • March 31st is National Crayon Day.
  • In 1958 the "Big Box of Crayons" had 64 crayons and now a sharpener!

OMG IT'S EARTH DAY! Quick Projects-No Prep, Few Supplies Needed

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It's Earth Day - Wednesday April 22

Here are a few quick projects that need few supplies and prep. Perfect for last minute plans!

Twig Weaving

Tie small twigs together for the loom. Wrap with yarn and weave! Try weaving with different width and textured materials, even paper. Construction paper strips, twisted tissue paper or crepe paper can be colorful and pretty. Wider or thicker material will fill your loom quickly, finishing the project faster. 

Twig Worms: Wrap with pipe cleaners, add a head and now it's a worm!  

Find other Twig Ideas on Pinterest!

Twig Mobile/Picture Hanger:  Instead of hearts- hang beautiful spring flowers. Draw them or cut pictures from ads or magazines. 

Twig Frame: Glue pieces to cardboard frame/square. Add a string on back for hanging.

Bark Covered Frame: Many trees lose bark over the winter. Cut then glue for a rustic look.

Coloring for Adults- on the Today Show!!

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Coloring Fun for Adults and Children

Featured on The Today Show, last Friday was a segment on coloring for adults.  Detailed, beautiful drawings in adult coloring books.  Click flowers on the right to watch. 

Coloring is an activity for all ages.  It can be fun and calming.  Spark creativity using your crayons. 

Color in all different positions; with your paper taped to the wall or door, color on the floor while laying on your stomach, color while kneeling at the table, or color while sitting at the table. 

Color with colored pencils, markers, crayons! And there are so many choices of each- short, long, fat, skinny, triangular.  So many to pick from!  The short broken crayons are the best for promoting a tripod grasp in those little hands. 

 

Awesome Coloring Products

Better Bumpy Coloring Books: Each page has a coloring picture with raised line boundaries, provides tactile input, increased visual boundary, and helps with poor coordaintion.  Item #W5720

 

Choose a Line Coloring Book: In each set of coloring pages, there are three different lines that make up the drawing.  Allows the progression of hand and arm control.  Item #W4130

 

Color By Dots:  This 40 page book, gives a dot in each section to match and color.  Each page shows what crayons you will need.  Item #W1767

 

 

Better Bumpy Coloring Book

Choose a Line Coloring Book

Color By Dots

Coloring Special

Order any of our coloring items, featured above (coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, and crayon sharpener) from our website and receive 10% off that item.  Place order online by Wednesday April 22, 2015 by midnight.  Enter "Color2015" as the coupon code. 

Thanks Pinterest Friends- Have you Check-out our Pins lately?

Newsletter Compiled by Lisa Walker OTR