Today is National Crayon Day, so why not check out these colourful facts about one of the world’s greatest and most accessible art supplies. And since today is the birthday of Crayola’s creation, as an added bonus, we’ve got a great recommendation for a super fun road trip to the Crayola Factory that’s fun for the whole family!
Colourful Facts About the History of Crayons
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In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’d also like to highlight the fun fact that the name “Crayola” was coined by Alice Binney herself, and
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The very first crayola crayons were sold door-to-door! Binney & Smith had the brilliant idea to market the products to educators and children of school age. In 1903, they sold their first 8 packages of crayons for one nickel apiece as door-to-door sales.
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The Gold Medal on early Crayola packaging represents Binney & Smith’s prize winning innovation of dustless chalk at the 1904 World’s Fair.
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Early iterations of Crayola Crayons were hand-rolled by employees and families of local farmers for the 1st 40 years of manufacturing! At the time, there were no machines to press on those trademark paper wrappers.
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In 1994, Crayola had released a line of scented crayons called “Magic Scent” but they were removed from the market just one year later after parents expressed anxieties that children may try to eat them. As a result, subsequent crayon scents were changed to create less appetizing smells such as dirt, grass, etc. Yuck!
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According to a study done by Yale exploring the 20 most recognizable scents, Crayons were number 18 on the list.! The scent that you normally associate Crayola wax with in the “unscented” lines is actually a derivative of beef tallow known as stearic acid.
Take a Road Trip to the Crayola Factory in Easton PA
After a year or two of certain exhibits being closed and limited, the Crayola Experience is finally back in business in full swing! Masks are highly recommended still due to high volume of visitors, but they aren’t currently required. Even if you don’t get to see all there is to enjoy at the Crayola Factory on your first trip, we’re sure you’ll have a blast on many return visits. Each month there’s a rotating series of limited workshops, exhibits, and demonstrations that you can book in addition to the year-round experiences. You can even get a meet and greet with your favourite pop culture characters. Make sure you check the calendar before you head out so you don’t miss a thing! It’s never a dull moment! Take a look at all the colourful moments you’ll be able to have on your first trip:
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Play and Create in the Activity Studio
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Experiment in the Adventure Lab
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Take a Selfie with “Big Blue” the Largest Crayon
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Create a family portrait to commemorate the trip
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Enjoy a Meet and Greet with the Crayon Mascots
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Get the sillies out with a romp around the Color Playground
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Take a Tour of the Crayon Factory and see how they’re made
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Mold young minds with Model Magic Madness workshops
Click here to see all that the Crayola Experience has to offer!
