Crayons, markers or colored pencils: what to give a toddler
Thick wax crayons are the best place to start. They leave a visible mark without much pressure and are easy to hold. Washable markers can come later, and colored pencils later still, as the movements of the hand become more precise.
The choice matters more than it looks, because at this age the tool decides whether the child sees a result. A child who presses hard and gets a faint line concludes that nothing is happening and stops. Everything below follows from that one fact.
Thick wax crayons suit first sessions for several reasons. They leave a visible mark with almost no pressure, they are comfortable to hold in the whole hand, they have no sharp point to catch the paper. Together that makes them a convenient first tool for drawing.
Markers give the brightest result and children love them for exactly that reason. The cost is that they mark the table, clothes and skin far more readily than crayons. Washable markers solve most of that.
Colored pencils call for a more precise finger grip and steadier pressure. Young children often find them harder to use than thick crayons. They are worth trying later, once the movements of the hand are more precise and the child wants to color smaller areas.
A few smaller details are worth knowing. Thick triangular crayons sit comfortably in the hand and help a child grow used to a more precise grip over time. A left handed child needs no special tools, but a drawing placed in the middle of the sheet is usually more comfortable, since the hand covers less of the picture while working.
Questions parents ask
Are washable markers safe for a two year old?
For young children, choose washable markers labelled non-toxic. They come off skin, clothes and many surfaces more easily. Watch the caps as well: small parts should stay out of a child's reach.
My child holds the crayon in a fist. Should I correct it?
No. Holding the crayon in the whole hand is completely normal in the early years. There is no need to move a child's fingers by force: the way the crayon is held changes gradually as the movements of the hand develop. Thick or triangular crayons can make the grip more comfortable without any special exercises.
What about paint at this age?
Yes, paint suits young children too, but it is a somewhat different kind of activity. It lets a child experiment with color, mixing and spreading paint over a surface, while coloring with crayons or pencils has more to do with guiding the movements of the hand. The two go well together.
Where this fits in development
- Controlled scribblingabout 18 months to 2 years. Scribbles without being shown first, and can copy a line someone else draws
If you were looking for an age instead
- Coloring pages for a 2 year old: what suits and what to expectA large recognizable subject, an outline that is still thick, and two or three parts inside the shape. What changes at two, and what does not change yet.
We publish one coloring book for this age: 111 drawings, thick outlines, one on every page.About the book
Read next
- Coloring with a toddler without the messMost of the mess around coloring can be reduced in three simple ways: choose suitable materials, give the child a large ...
- How long will a toddler actually sit and color?Two or three minutes may be enough at the very beginning. At around two the interest in one page often lasts about five ...
- Types of coloring books for toddlers: traditional, reusable, water-reveal and mess-freeFor a child who is just beginning to draw, a traditional paper coloring book with thick outlines is usually the best pla...
Where the developmental facts come from
Ages on this site are typical ranges, not deadlines. Children reach these points at their own pace, and a few months either way is ordinary.
- Learn the Signs. Act Early.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Hand and Finger Skills: 2 Year OldsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org
- Developmental MilestonesStatPearls, National Library of Medicine
- Developmental Milestones: Fine Motor and Visual Motor SkillsChildren's Hospital of Orange County