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Crayola Crayons 64 Box

Crayons 64 Box; made in the USA by Crayola, approx. retail $4.99, recommended ages 3+.

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who can remember life before Crayola crayons.

Who doesn't remember the excitement and emotion of opening that box of crayons, that distinctive smell, and all those bright, beautiful wax points? Which one to use first in your quest to make the world, and often the walls, a more colorful place?

The first Crayola crayons were introduced in 1903 by Edwin Binney and Harold Smith in upstate New York. The pair introduced the first box of eight crayons : black, brown, blue, red, violet, orange, yellow and green. It sold for a nickel. The name, chosen by Edwin's wife, Alice, comes from "craie," the French word for "chalk," and "ola" from "oleaginous."
Then in 1958, there was an explosion of color: a giant box of crayons in 64 striking colors debuted on the Captain Kangaroo show. To top it off, the box came with its own built-in crayon sharpener. Could a child ask for anything more?

The Crayola 64 pack has become such an American icon that, in 1998 it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame and it was given a place of honor in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Its place of honor is somewhere between Dorothy's ruby slippers and Silly Putty.

Over the years, Crayola's color palette has undergone some changes and major growth. Today are 120 colors in all that have been developed for various collections. The 64 pack has undergone only a few special changes. In 1958 Prussian blue became midnight blue, in 1962 the color flesh was changed to peach and in 1991 Indian red became chestnut. In 1990, eight of the original 64 box colors were retired: raw umber, maize, lemon yellow, blue gray, violet blue, orange red, orange yellow and green blue. This was the first time Crayola retired colors completely and it drew some protest. In response RUMPS, the Raw Umber and Maize Preservation Society, was formed. Over the last 50 years, some 200 million Crayola 64 boxes have been sold. That's about 12.8 billion crayons, enough to circle the Earth more than a few times.

Well get your party hat because that big, beautiful box of 64 fantastic colors turns 50 this year. The Big one is getting a makeover for the celebration. In addition to the new color, Courage, a bold red dedicated to the children of St Jude's Research Hospital, eight colors were given new names by nearly 20,000 kids who got the chance to be color experts for Crayola. These kids choice colors reflect the preferences of today's kids and will get a year's run in the 64 box.

1. Giving tree
2. Super happy
3. fun in the sun
4. bear hug
5. happy ever after
6. famous
7. best friends
8. awesome

also see -> Crayola Glow Station

About the Author: Mary Rose is a Mommy, a writer and an early childhood educator who believes in learning through play and the value of good toys.