National Crayon Day: 6 Crayons to Boost Fine Motor Skills. Use them in order!

Happy National Crayon Day!

Give your child the opportunity to enhance their creativity and fine motor skills through the joy of coloring. We’re excited to share these 6 types of crayons, recommended by POTS occupational therapists!

1. Palm-Grasp Crayons: Egg shape crayons are an excellent first crayon for children who are just starting to explore. They are specially designed to fit easily into a child's palm, allowing them to grip with all of their fingers, while keeping the web space (the space between the thumb and the index finger) open. BUY NOW!

2. Crayon Rocks: We recommend that Rock Crayons be your child's second crayon. Children naturally hold it in the thumb side of their hand—no verbal instructions are needed! Change colors frequently so tiny hand muscles have an opportunity to rest and elicit the highest quality grasp. BUY NOW!

3. Jumbo Crayons: These Jumbo Crayons are the next challenge, as little hands will be tempted to grab the crayon with all 5 fingers. To elicit the best quality grasp, you may need to cut the crayons in half! Don't limit your child to coloring flat on a table or floor. Hang paper on an easel, on the fridge, or wall slightly above eye level to strengthen the whole upper body and nail a solid crayon grasp. BUY NOW!

4. Finger Crayons: When a finger crayon is placed on the index finger the other fingers will often naturally grasp the crayon on the thumb side of the hand in a biomechanically efficient way. If the other fingers do not naturally support the crayon, put it aside for a few weeks and then try again! BUY NOW!

5. Beeswax Jumbo Crayons: These short fat crayons are the perfect next choice to up the challenge, as only 3-4 fingers will fit on the tiny shaft. More control is required to apply just the right amount of pressure to keep a strong enough grip while the crayon moves. BUY NOW!

6. Crayon Stylus: If your child must be on electronics (my bias is showing!) this Crayon Stylus is short and fat (those are good qualities here!) and has a double band near the tip that is a natural place for fingers. Instead of elaborate instructions on how to hold the crayon, just say "fingers on the lines," and your child will grasp as best as they can. This stylus also affords practice in pressure modulation, as your child is challenged to figure how exactly how hard to press (and keep pressing) to make a mark. BUY NOW!