Melissa and Doug Triangular Crayons

I love to color and do all kinds of artsy-craftsy type projects with kids, but I also think it’s important to use that time to teach. When kids are having fun, sneaking in a lesson or two can be beneficial!

The two children I nanny for are both 6 (yep, twins!). When they were in pre-school and learning to write their names, both had issues holding writing utensils correctly. This is a common problem, and often takes a while to fix. One day as I was coloring at school with J, his teacher commented on the crayons we were using.

 They were by Melissa & Doug and they were triangular shaped. I mentioned how “cool” they looked, but she went on to explain how wonderful these little beauties are.

You see, his teacher was a special needs teacher. She has children in her class with many different special needs, and she works (along with two wonderful aides) to ready these children for mainstream classes.

She purchased these crayons because triangular shapes promote the right hand posture for writing! Sure enough, when J picked up his crayon with his “crocodile grip” he held in that position, when normally he would eventually go into a fist-grasp.

I can’t tell you how impressed I was! These crayons- while fun-are so helpful to head in the right direction to write!

Here’s how the company describes these awesome crayons:

“With bold colors and an ingenious, triangular shape, these crayons are made of plastic, not wax, for additional durability. With their easy to grasp design, they won’t roll away! This 12-color assortment comes in a sturdy, plastic, flip-top case. The unique shape will help develop the preferred grip for later writing skills.”

You can find them HERE

But make sure you cruise around Melissa & Doug’s website. So many of their products are learning-based and wonderful!

*I was not compensated for this post. I LOVE Melissa & Doug’s Crayons!