Crayola Crayons were invented by Binney & Smith in 1902 and first offered for sale in 1903. Alice (Stead) Binney, a school teacher and wife of co-founder Edwin Binney, suggested the company manufacture an inexpensive alternative to imported crayons of that era. The trade name Crayola was coined by Mrs.

Cherished by generations of children, Crayola Crayons were invented in 1903 by cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith, founders of the Binney & Smith Co. of Easton, Pa. The company used paraffin wax and nontoxic pigments to produce a coloring stick that was safe, sturdy and affordable.

The company was founded as Binney & Smith Company by cousins Edwin Binney and Charles Harold Smith in New York City in 1885.

Contemporary crayons are purported to have originated in Europe, where some of the first cylinder shaped crayons were made with charcoal and oil. Pastels are an art medium sharing roots with the modern crayon and date back to Leonardo da Vinci in 1495.

At Crayola, our purpose is to help parents and educators raise creatively-alive kids. We want to help kids ask those “what if?” questions that keep them curious.

9 Fun and Colourful Facts about Crayons

• Crayola makes 3 billion crayons a year.
• That familiar smell is the 18th most familiar scent for adults in the USA.
• In 1962 Crayola changed the name of their “Flesh” crayon to “Peach”
• For their first 40 years in business Crayola employees had to hand roll the labels.

Crayola Crayon Known for the iconic Crayola Crayon first introduced in 1903, the Crayola brand has expanded into a portfolio of art tools, crafting activities and creativity toys that offer children innovative ways to use color to create everything imaginable.

The wife of the founder of our company, Alice (Stead) Binney, coined the name CRAYOLA Crayons. The name comes from "craie", the French word for chalk, and "ola" from oleaginous. This has been our trademark name since 1903 when our company was founded and remains one of the most important pieces of our heritage.

crayon, an implement for drawing made from clay, chalk, graphite, dry colour, and wax. There are two types of crayons: the colouring crayon and the chalk crayon. The colouring crayon, or wax crayon, is the one used by most children in making pictures, but artists also use it.

a pointed stick or pencil of colored clay, chalk, wax, etc., used for drawing or coloring. a drawing in crayons.

At Crayola, we believe creatively-alive kids grow into inspired adults who, in turn, have the ability to inspire the world. That's why we strive to create products that allow children to fully and authentically represent themselves and the world around them through creativity and self-expression.

Known for the iconic Crayola Crayon first introduced in 1903, the Crayola brand has expanded into a portfolio of art tools, crafting activities and creativity toys that offer children innovative ways to use color to create everything imaginable.