Coloring is an awesome activity for children.  It helps with fine motor skills and sparks creativity.  Abby LOVES to draw.  Gabe on the other hand LOVES to peel off the crayon wrapper and break it in half.  I’ll cut him a break, he’s two 🙂  I noticed when he broke it in half, he would have colored wax residue on his hands and it took some scrubbing to come off.  The most popular of all crayons out there is the Crayola brand.  On their website, they state that their formula is proprietary so they can’t disclose every ingredient.  However, they list that their crayons are free from most the the common allergens such as:

Peanuts
Tree Nuts
Eggs & Egg Shell
Milk
Casein
Whey
Nut & Nut Oil
Sesame & Sesame Oil
Fish/Shellfish
D&C Red Dye #40

I noticed only Red Dye #40 is omitted from their manufacturing process.  Most of these common allergens on this list would be absent in the manufacturing of crayons anyway since crayons are made of wax.   A recent report found that asbestos was found in children toys and some brands of crayons.  If inhaled, asbestos fibers can irritate lung tissues.  When exposure is extreme, asbestos can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Even though the report found asbestos in crayons, I imagine that it is in small amounts…but keep in mind your little ones lung development and, if your children already have sensitivities like mine, it wouldn’t hurt to choose crayons made of natural and non-toxic materials.   Conventional crayons like the crayola brand could be made with chemical additives and dyes.

Here’s a list of the for eco-friendly and non-toxic crayons.