What to Do When a Crayon Breaks? Tips for Little Artists.

My kiddos love to color. And crayons have been a staple in our house since they could hold a grip! Chunky crayons like the rock crayons and gem crayons are perfect for little fingers. While the hexagon shape of the crayons in the crayon library and confetti crayons are perfect for preschoolers! And the giant crazy crayon is just perfect for a ton of projects like rubbing on textured paper.

But my kiddos get discouraged once a crayon breaks apart. As a former teacher, I use to create social stories to help my students learn positive ways to cope with tasks they may face. Social stories are a learning tool to help demonstrate appropriate ways to cope in different social situations.

I created a social story for when a crayon breaks apart. I like to read this story before we start coloring, along with reading it once a crayon breaks apart. For my kiddos, it helps give them a clear visual of what they can do.

We spend time talking about emotions they may feel is the crayon breaks before they finish their artwork. It can be rather discouraging for young children to not have closure on something they have been working on. I found that oversized pencil sharpeners can sharpen the crayons in the crayon library!!

Checkout our printable step-by-step guide for your little artist. (LINK TO PDF HERE)

I would suggest keeping the social story near where you store the crayon clean-up checklist! The crayon clean-up checklist is a great tool to help your kiddos clean up their art supplies independently.

Download the Crayon Cleanup Checklist here!

Simply print off the crayon clean-up checklist. I like to laminate our checklists, so the kids can’t rip it apart or draw all over it while they are cleaning up. Pull out the checklist when your child is ready to clean up.

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Jessica is the founder of The Organized Mama; a professional organizing service and blog that inspires organizing a handmade home!  With a background in teaching, Jessica loves showing families how to live an organized life! She is also a wife to an amazing husband, mother to two kiddos & a fur-baby, crafter, exclamation-mark enthusiast, and lover of creativity. You can find her on all social media channels @organizedmamas and at www.theorganizedmama.com