however, it's true! these soy-based crayons far exceeded my expectations! i purchased them only because they looked fun and i like to provide my four year old with new and interesting materials in his art supplies from time to time (okay, and because i wanted to try them, myself.)
little did i know that an added benefit of these pebble-shaped wonders would encourage proper hand positioning. take for example the way pea holds a regular pencil:
i've never quite seen another child do this before and it baffles me. i don't like to correct or redirect too much when it comes to creative spark (for as much as i kindled said spark in my oldest, i also think i hindered it a few times too many) but i find myself showing pea how to properly hold writing instruments like an old schoolmarm - and when that lasts all of 3.6 seconds i then resort to showing him how to utilize the more common toddler fist grip. but still he manages to set the pencil or crayon down, pick it up in his preferred manner and scribble, thumb down.
when i first presented the crayon rocks to pea i had no idea what to expect. he immediately picked one up and began to draw in a much more natural position - a la - the tripod grip!
he also drew, for the very first time, something that didn't just resemble lines on a page but his very first, bona fide person! i was beyond ecstatic since bean, my fourteen year old boy wonder, has been drawing extensive characters and buildings since he was two and i've just sort of been waiting for pea to draw something, anything, that i could easily identify.
he even started to just sort of let loose and experiment with the medium, which was great...there's something about crayola crayons that i will always love, but that i will also find limiting to the imagination. crayon rocks solve that issue and pea created a rainbow cave, completely unprompted, that had the waldorf in me beaming with joy (even if it's completely un-waldorf to say that).
all in all, i'd say that crayon rocks are an invaluable tool for little artists because of the fine motor skills, as well as the creative process, that they promote. i had initial concerns about the soy base causing allergic or sensitivity issues, with sprout, my youngest - but i don't think it's a real issue to be had as i let him eat one and he was fine. joke. that was a joke. because he is so young still, i don't actually know if such a product will be a problem in the future - he seems to be outgrowing his soy/legume sensitivities so it may not be something i even have to think about as he gets older but, from what i know, people with severe soy allergies should avoid non-food products containing soy such as candles, soaps, and yup. crayons.
as far as the quality of the crayon rocks as an implementation of artful representation (how was that for a mouthful of nonsense?) again, i think they rock! ha! i really thought they might produce inconsistent, shoddy markings similar to those made by restaurant crayons but no, these babies are worthy of being on every serious (and not-so-serious) artist's table and i fully intend on buying a larger stash for such purposes.
stay tuned for the Very First Blessed Boy Mama giveaway and some awesome stroller reviews this week!
