Things that make you go “d’uh!”
This is one of those inventions that you wish you’d thought of.
Dry-erase crayons. How good is that?
No mess, no smell, no drying out. But do they work? This is the best part – they really, really do work well.
The colours are deep and rich, and they write smoothly. Kind of like a cross between crayons and lipstick. Even on paper, which I don’t advise because they smudge, they are vibrant and smooth-writing.
Combine this product with the idea about using a plastic plate as a mini-whiteboard, and you’ve got yourself a fun literacy-building activity. That wipes right off.
The dry-erase crayons come in packs of eight, with an “E-Z Erase Mitt” (in Canada it’s an E-Zed Erase Mitt, which makes no sense but still wipes off just fine) and a built-in crayon sharpener.
I bet it won’t take long before you’re seeing them in classrooms and boardrooms. Fun! Crayola’s selling them here for $5.48 a pack. Incidentally, I just Googled “dry-erase crayons” and found out that Sargent also makes them.
Sorry if this article sounds like a commercial for Crayola. I’m not affiliated with them, I don’t get money from them – heck, I didn’t even get a free box of crayons, just two sample crayons (which everyone at the For the Love of Reading conference also got). I just happen to like this product. Still, the article is a bit gushy. I will try to curb my enthusiasm just a titch in future.
Thanks for sharing this! I love dry-erase markers, but they stain things. I'm very excited about this! Do they work on white boards? I shared your post on twitter.
Thanks for Tweeting my post!
Yes, they work best on white boards. (I should have made that clear in my post – sorry!)
Are they widely available? I know you’re not affiliated with Crayola but if you could let me know where one can purchase them if they’re not widely available that would help me out. Heard about the TKN site today on CBC radio which is how I discovered this site. Love it! Thanks!
Thanks, Gina!
Great to hear that you caught the interview on the CBC.
I’m not sure where you can buy those crayons (Crayola sent me a pack to review) but I know you can get them online here:
http://www.crayolastore.com/product_detail.asp?T1=CRA+98%2D5200&.
I wrote that post awhile ago, so I’d hope that by now Crayola would have them available in stores.
If you find ’em, please let us know!
Cheers,
Joyce