Crayola crayons have always been an affordable and much loved gift and this year Black Friday shoppers who head to Toys R Us will get a free box of the famous crayons. The Toys R Us Black Friday flyer states that the toy retailer will give out 250,000 free boxes of 64-count Crayola Crayons with any purchase on Black Friday.
Even if you don't get a free box of Crayola Crayons at the Toys R Us Black Friday sale, they are likely the most affordable gift you can buy for children this holiday season. There is nothing like a gift of creativity for a child and Crayola Crayons are the classic, yet inexpensive, gift for children of all ages.
"Value has taken on a deeper meaning for consumers this holiday season, one that extends beyond dollars and cents," says Mike Perry, Crayola President and CEO. "It`s also about the developmental value of powering a child`s imagination, while providing endless everyday play at an affordable price."
Crayola Crayons is currently a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards known as Crayola LLC.
The name "Crayola" means oily chalk
In 1903, the company produced its most famous innovation—the first brightly-colored child-friendly crayons, which it sold under the brand name "Crayola." The Crayola name was coined by Alice Binney, wife of company founder Edwin and a former school teacher. It comes from "craie," the French word for "chalk," and "ola," for "oleaginous," or "oily." The crayons that had existed previously were toxic and either too expensive for general use or dull in color and produced for industrial uses such as marking shipping crates.
Crayola started with just 8 crayon colors
Binney & Smith first produced Crayola crayons in 1903, there were just eight colors. By 1949 there were 48 colors. In 1958 the number of colors increased to 64. Eight fluorescent colors were introduced in 1972, increasing the total number of colors to 72. In 1990 the total increased to 80 colors with the introduction of 16 new colors and the discontinuation of eight colors.
The number of available Crayola crayon colors was increased to 96 in 1993 and to 120 in 1998, though with thirteen crayons being retired along the way, the grand total of colors is 133. Along with the regular packs of crayons, there have been many specialty sets, including Silver Swirls, Gem Tones, Pearl Brite, Metallic FX, Magic Scent, Silly Scents, and more.
Retired Crayola colors
In 1990, eight Crayola crayon colors– Maize, Raw Umber, Lemon Yellow, Blue Gray, Orange Yellow, Orange Red, Green Blue and Violet Blue– were retired into the Crayola Hall of Fame in Easton, Pennsylvania.
In 2003, four more Crayola crayon colors– Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, Mulberry and Teal Blue– are retired into the Crayola Hall of Fame, but are replaced by four new colors– Inch Worm, Jazzberry Jam, Mango Tango and Wild Blue Yonder.
Parents who want give their children much more than a present can give them the gift of creativity that will inspire their imaginations well into the new year by putting a box of Crayola crayons under the tree.
Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com
sources: Crayola, Business Wire
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