Remember the world that Harold created with just a purple crayon? The classic children’s book, by author Crockett Johnson, tells the story of one boy who heads out for walk armed with a purple crayon. He doesn’t see the moon shining, so the purple crayon creates one. From there, it’s dragons and boats and finally, back home again. Imagine the world you can create with Crayola’s 120-count box of crayons.
A bit of history – crayons, at least from an American history perspective, came about in the late 18th century and the “Crayola” came to be when Alice Stead Binney, the wife of the inventor of the Crayola brand of crayon, combined two words to come up with the name. She combined the French word for chalk, “craie,” with the “ole” part of the name of the paraffin wax used to make crayons, oleaginous, and et voila, the Crayola was born.
National Crayon Day is celebrated every year on March 31, but whenever you’ve got the time, enjoy one of these Crayola Experiences near our colorful campgrounds. And, since the smell of crayons is the 18th most recognizable smell for adults in the US, you can just imagine all the feels you may get when you visit these Crayola locations.
Orlando, Florida: The Silly Selfies experience here lets you make a digital mask that can be animated and then you can see your colorful self in a variety of ways – like under the sea, as a pirate, or even a crazy parrot. There are 6,000 different combinations to try. On display here is the world’s largest crayon – bluetiful – which weighs 1,352 pounds and is over 15 feet long. Bluetiful, by the way, is Crayola’s newest color, introduced in 2017.
Easton, Pennsylvania: Of course, the place where the Crayola Experience began has the show that details how crayons are made and even has a Crayonologist on hand to provide fun facts and explain what makes crayons so special. The newest exhibit here, Outside the Box, reveals the story behind some of Crayola’s popular products that go beyond the box of crayons.
Plano, Texas: Step into the photo booth with the whole family and in no time, you’ll find yourselves captured as a coloring page. If melting crayons was your thing, you might enjoy the Melt & Mold attraction here which lets you melt some wax and then color your own masterpiece. The Cool Moves experience has Crayola’s character crayon, Tip, mimicking your every move!
All Crayola Experience locations have a Crayola Store where you can customize your own pack of crayons and purchase the much-coveted 2-pound personalized crayon! To see hours and more information, visit crayolaexperience.com.
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