Crayons come in a variety of colors and types including glow-in-the-dark, glitter, neon, color changing, scented, and even bath tub friendly versions. They are inexpensive, non-toxic, blunt-tipped and washable, making them ideal for young children. They are also convenient for school-age children and have become an essential school supply.

Binney & Smith were the first to manufacturer a child's crayon in 1903. They named their crayon brand Crayola, which was first coined by Edwin Binney's wife Alice Stead Binney. She took the French words craie, meaning chalk, and oleaginous, meaning oily, and combined them.

The first Crayola crayons were sold in a box of eight basic colors and sold for a nickel. In 1949, Crayola added 40 new colors. They continued to add colors over the following decades until in 1998 they had 120 colors in the largest box.

In May of 2000, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reported that three major crayon brands, Crayola, Prang, and Rose Art, contained significant levels of asbestos. This report was found to be false; talc had been mistaken for asbestos.

Some experts say that even if there had been asbestos in the crayons they would not be dangerous because they need to be inhaled to cause any harm. When caked in wax asbestos can not be inhaled. CNN: Crayon makers, government: No evidence of asbestos threat in crayons