Crayons, pencils, sketch pens or paints?

The stationery shop offers a wall of choices. For colouring pages you need only one or two of them, and the right one depends on the child's age and the size of the spaces in the picture. No brand is recommended here; the type matters more than the name on the box.

Wax crayons

Best for: ages two to five, and large spaces.

The classic first tool. Thick or "jumbo" crayons suit a small fist and do not snap easily. Wax is forgiving: it does not smudge, stain or dry out, and it works on any paper. Its weakness is fine detail; a blunt crayon cannot colour a small circle neatly.

Tip: peel the paper off a broken crayon and use its side to shade a sky or a field in seconds.

Oil pastels

Best for: ages four and up, bold and bright pictures.

Softer and brighter than wax crayons, and they blend: yellow rubbed over red makes orange. They cover large areas fast. They also smudge onto hands, sleeves and the next page, so put newspaper under the work and a sheet of paper under the colouring hand.

Colour pencils

Best for: ages four or five and up, medium and small spaces.

Pencils give control. They sharpen to a point for small parts, and pressure changes the shade from pale to deep. They are clean and quiet, good for travel and for classrooms. They are slow on large areas, and a child under four may not press hard enough to enjoy them. Triangular pencils are easier to hold correctly than round ones.

Sketch pens (felt-tip pens)

Best for: ages five and up, crisp bright colour.

The colour is strong and even, with no pressing needed. That is their charm and their risk: one touch outside the line is permanent, and the ink can pass through thin paper to the table. Choose washable ones for younger children. Caps must go back on, or the pens dry out within a day. Caps are also small enough to be a choking risk for the under-threes in the house.

Water colours and poster colours

Best for: ages five and up with help; pictures with large, simple spaces.

Paint needs thicker paper than a home printer normally uses. Paste the printed page onto chart paper first, or print on drawing paper. Use a thick brush for big areas and let one colour dry before painting the one beside it. Pictures with small parts, such as the mandala, are frustrating to paint.

A simple plan by age

2 to 3 years: six to eight thick wax crayons. Nothing else.
4 years: a box of twelve wax crayons or oil pastels; a few colour pencils to try.
5 to 6 years: colour pencils as the main tool; sketch pens for outlines and small parts.
7 and above: pencils, sketch pens and paint, and the freedom to mix them in one picture.

Safety

Look for the words "non-toxic" on the box and for an age mark. Materials sold for children normally carry both.
Small pieces, caps and broken crayon ends are a choking risk for children under three. Stay with them while they colour.
Scented crayons and pens invite tasting. Plain ones are better for the youngest.
Wash hands after oil pastels and paint, before eating.

Looking after them

A flat tin or a pencil pouch keeps a set together better than the cardboard box it came in. Sharpen colour pencils gently; the soft lead breaks inside the wood if the pencil is dropped often. Broken wax crayons are not waste: the short ends are easier for small fingers than a full-length crayon.

And on the screen

Each picture on this site can also be coloured with a tap. This is useful when there is no table, no crayons or no printer. It does not train the hand the way a crayon does, so treat it as an extra, not as a replacement for paper.