# talk to me about color wonder markers



## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

Andy (17 mos) loves drawing. but he eats crayons, colored pencils are too small, & he draws on the walls (and the carpet and the bed and the dresser and himself and me and and and) with markers. I don't want to take away his drawing, so I'm considering getting him Color Wonder markers today. My husband is getting really upset at the marker being all over the apartment, and while I'm a big more laid-back about it (we're going to have to steam-clean & spot-paint ANYWAY), I want to keep the peace.

So are they worth the money? Can you use both sides of the paper? How much extra paper should I get at once, given I'll have him scribble on a page until it's pretty well covered?

Is there a less weird alternative? I have this odd feeling about the CW stuff, like what kind of chemicals are in the markers & papers that make it this way and how is it POSSIBLY non-toxic? Drawing outside isn't an option - we live on one of the busiest streets in Seattle and don't have a yard. Once I start nannying, I'll give regular markers a shot in my employer's yard (until he draws on their dog,







), but he needs an "at home" option, too.

ETA:
We did wind up getting him the CW markers and the first thing he asked for the next day was "paper," which is his way of asking to draw. I would have gotten the aquadoodle, but they didn't have it at fred meyer and I didn't want to make another trip. Our neighbor had a magnadoodle and Andy was totally not interested in it, just wanted to run around with the magnets in his hand. He seems to like the CW markers. The delay doesn't bother him. I'd like more colors, but maybe there's more in the refill pack? The markers we got came bundled with a pad of paper.


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## hubris (Mar 8, 2003)

My 4 y/o loves them, and I feel better about taking them around town, in the car, on airplanes, etc than I would feel about bringing markers that could leave stains on other people's furniture. My main use for CW markers/books/paper is for those times when I need something to really hold his attention, rather than everyday drawing. For that, we use regular Crayola markers (the washable kind). My DS2 is 23 mos old and he loves markers but scribbles on walls and sucks on the markers, etc. Because of that, I only allow him to use the markers at the table, with supervision.

At 17 mos I'm not sure how great the CW markers would be. There is a slight delay between the marker touching the paper and the color appearing and that doesn't seem to work well with really young kids who are just learning what happens when they use a marker. DS2 has *just* started liking the color wonder markers, but he's at the point where he's making purposeful and more controlled scribbles. He still prefers regular markers. As I said, I've just had to control where/when he uses them and make sure they're out of reach the rest of the time. Our walls recently got decorated with "washable" marker, which comes off of hard surfaces and clothing and skin very well, but does NOT wash off walls well. Ugh.

The paper is one-sided and I'm not sure how recylable it is, it feels odd and I don't know the fiber content. I need to look that up. I do think the paper is pricey for toddler art.

My honest suggestion? Just step up the supervision for now and only allow marker use when you can watch his every move. He *will* eventually outgrow the eating and decorating. Washable crayons are another alternative - I've had better luck getting them off of walls than the markers. They dissolve with moisture, though, so look out for drool-covered hands and curious mouths.


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## towsonmama (May 19, 2006)

I agree with PP. I haven't had much luck with the color wonder. When my kids were young enough that they colored on walls, the delay in the cw colors appearing on the paper caused them to lose interest. What about an easel for your ds? That might keep his coloring more focused. I've also taped large sheets of paper to the wall.


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## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hubris* 
Our walls recently got decorated with "washable" marker, which comes off of hard surfaces and clothing and skin very well, but does NOT wash off walls well. Ugh.

Have you tried baby wipes? They come off our walls with baby wipes.

Thanks for the tip about washable crayons, I might try those, too.

I've heard the delay thing about the CW markers elsewhere, but I'm willing to give it a go, esp. since Andy seems to be a bit advanced (drew and A the other day and said "AY!" counts to 3 on his own, etc.).

I have plans for the "art," so it's ok with me if it's not recyclable, since they'll be used for stuff.


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## beana's mommy (Feb 16, 2006)

I've heard the younger ones don't like the color wonder as much because there is a few second delay in the color showing up, but I don't know that from experience.

I guess we're lucky because my dd has not been into drawing all over the walls and furniture or into eating the writing utensils. She LOVES to draw and we have pens, markers, crayons and chalk all out in the open for her at all times (and have since shortly after her b-day). We have all washable stuff, and we've never had a problem getting the Crayola washable markers off of anything, it's always come off with just water.

She has occasionally drawn on things, but, we just emphasize that we only draw on paper and she stops. We always have paper available for her. She has an easel with paper roll in our living room, and a huge pad of paper in her playroom, notepads in the kitchen and random paper in the basement, so it's always within reach! LOL

Another option for drawing is Magna Doodle and Aqua Doodle. We have both of these for our daughter and she LOVES them.

good luck!


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## rzberrymom (Feb 10, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hubris* 
There is a slight delay between the marker touching the paper and the color appearing and that doesn't seem to work well with really young kids who are just learning what happens when they use a marker.

This is exactly what I didn't like about them. DD didn't really get it, since the color doesn't appear right away. It didn't seem so great for a young toddler.


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## adoremybabe (Jun 8, 2006)

We have the color wonder markers for DS 21, mo. and he likes them. He also uses crayons and his magna doodle. He doesn't wander from the paper but........ what about a chalk board? I would love to get one for DS if we had the wall space, although I suppose that you don't really need a wall.


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

My kids love Color Wonders & think that delay thing is cool!


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## alicia622 (May 8, 2005)

We have the color wonder markers and our 20 month old enjoys them. Although he much prefers real markers or pens because he can write on himself with those! Another possibility is a magna doodle- we got a small one for a long car trip and our boy simply LOVES coloring with that and best of all absolutely zero mess.


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## lucky_mia (Mar 13, 2007)

I thought they might be a good choice for my 16 month old crayon eaters. DD bit off the top of the CW marker. I guess they are not read for them yet.


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## momuveight2B (Mar 17, 2006)

We tried some of these and the novelty wore off pretty quick. They dried out fast and we can color through an entire pack of paper in a few minutes. The youngest seemed frustrated that they didn't perform like markers and the older kids liked the "magic" part but were not interested in trying more than a few times. I think it is fun to try once but would not buy again.

What I like better are the magic erase boards that come with a magnetic pencil that is attached to the board and they can color over and over again.

Some moms put butcher paper up on the walls at child height until this novelty wears off.

I have older kids who don't mind going on magic eraser duty so I wait till they outgrow the behavior. That may be indulgent but I can't have a pen/crayon/marker free home because there are too many of us that need them for legitimate uses.


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## towsonmama (May 19, 2006)

I posted earlier and totally forgot how much my kids loved the Aquadoodle. It's completely mess free.


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## jenkuh (Mar 31, 2006)

I like the butcher paper idea for my DD - where do you buy it though? I've never thought to look and can't say I've ever seen it anyway!


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## Sol_Solved (Aug 18, 2005)

Have you thought about chalk? It can be messy but it's very easy to clean and if you get a blackboard you can use it once and again, but they still work just fine on paper. I've even seen chalk markers somewhere.


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## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sol_Solved* 
Have you thought about chalk? It can be messy but it's very easy to clean and if you get a blackboard you can use it once and again, but they still work just fine on paper. I've even seen chalk markers somewhere.

chalk is, apparently, a delicacy in his little toddler world


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## gmvh (Nov 26, 2003)

I've put up a big chalkboard and colored chalk is NOT mess-free. I've had trouble getting it off upholstered furniture and off walls.

I got CW markers for a flight I recently took with my two (30 months at the time) and my biggest frustration was that they couldn't get the caps on and off so they couldn't even begin to be independent with them.

At home we don't do markers. My two still draw on things other than paper so all drawing is limited to the kitchen table since it's a beater surface and needs to be refinished one of these days. An easel is a great idea...

Try going to your local paper and asking for end rolls. They may have just a wee bit of paper on them but usually they're free. Ikea also has easel rolls for $6-ish.

Ah, toddlers and their art!


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## cupofjojo (Mar 29, 2007)

I agree with the aquadoodle. My DS loved to play with that and we had the mat for the floor, and one to take in the car.

We also do a lot with colored pencils. You can get triangular shaped ones that are a little bigger at art stores and such and they work well for little hands.


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## nausicaamom (Feb 8, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *towsonmama* 
I posted earlier and totally forgot how much my kids loved the Aquadoodle. It's completely mess free.

I second the Aqua Doodle - we have the regular one and the mat which goes on the floor. I can give my son the pens that come with it and sponges cut out in shapes to use as stamps and he has a ball. The cool thing about the hand-held one is that it has a drawing surface on both sides so once one side is filled you can flip it over and use the other while it's drying (and they do dry pretty fast).

To offset the Color Wonder cost I buy them at my local AC Moore with their weekly 40% coupon.


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## utopia760 (Feb 7, 2007)

ya know what worked really well for me with my son - an easle- he thought it was so cool he colored while i did the dishes! another option is color outside my son loved that too. or skip markers for now. use crans washable paints, and oil pastels and only allow him to color at the kitchen table. just a suggestion


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## Ducky5306 (Jul 2, 2006)

My DS is only 1 but he loves to color (on the walls









I got him an Aqua Doodle and he loves it and since the marker is just filled with water he can't color the walls







but i do wonder what the mat is made of? hmmmmm


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## AmieV (Mar 31, 2005)

I really hate Color Wonder. The ones we got came with books and you could only color INSIDE the lines. My DD is pretty dang smart too and the delay still pisses her off (she says "Oh! Broken" and tosses it aside.







). Heck, it irritates me because you can't tell what you're drawing till 3 seconds later. I don't know why but I just feel like that's not good for them...doesn't teach much about cause and effect. And fundamentally, I want my kids to learn that markers make marks, and we don't draw on the furniture or walls. My best friend's niece has only ever had CW and doesn't even understand that marker can mark things other than CW paper. But admittedly, my DD never did that very much so it's easy for me to say.

What about window paints? Other than that I would just closely supervise the coloring and draw along with him and keep redirecting to the paper. He's smart enough that it may take a few days but if you keep on it, he'll stop drawing on the other stuff.


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## jenmk (Apr 28, 2005)

I never liked the CW markers or finger paint stuff. (And people keep giving those to us so I have to donate them somewhere.)

My kids love the magnadoodle and aquadoodle stuff. They LOVE to draw, and cannot make a mess with these. It's great. I highly recommend!!


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## AAK (Aug 12, 2004)

I haven't read all the posts but here are my thoughts. . .

The delay in color wonder is too great for a 17 month old. Also, with my kids it sorta made them think it was OK to color anywhere and everywhere.

We use the washable markers by CRAYOLA--why am I loyal to crayola???? Because I have always been able to get them off of everything. Walls, clothes, hands, etc. They also have washable crayons.

If you get non-washable crayon on your wall, use a bit of WD-40 and wipe off. (I think that is chemically based so if that concerns you don't use it) You will need to wash a second time with some liquid soap to get the oil look off.

For my 15 month old, I tape a piece of paper to the high chair tray and let her color/paint or whatever while she is in it. She also is given food for finger paint--that way she can eat without worry.

Enjoy!

Amy


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...hlight=crayola


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *towsonmama* 
I agree with PP. I haven't had much luck with the color wonder. When my kids were young enough that they colored on walls, the delay in the cw colors appearing on the paper caused them to lose interest. What about an easel for your ds? That might keep his coloring more focused. I've also taped large sheets of paper to the wall.

Rachel likes cw. She's 22 motnhs. I forget when I started her on it. It is great for when I am at work, (I can't risk having her colour on the walls there) and in church & stuff. She mostly uses crayons though. I like the big washable ones, altho I often can't get them, so she has the regular washable ones too. I have washable markers as well, but she just colours on herself.

So, I think cw is great at times, but not good as the only way they colour. With the delay, and the way the colouring books work, it doesn't really teach them how to colour.

Oh, Rachel loves cw finger paint too, but I worry about what's in it, what with her getting it all over herself, so I limit how much she uses it.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *towsonmama* 
I posted earlier and totally forgot how much my kids loved the Aquadoodle. It's completely mess free.

I don't know what aquadoodle is, but I"m off to ggogle it, and hope it's ok for under 3's.


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## Cardinal (Feb 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rzberrymom* 
This is exactly what I didn't like about them. DD didn't really get it, since the color doesn't appear right away. It didn't seem so great for a young toddler.

agreed.


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## beana's mommy (Feb 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ducky5306* 
My DS is only 1 but he loves to color (on the walls









I got him an Aqua Doodle and he loves it and since the marker is just filled with water he can't color the walls







but i do wonder what the mat is made of? hmmmmm

I think it's just a piece of fabric with some colored vinyl underneath.


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## An American Abroad (Feb 25, 2007)

My 30MO thinks the color wonder marker stuff is OK, but it doesn't hold her attention for too long.

The Aquadoodle on the other hand is a hit, she can do that for up to 20 minutes without making a peep. We have the Sesame Street/Elmo travel books from Target - it's a spiral bound 3 page book (just paper, specially treated) and a little pen that holds water. The colors appear when you get them wet and they disappear when it dries, so you can use them over and over again. Brilliant!

All the other toddlers we come in contact with (and some of the adults) find this entrancing too.

Darn, I can't find them online ANYWHERE, but I just bought them at Target in March when I was home.


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

Thanks to this thread I bought an Aquadoodle mat & pen yesterday. Rachel LOVES it. So a huge thanks form us to everyone who raved about it here!!


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## lava (May 5, 2007)

Do you have carpet? If it's light colored and short/tight nap carpet, sidewalk chalk will vacuum up easily <G>. Dh got our dd doing that at our old house--it worked anyway. Or is there an enclosed porch or something like that he could do that in? Or put him in his highchair to draw? My now 7YO dd was drawing on her own (not on other things but paper) at like 9 months...but my now 2YO ds still isn't trustworthy with anything that writes unless closely supervised--maybe it's a boy thing <G>.
-lava


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## fortunecookie (Mar 20, 2007)

My son like his color wonder stuff. He didn't totally get it at first with the delay. But, I told him to count to three and magic would happen. Now he scribbles, stops and waits for the magic to happen.


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## ChelseaG (Oct 29, 2004)

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this (haven't read all the replies) - but we had some color wonder markers and DD drew on our wall with them - now there is a shiny kind of mark there - not any color - but they definitely left a mark that won't come off... It is not too visible - but in the right light you can definitely see it....


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## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lava* 
Do you have carpet? If it's light colored and short/tight nap carpet, sidewalk chalk will vacuum up easily <G>. Dh got our dd doing that at our old house--it worked anyway. Or is there an enclosed porch or something like that he could do that in? Or put him in his highchair to draw? My now 7YO dd was drawing on her own (not on other things but paper) at like 9 months...but my now 2YO ds still isn't trustworthy with anything that writes unless closely supervised--maybe it's a boy thing <G>.
-lava

No enclosed porch, he doesn't tolerate the high chair anymore (MUST sit on a big chair to eat meals!), and is very very strong-willed in addition to being precocious.

We did wind up getting him the CW markers and the first thing he asked for the next day was "paper," which is his way of asking to draw.


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## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ChelseaG* 
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this (haven't read all the replies) - but we had some color wonder markers and DD drew on our wall with them - now there is a shiny kind of mark there - not any color - but they definitely left a mark that won't come off... It is not too visible - but in the right light you can definitely see it....

If you call 1800crayola, they'll give you stain removal advice.
We did wind up getting him the CW markers and the first thing he asked for the next day was "paper," which is his way of asking to draw. On the package it says that it might leave color on finished or unfinished wood and a clear mark on walls, but if you can't get it off to call the toll-free number.


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