Let's Celebrate National Crayon Day with Special Activities, Books, a Choice Board and Collections by Destiny

It's so much fun celebrating special events throughout the year with our students in the library, classrooms and even while learning at home. There are many events coming up over the next few months and one that we are most excited about is National Crayon Day!

As shared online:
Each year, on March 31st children and adults alike, pick up their favorite colors for National Crayon Day. Opening up a box of crayons opens up a world of imagination and hours of fun. Wax and chalk-based crayons have been used by artists around the world for centuries.

We can't wait to celebrate and this year we plan to make it a celebration for our entire school community, preschool to 12th grade. 

As we get ready for National Crayon Day, one of my favorite ways to celebrate special events, and for our students to learn about these topics, is through books.  

I have gathered together a wonderful collection that I can't wait to share with our students and teachers as we celebrate National Crayon Day and creativity.  And being a preschool to 12th grade school community, it's fun to share picture books and nonfiction with all of them in fun and engaging ways. 

Our friends at Follett even put together a list in special Crayon Day Titlewave Booklist for all of us to use.  I found lots of great new ones to add to our collection from this list. 

One of my new favorites is “The Crayon Man...The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons.” When I look for new titles on Titlewave, I love it when I see Free Teaching Resources available for download. The one included in Titlewave with The Crayon Man is amazing! 

It's 27 pages of ideas, resources, activities and more for teachers, librarians, families and of course, our kids. 
 

You will find The Crayon Man and other amazing titles in the Crayon Day Titlewave Booklist. 
  
And remember, Titlewave is perfect for teachers, too.  With so many great ideas and resources, it's a wonderful teacher tool and one that can be used while planning and collaborating too. 

EVERYONE can sign up for Titlewave here. 

I also created a choice board, Let's Celebrate National Crayon Day. 

You will find the Let's Celebrate National Crayon Day Choice Board link to share with your students here.  If you would like to make changes, you can make a copy here.

It is filled with lots of fun resources and interactive activities for all learners. I love this one from KidLitTV, Read Out Loud of The Crayon Man. It includes activities, too. 

You will find them here on the KidLitTV site.

I used Collections by Destiny® to create a collection of Crayon Activities, Resources and Fun For National Crayon Day that you will find here. 

With tons of science, craft and STEM ideas and projects, I have been collaborating with our teachers and students on how we will celebrate at our school. 

One thing we are doing (and several weeks early to give families time) is collecting used crayons. I used this little graphic on social media and in our online newsletters.  Teachers also printed it off and sent it home with students. 
 

It's been so much fun watching them bring in their used crayons and even more fun seeing what they create! 

There is a lot more to come on what is happening at our school.  You can catch these ideas on the March 10, 2021 episode of Teachers Ask: New Ways to Use Old Crayons.  

I can't wait to share ideas with all of you in this Crayola Education Facebook Event. You can join us here. 
 

This year, more than ever, our students, teachers and school communities need chances to be creative, innovative and have fun.  No matter where students are, at school or at home, Crayon Day is a special way to kick off creativity all throughout the year. 
 

SHANNON MCCLINTOCK MILLER
Director of Innovation of Instructional Technology and Library Media
Van Meter School

Shannon McClintock Miller is the Future Ready Librarians and Project Connect Spokesperson working with librarians, educators and students around the world every day as an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children. Shannon brings a special expertise and vision to conversations around school libraries, education, technology, creativity and student voice.

Follow her blog for more ideas and inspiration.