Crayola Dazzles Kids With Colorful New Activities That Inspire Fun and Creativity

EASTON, Pa., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Crayola, the brand that gives children innovative tools that transform their imagination into colorful, visible form, is set to unveil its 2012 line up of unique creative play activities and art tools at the American International Toy Fair in New York City, Feb. 12-15, Room 1-E01.

Featuring innovative, digital activities and new tools that inspire originality, kids can bring their colorful ideas to life by drawing with colored LEDs and animating their art. A new line of art tools specially designed for little hands is making its debut at the show. Crayola is also taking coloring high-tech with customizable coloring books that incorporate recordable sound technology and new kid-friendly iPad and iPhone apps.

"At Crayola, we strongly believe in celebrating the originality of kids with entirely new ways to create, so they can share their original ideas," said Mike Perry, president and chief executive officer, Crayola LLC. "We feel very good about the new, innovative tools and activities we've developed for 2012 that let kids create in break though ways."

Crayola's 2012 line up of creative activities includes: The revolutionary, new Crayola Digital Light Designer. Using a light pen on a 360-degree domed drawing surface, kids can create with colored, LED lights. Three different modes lets kids create dynamic free-hand drawings with special effects, amazing animations and have hours of fun with interactive drawing apps and activities. Kids can save up to 50 of their original masterpieces in the gallery, so they can replay or edit their creations and set them in motion with cool animated effects. For children 6 and up; suggested retail price is $49.99. Available in September.

The new My First Crayola line is designed for little hands and includes three ways for children as young as 12 months to create with art tools, mess-free art activities and creative activities, featuring Crayola Dry-Erase crayons and music.  Each age and developmentally-appropriate My First Crayola art product lets parents introduce their children to art activities at a much younger age and nurture the development of important skills.  Art tools, including My First Crayola Washable Crayons, Markers and Stampers are just the right size and shape for a toddler's little hands. With rounded holders in animal characters shaped for a palm grip, children can easily and age-appropriately create their first colorful marks. With My First Crayola Mess-Free Finger Painting, toddlers can create with brilliant colors, without the mess! The clear paint instantly reveals colorful and fun patterns, so toddlers can create their first paintings. For children 12 months and up; available now in stores from $4.99 to $9.99.

Crayola is taking storytelling to new heights with recordable technology. With the all-new Crayola Recordable Story Creator: Disney Princesses and Crayola Recordable Story Creator: Star Wars, kids can create their own interactive storybook with sound, staring themselves and their favorite characters. A special code in each pack unlocks a web app at Crayola.com and lets children easily transform their photos into a customizable cartoon character that stars either in a fairy tale with the Disney Princesses, or in an adventure with Star Wars characters. A recordable storybook binder allows kids to record their voices and add fun sound effects like a magic wand effect, giggles, light sabers, droid sounds and of course Chewie's signature roar to enhance their stories. Kids can print and color up to six different stories that bind together with a glossy cover and also print unlimited coloring pages. For kids 6 and up; suggested retail price is $24.99. Available in September.

New for Spring, a special code found in Crayola Story Studio: Barbie and Story Studio: Star Wars lets kids unlock the Story Studio web application on Crayola.com and transform themselves into a character that stars with Barbie in a story or in an adventure with Star Wars characters! The kit includes all of the materials kids need to create six custom story books -- just print, color and bind story pages together.  For kids 6 and up; suggested retail price for each kit is $9.99.

Crayola is also creating unique digital experiences through colorful kid-friendly apps, created with partner Griffin Technology. With the Crayola Lights, Camera, Color! HD app, kids can turn photos taken on an iOS device into personalized digital coloring pages, where the color is drained from the picture, allowing kids to unleash their creativity and decorate the coloring page digitally.  The Silly Face Swaps HD allows children to add their face to a coloring page, which can then be further personalized by coloring it in with digital Crayola coloring tools.  For children 3 and up; suggested retail price is $1.99 in the iTunes app store.

Crayola is helping kids create sidewalk art in amazing new ways - with awesome 3D and kaleidoscope effects! With Crayola's 3D Kaleidoscope Giant Chalk, kids simply draw designs on the sidewalk, put on the 3D kaleidoscope glasses and watch as their creations pop off the ground and become a unique twirling design right before their eyes.

Also new to Crayola's outdoor line up is the Glow Sand Ball.  A fun twilight activity, kids simply fill the clear ball with Crayola Glow Sand, shake to activate the glow and then let the good, glowing ball games begin. For children 4 and up and 6 and up; suggested retail price is $9.99 and $4.99.

Kids can create magical masterpieces with Mess-Free Color Wonder Glow Murals. Just color the murals with clear colorless markers and watch the vibrant colors magically appear, bringing fun, glow in the dark creatures to life.  Kids can enjoy their new glowing creations over and over again as the glow-effect recharges in the light. Moms can relax knowing that the Mess Free Color Wonder markers will only appear on the special Color Wonder paper -- not on skin, clothing, walls or furniture. For kids 3 and up; suggested retail price is $9.99.

With over 10 feet of paper, the compact Mess-Free Color Wonder Tiny Tube lets kids tear off a perforated activity page for magical, mess-free coloring fun at home or on the road.  The tube fits in the cup holder of a car, making it a perfect on-the-go activity.  Adhesive-backing allows paper to stay in place while coloring so kids can easily create anything they can imagine, and moms don't have to worry about the mess! For kids 3 and up; suggested retail price is $6.99.

Crayola is adding wonder and imagination to baking with the all-new Dream Bakery line. Girls can pretend they are pastry chefs, creating treats that look sweet enough to eat with Crayola Model Magic Dream Bakery Petite Treats. Easy-to-use tools, different colored Model Magic and fun bakery accessories including playful icings, sprinkles and glazes allow girls to create and decorate a variety of yummy-looking treats. The treats and cakes will air dry and won't crumble with Crayola Model Magic, a soft, easy-to-manipulate, non-crumbling modeling material. For children 6 and up; suggested retail price is $9.99.

From the brand that introduced the first dry-erase drawing tools for kids, Crayola is taking dry-erase to the next level with Dry-Erase Washable Markers. Available in bright, bold colors, kids can brighten up any dry-erase surface with dazzling drawings and wildly colorful writing.  Since the colors easily wipe off dry-erase surfaces, kids can create, erase and create again. Because they're washable, color will wash off skin and clothing.

For more information, please visit Crayola's Toy Fair online press kit at http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/kit/ap7t

SOURCE Crayola