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Binney & Smith

Crayola Crayons

Crayons have come to symbolize creativity for young children and unlimited opportunity for self-expression. Provide plenty of drawing paper and the child is happily occupies. The crayon is inexpensive and a delightfully simple way to encourage artistic skills. Remember to place artistic output up on a nearby wall for everyone to admire. If you can date the back of the art and store selectively as over the years early art work can be treasured. Children enjoy drawing with crayons at home, in school and on travel. Make the most of every trip and bring along a spiral art book for them to draw pictures of what they see on the trip. This is a great way to encourage art and memory.

Select from a wide number of choices among the collections of crayons available from this distinguished company. Produced since 1903, the Binney and Smith crayon is now available in 104 colors. More than two billion crayons are produced each year in three sizes: Regular, Kid's First and Growing Kids. In addition they make markers, paint and chalk and other art supplies and creative kits.

In 1864, Joseph W. Binney founded a company that made paint for barns and later moved into products for painting tires. The company continued to expand into new chemical compounds. In 1885, Binney's son and nephew formed a partnership called Binney & Smith. At that time, they further expanded the company to produce shoe polish and printer's inks. In 1900, they purchased a mill and began producing pencils. This introduced them to the educational market, where they began to see the opportunity to expand into the children's art field. They developed first a chalk, and then crayons. In 1903 they developed non-toxic pigments and launched a new brand of crayons. Eight different colors retailed for about five cents in that year. The name Crayola came from Mrs. Binney, who combined the word French meaning "stick of color" with "-ola," for "oily."


Binney & Smith

Silly Putty

Silly Putty is fun and can be a creative process if your child is shown some ways to use it. Try flattening it over a cartoon and we how it duplicates the art. Stretch it and shape into forms it can be fun for travel. Child can bounce it also like a rubber ball. So a little goes a long way for fun. If product causes any stain on fabric treat as soon as possible. Liquid detergent will work. Specific directions for cleaning are available by calling 800-272-9652.

In 1943, the scientist James Wright discovered a compound that bounced. In 1950, Peter Hodgson packaged one-ounce wads of the gooey substance in plastic eggs selling for a dollar and called it "Silly Putty." Following a story that appeared in the New Yorker magazine in 1950, he received orders from across the country, totaling over a quarter of a million eggs. In 1957 it was advertised on the Howdy Doody Show and on Captain Kangaroo. In 1968 it went to the moon with the Apollo 8 astronauts. Binney and Smith acquired the rights to Silly Putty in 1977, and in 1990 new colors were added. A glow-in-the-dark Silly Putty was introduced in 1991. Each egg contains 13.3 grams of Silly Putty.

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