Do-It-Yourself Recycled Crayons

MAKE SURE THAT THE CRAYONS ARE WAX NOT PLASTIC, LIKE THE ONES WE USE IN THE CLASSROOM!

  Practice fine motor and one-to-one correspondence skills by placing a paper cupcake liner in each section of a muffin tin. (Or, if you want funkier shaped crayons, try using some silicon baking trays.)

Use the pincer grasp to place all the peeled crayon bits into muffin tins, sorting them by complimentary or contrasting colors. Add a bit of color-mixing theory to the activity by discussing what the resulting crayon colors might be -- avoiding mixes that will make dull grays and browns! (If you wish, for extra tactile input, sprinkle glitter into the cups. 

Pop the tray into an oven, pre-heated to 150 degrees F, for 15-20 minutes. Leave the oven light on for eager eyes to witness and be sure to take the tray out when the crayon pieces seem just melted, but not bubbly.

Carefully have an adult remove the tray from the oven, showing it from a safe distance to eager young ones.  Then it is time to put the tray in the freezer.

You can take a toothpick to swirl the colors a bit if you wish before freezing the crayons, which can add a little more color mixing and visual interest to the activity.

Carefully have an adult remove the tray from the oven, showing it from a safe distance to eager young ones. Then, after taking advantage of the inherent science lesson on matter and how it changes from solid to liquid due to the heat of the oven, place the tray in the freezer. Or, if it is cold enough like it was here when we made our crayons, just put it outside. (You can take a toothpick to swirl the colors a bit if you wish before freezing the crayons, which can add a little more color mixing and visual interest to the activity.)