03/31/2026
šļø More Than Just Color: Finding Healing in Crayons on National Crayon Day š
Today, March 31st, is National Crayon Day! Itās a day to celebrate the joy of coloring, the nostalgia of a brand-new box of 64 (with the sharpener!), and the creativity that lives in all of us.
But on this day, we also want to recognize how these simple wax sticks can be a powerful tool for navigating something complex: Grief.
šØ How Crayons Help Process Grief:
A Safe Outlet for Big Emotions: When words are too heavy, coloring can help externalize sadness, fear, or anger. It allows us to put our grief onto paper where we can see it and work with it.
Calming the Mind: Studies show that coloring, for adults and children, can be a form of mindfulness, reducing anxiety and providing a calming, tactile sensory input during stressful times.
"Broken Crayons Still Color": Just like our lives after loss, crayons can break, yet they still workāperhaps creating even more unique art. Itās a reminder that we can be broken and still create something beautiful.
Therapeutic Tool: Art therapy uses crayons to help peopleāespecially childrenāexpress feelings they cannot articulate.
This National Crayon Day, we encourage you to:
Grab a coloring book (or just a blank sheet of paper) and let your hand move without judgment.
Color your feelings: Try drawing a "feelings heart" using colors to represent how you are feeling right now.
Color in memory: Create a picture in honor of a loved one who has passed.
Donate used crayons: Support organizations like The Crayon Initiative or Crayon Collection, which turn old crayons into new ones for children in hospitals.
Letās fill the world with color, even when our own worlds feel gray.