Up until now, kids didn’t have much of a choice when it came to coloring skin tones. They were stuck using very extreme options (think black, white, brown, or yellow) to draw and color in the artistic representations of themselves and others. But no more. Crayola released its Colors of the World collection, a line of 24 new crayons that are designed to represent over 40 skin tones globally.
Of course, this is a big deal in and of itself. Typically, Crayola releases a new crayon or two at a time, but never 24. (In fact, Bluetiful, was the last addition to the Crayola crew, back in 2017, after Dandelion retired, ABC News reported.) And now, in an effort for more inclusivity, they are creating crayons where kids can truly feel represented.
“With the world growing more diverse than ever before, Crayola hopes our new Colors of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance,” Crayola CEO Rich Wuerthele said in a statement. “We want the new Colors of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves.”
That’s probably why the process took a painstaking eight months to perfect. Crayola partnered with Victor Casale, Cofounder and Chief Innovation Officer of Cover FX and current CEO of MOB Beauty, to help identify the skin tones that have been sorely lacking in kids coloring since, well, forever. Together, they worked to highlight all of the various skin tones (as well as undertones) so that every kiddo could find their complexion when they opened a box of crayons.
“I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it’s like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match,” Casale said in a statement. “They feel included and recognized, and I am hoping every child who uses these crayons and finds their shade will have that feeling.”
To help kids find their perfect shade, Crayola’s packaging includes each crayon being wrapped in a gradient skin tone label and color names that are written in English, Spanish, and French. Plus, each crayon has an easy-to-remember name (think Deep Almond or Medium Deep Rose, for example), so that children won’t have a problem picking out what color suits them the best. That way, all kids will feel included, represented—and beautiful—all at the same time.