A day trip to the Crayola Experience in Easton, Pennsylvania is one of my favorite winter activities.  It is close to New York and New Jersey, and has lots of fun activities to keep the kids occupied on a long winter day.  Here are 10 tips for a fun day at Crayola Experience.

Buy Tickets Online and Save:  SAVE $4 on each ticket purchased online through December 31, 2018.  Children UNDER 3 are FREE.

Parking:  There is a public self-park garage across the street from the main entrance.  It’s inexpensive and conveniently located.  Take your parking ticket with you because the machines to pay are on the ground floor.

Lockers:  There are coat racks available at the entrance which are free to use.  However, they tend to get full pretty quickly.  I suggest you rent a locker to keep your jackets and any bags you won’t need throughout the day.  It’s easy to go back to the lockers to grab anything you need.  Just make sure you get your hand stamped.

Strollers:  I suggest you don’t bring a stroller, especially a double stroller.  It can get crowded, kids are running around and some of the spaces are narrow.

Lunch & Snacks:  There is a cafeteria and snack bars if you want to have lunch in the building or grab a snack (popcorn, ice cream and pretzels).  The food selection is kid-friendly and pretty reasonably priced.  We tend to order a whole pizza pie from the cafeteria because it’s made fresh and large enough for a family of 5.  Here is a list of local restaurants in case you decide to venture out for lunch.

Tokens:  At the entrance, you will receive 2 tokens for each paid admission.  You can use the tokens at:

• Wrap It Up – Kids select a crayon color, customize the label and wrap their crayon
• Modeling Madness – There are vending machines with different colors of modeling clay

If you want to purchase more tokens, there are vending machines located on the 2nd floor on either end of the bridge which connects the Wrap It Up and Modeling Madness areas.  Lucas and Sofia like making personalized crayons so we always end up getting more.

Crayola Factory Show:  You shouldn’t miss this show.  It runs throughout the day.  The kids learn about and see first-hand how crayons are made and packaged.  At the end of the show, the kids get a little gift.  Can you guess what it is?

Activities:  It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the activities and options.  Based on my experience, I suggest that you start on the 4th floor and work your way down.  Toward the end of the day, the 2nd and 3rd floors get less crowded.  Also, plan ahead and identify the activities you think your kids will enjoy based on their interests.

Here are some of Lucas and Sofia’s favorite activities.  They are 6 and 4 years old.  See the activity map for more details.  We tend to do these activities multiple times during each visit.

• Melt and Mold (4th Floor) – Melt and mold crayons into different shapes
• Drip Art (4th Floor) – Spin art with melted wax
• Water Works (3rd Floor) – Educational water table.  This activity tends to get crowded because the boats are limited
• Color Magic (2nd Floor) – Scan your coloring page and make your character come to life

If you need to take a break from the creative / crafty activities, there are 2 play spaces.  The Color Playground is on the 3rd Floor.  It is a two story playground geared toward older kids. Toddler Town, located on the 2nd floor, is geared toward toddlers and younger kids.  Set a time limit beforehand so you don’t get stuck in these areas.

Yes.  There are enough activities available for you to spend the entire day at the Crayola Experience so pace yourself

Crayola Store:  I love crafting and the Crayola store has exclusive products and offers which I encourage you to check out.  My favorites are:

• Pick Your Pack – Select a tin for $16.99 or $21.99, and fill it with as many markers and crayons as will fit in the tin.  There is no limit so fill it to capacity.  I’m proud to say I used my super organization skills toI fit 14 markers and 98 crayons in a $16.99 tin
• Pick Your Paint – Buy 10 or more paints (a set of 10 starts at $14.99) and receive a free paint storage container

If your child likes to color or paint, these offers will save you money and give you a good variety of colors to use at home.

Personalized Souvenirs:  There are lots of free and inexpensive takeaways available at the Crayola Experience.  But, you can also purchase and make personalized souvenirs, like wax hands, t-shirts with your child’s artwork, fabric bears and sand art.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  If you have any additional questions at the Crayola Experience, please leave them in the comments below.  I’ve been to the Crayola Experience in Easton and Orlando several times, and am happy to share any insights as you plan your trip.

Enjoy a fun day trip with the kids to the Crayola Experience!

Jackie