Uncoloured wooden toys are an invitation. The house, the car or the fire station is waiting for someone to decide what colour it should be. But what should you use? Brush and paint, markers or coloured pencils? All three can be used, and each gives its own result. Here are the differences, so you can choose what suits your child and your kitchen table.
Markers: quick to start and precise lines
Markers are the easiest to get started with. There are no colours to mix and no brushes to rinse. The cap comes off, and the child can colour. The line lands where the child puts it, and that makes markers good for windows, signs, patterns and small details.
Crateit's own markers are acrylic-based and developed for our wooden toys. According to our markers page, 1-2 layers are often enough for full coverage, the colour does not bleed, and once a layer has dried it can be coloured over again. That means the houses can change colour when the play does. There are five colour families, and each family comes with a 3 mm tip for large areas and a 1 mm tip for details, such as Playful 3 mm and 1 mm.
Paint: large areas and mixed colours
Painting with a brush makes it possible to mix your own colours and cover large areas in one go. Many children love the act of painting itself, and it can be a good activity on a rainy day. On the other hand it takes more preparation: a water glass, brushes, newspaper and an apron. The paint also has to dry before the toy can be used, and fine details are harder with a brush than with a marker.
If you choose paint, read the label before you start.
Coloured pencils: light colours and shading
All children already know coloured pencils. They give a lighter colour than markers and paint, and you can see the wood through it. That can look lovely if you want a more natural look. Coloured pencils are also good for shading and blending on top of a colour that is already there.
What suits your child?
- Does the child want to start right away? Markers. There is no waiting and nothing to prepare.
- Does the child love mixing colours? Paint, ideally for the large areas such as roofs and walls.
- Do you want to be able to change it later? Acrylic markers that can be coloured over, layer upon layer.
- Is the child into details? A marker with a fine tip or a sharp coloured pencil.
You do not have to choose. Many families combine them: markers for most of it, coloured pencils for shading and paint for a large area that should be completely even.
When the youngest want to join in
Little children want to join in when the big ones are colouring. Give them a piece of the toy that can be exactly how they want it, such as a roof, a car or a wall. Give the youngest a large area to colour, such as a roof. And remember that it does not have to look neat. What matters most is that it is the child's own, and with markers that can be coloured over, it can always be changed later.
Make room for the colours
Whatever you choose, it helps to have a fixed place to colour. A table with newspaper, a cup for the markers and a shelf where the coloured toys can dry in peace. That makes it easier to get started next time, and the colouring becomes part of the play rather than a big project.
What can Crateit toys be coloured with?
Crateit Roomies is made of MDF and comes uncoloured. Crateit Town also comes uncoloured. The Roomies product pages say the sets can be coloured with markers, coloured pencils or paint, and that you are welcome to add a new layer on top of the old one. Once it is finished, the toy is wiped with a dry or slightly damp cloth.
If you want tips on the colouring itself, the order and the drying time, read our guide to colouring wooden toys with markers.
Frequently asked questions
Can you paint MDF toys?
Yes. Crateit Roomies is made of MDF and comes uncoloured, and it can be coloured with markers, coloured pencils or paint.
Do the markers rub off once dry?
Crateit's acrylic markers give a durable finish that does not rub off on fingers once it has dried.
Can you colour over it if the child changes their mind?
Yes. Once a layer has dried, the markers can be used on top of it, so the toy can change colour again and again.
Which tip should we start with?
Most families start with 3 mm for the large areas and add 1 mm when the child starts drawing in more detail.
See the five colour families, and find the ones that suit your town or your dolls' house.
