I received an email this week announcing that Crayola Experience in Easton, PA has been recognized as one of the country’s top 10 children’s museums by the 2023 USA Today. Since I’ve been meaning to write a post about Crayola Experience anyway, I took this as a sign to get on it!
My kids and I first went to Crayola Experience in the summer of 2022. We went with my parents, and we all enjoyed it so much that we snagged season passes when we saw an AMAZING Black Friday deal. (Seriously, keep an eye out this year because we got TWO-year Season Passes for less than what it would cost to go there twice at regular price. So even if we only go twice in a 2-year time period, it was worth it!)
At the time of our first visit, my children were 5 and 4, and I thought those ages were really perfect. Overall, I think any kids between the ages of 2 and maybe 9 would have fun there. But I’d call 4-7 the sweet spot. The Crayola Experience has four floors, each with hands-on activities. Just a few of my kids’ favorite things to do include playing with Crayola Model Magic and Scribble Scrubbies, the indoor playground, creating their own crayon (you name it and print a wrapper to label a color of your choice), melt and mold, and the Crayon Factory Show.
Since you can get little previews of just about every activity on the website, I’m not going to go through each thing here. Instead, here are some tips based on our visit to Crayola Experience:
1. If your family’s schedule allows, go on a day where most kids will be in school! We’ve gone in the summer (there are a lot of camps) and during Christmas break (when everyone is off.) We had a great time both times of year, but it is crowded! If you can go on a random weekday when most people are at work and kids are in school, you’ll have a more relaxed visit. If your kids are school-age, check the school calendar for teacher grading days instead of holidays since not all districts will have that same day off.
2. If you don’t NEED a stroller, don’t bring it. If you have a baby, use a carrier if possible. If you have a child that you think might fall asleep and nap in the stroller, then bring it. Otherwise, the kids will be too busy doing the activities to spend much time riding in the stroller. It’s a big place, but there’s isn’t a lot of walking between attractions, so it’s unlikely that they’ll complain about their legs being tired. It will make it a lot easier to navigate if you don’t have a stroller. Plus, while there IS an elevator, it can be slow. You’ll save time taking the stairs between each floor.
3. Start at the top. The 4th floor is home to Melt & Mold and Drip Art. These are the two attractions that I’ve seen get the most backed up with lines because each person uses a separate machine, you need to wait for help from an employee, AND it involves waiting for wax to melt! Since most people will start at the bottom, you’re not as likely to wait in long lines if you start at the top.
4. Wrap It Up (where you make your own label and wrap a crayon) is another area that can get crowded. There are different kiosks and each one is for a different color, so make sure you get in line for the color you want! You get to pick a name and a little symbol, and then it prints on a sticker label and dispenses a blank crayon. Take it over to the counter where there’s a machine you use to put the label on your crayon to take home.
5. In the same room with Wrap It Up, there’s a door that takes you into the show. It’s not obvious! If you see an employee, ask when the next show is and stay in that general area if it’s soon so that you’re in line to get in. The show (especially if it’s live that day) is very cute about the making of crayons. My kids really enjoyed it.
6. Here’s another tip to save time if it’s crowded… There’s a multi-level indoor playground that’s great for kids 3-4 years old and up. (Younger than that, and they’d probably need help from an older sibling.) The playground is directly next to the area where kids can make their own puzzles. After you color the blank cardboard for your puzzle, you need to wait in line at the ONE machine that cuts it into a puzzle. Your child will get excited to do the playground, BUT if it’s at all crowded, have them design their puzzle first. THEN, the parent can wait in line to get the puzzle cut while the child plays on the playground!
Note: There is a smaller play area for toddlers, but it’s on a different floor.
7. What to wear? Have kids wear socks. The playground areas are shoe-free. And either wear short sleeves or sleeves that can be rolled up easily. When they’re playing with the Scribble Scrubbies, they’re going to want to use the giant sinks to rinse them off to start over. Plus, in Water Works they’ll guide a toy boat through an 85-foot water table.
8. Food! Cafe Crayola is located on the first floor, but it doesn’t seem to have consistent hours. There’s also a snack bar right next to the Wrap It Up attraction with popcorn, drinks and other snacks. I found the popcorn bucket to be the best “bang for your buck,” especially if you buy a season pass since you get a discount. There are also several restaurants within walking distance. If you want to take a break and run out for lunch, you just need to ask for a hand stamp for re-entry before you leave.
Note: The official policy is that you’re not allowed to bring any outside food or beverages, but I’ve never seen (or heard from friends) of anyone actually checking bags for this. So I think you’d be just fine bringing in a few snacks and water bottles if you’re carrying a backpack anyway.
9. When you enter Crayola Experience, they’ll give each person in your party a clear bag with two tokens and a voucher for a Scribble Scrubbie (little animals that you can color with markers and wash over and over). You can use the tokens to purchase Wrap It Up crayons, packages of Model Magic and markers. It’s great because even the adults get tokens and a voucher. Just make sure your child knows the different areas they can spend them, so they don’t blow through all the tokens in one spot. (You can buy more though if needed.) And a headsup: Some of the machines can be finicky. If you have any trouble with them, just let an employee know. They’re really great at replacing any lost tokens.
10. Check the website and sign up for emails before your visit! They offer discounts throughout the year via email. Plus, tickets are cheaper if you buy online instead of in person. And there are other special discounts available such as: FREE passes for military, firefighters, law enforcement and EMT. Free passes for teachers preK-12th grade. Children 2 and under are free. And, you get in free if you visit within 7 days of your birthday!
Passes to Crayola Experience make a great gift! If you’d like more ideas for experience gifts and gifts to wrap to pair them with, check out THIS post.
Sweet Mini Moments 