Crayon Rocks are soy-wax crayons. They are free from petroleum or animal products. Their rock shape helps young kids develop their tripod grip (for writing). They are smooth and soft and go onto paper or fabric beautifully easily. They were developed by Barbara Lee. She worked 23 years as a primary school special education teacher. She noticed how many of her students could not write well, and learned how important for handwriting it is to develop a strong tripod grip - the younger the better. Since a child's first writing tool is usually a crayon, that crayon should be one that encourages him or her to use thumb, first and second fingers in a tripod grip. Crayon Rocks' shape doesn't allow you to hold in a fist or other grip that deters fine motor development.Children with cerebral palsy, autism, developmental delays and various forms of learning disabilities - and their parents and teachers - say how much they love Crayon Rocks and how much they've helped.They're made in Kentucky Amish farm country - that's about 10,000 of toy-miles - much higher than we'd like. We continue to search for a plastic-free, vegan, quality crayon made in Europe? What it contains: A muslin cotton bag with... 8 crayon rocks: red, green, blue, yellow, black, brown, orange, purple 16 crayon rocks: red, green, blue, yellow, black, brown, orange, purple, pink, grass green, sky blue, sunshine yellow, gray, tan, peach 32 crayon rocks: As for 16 colours plus gold, silver, turquoise and more earth colors including skin and hair colours for drawing people Feel great about where it comes from: Raw materials from Europe? No :-( USA Organic? TBC but unlikely Manufactured in Europe? No :-( USA What's it made from? Soy wax, other plant waxes like carnuba, non-toxic powdered mineral pigments, and a natural ground-up rock as to give them their body. What's it packaged in? Cotton bag Shipping packaging from manufacturer to us: Reused cardboard boxes; no plastic Plastic-free? Yes 100% Vegan? Yes Animal-cruelty-free? Yes Reused upcycled or recycled? No Feel great about where it goes after you've used it: Biodegradable compostable? Yes 100% Reusable refillable? Yes! Recyclable? Yes Feel great about you and your child using it: Great for ages: 3+ - choking hazard for younger children Shelf life: TBC Safety standards met: European toy safety standard EN-71; CE-marked Solvent-free? Yes Gluten-free? TBC Peanut-free? TBC Soy-free? No Lactose-free? Yes Easy to wash-off clothes skin? Yes Improvements we're working on in this product: We wish it was made in Europe! Shout if you know someone doing this!