How do I get my completely disinterested 15 month old son interested in crayoning?!

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We've tried a few times but he is FAR more interested in putting the crayons in and out of the tub! I've laid out lots of big pieces of paper and shown him but zero interest. I'd like to introduce craftsy stuff like this but his interest is zero.

Am I being too ambitious at 15 months?

Leave him alone with the crayons.

He will soon decorate your wall.

Yes, you're being too ambitious. He'll get there when he's ready.

Yes! Leave him be.

As with most things- wait. And follow my mother's sage words "all babies should have "This Grows Up Automatically" tattooed on their forehead"

DS (2.1) is not keen on crayons at all as he thinks they 'don't work'. He MUCH prefers colouring pens! I assume because you don't have to press as hard and the colour is brighter. You can get highly-washable ones suitable from 12 months...maybe give those a try?

Another thing that helped was me drawing pictures of his favourite things (mainly lots and lots of spiders) - he then wanted to have a go too. He was a bit older though...maybe 20/21 months at the time?

I'm still waiting for it at 18 months. Zero interest. We do finger painting instead. It's all good.

Ok...thanks...it was just a question, no need for patronising remarks

Great,thanks for the helpful remarks. We'll do finger painting. That sounds fun!

Putting crayons in and out of the tub is a fine thing for a 15 month old to be doing anyway

I think he is a bit young TBH.

It is nice to wait until they are ready, because that way you avoid the boredom factor!

If he likes putting things into containers you can invent lots of variations on this theme, working all the way to wooden puzzles/shapes etc.

I wouldn't worry. My DD started scribbling with crayons at about 12 months but only because she had an older brother to copy - he didn't start until he was 3! It just wasn't his thing but now he spends most of his time colouring at almost 4.

What I'm learning as a parent is that it is important to have a variety of toys and crafty things around and available but then just let the child decide when they're ready for it. So it's fab that you have bought crayons - they will get used eventually I promise. Just make sure they and paper are readily available and one day you'll find you have 3,000 pictures fighting for their place on your fridge door

Maybe get him an Aquamat to start? They are brilliant!

My 2 year old still loves playing with the crayons instead of drawing. Some days she'll draw and other days she'll move them around. I'd often draw things for her. I'd say to just keep letting him play with them and he'll mimic you eventually.

DD was like this and I think it's partly because you have to press pretty hard with regular crayons to really see the marks. We have now got her these and although they are expensive I think they're much better as hardly any pressure is needed. Or, alternatively, go onto pens. She is now 2 and still mainly likes taking the lids of pens and putting them on her fingers!

Yeah, would echo everyone else - DD at 15 months was just taking them out of the tub and playing with them. At 2, she scribbles but also still plays/ sorts them.

I spend large parts of the week cleaning crayola off my tv screen and wooden flooring but my little one loves aquamats too! Second that recommendation!

ds showed no interest in crayoning until he was 5!

Wait about 3 years and try again.

I think 15 months is a little young tbh

My DD talks to hers.

They talk back, apparently....

Felt tips are more satisfying (crayola super washable).

my dd is 15mths and she will scribble a bit, what she likes more is to stand at an easel and chalk, its very easy to make a mark and she prefers to be standing up so she can move around than sitting down at a table :)

I think at 15 months they tend to like things with more squidge or splodge factor, fingerpainting is a good idea. I would also try:
Food colouring and shaving foam to spread around a tray/table
Marble painting (with close supervision to ensure marbles don't get eaten) where you take marbles, cover them in paint and then shake in a tupperware container with a sheet of paper.
Gluing, particularly if it involves anything shiny or interesting textures.

My DS has sort of cone shaped crayons and spent ages piling them up and clapping himself. Then one day it was like he went "now, what else can I do with these?" and started colouring. That was at about 17 months I think. He also prefers pens.

Those of you who do finger painting, do you do it in the house? How do you not get paint everywhere? I'd like to do it with DS but have visions of the whole room being painted in small finger shaped dots.

My DD loves Magna Doodles - the ELC own-brand one is really good. Not at all messy!

yes Plague is on the right tracks

more about mark making than actual colouring

so spaghetti painting, jelly dumped on hi chair tray for him to swipe fingers through, finger painting

Ozzie, in the hi chair, with a towel on baby's lap and a Big Bib on, use the tray to put paint straight onto the tray in blobs, you can get canvas blocks really cheaply from pound shops, the baby handles the block with painty fingers, you get a fab fathers' day present, ta-dah