Someone gave these to us a while ago, and I can’t remember who! Was it you? At the time, I just thought they were odd. But free, and I was in no position to look a gift horse in the mouth. I never am.
Now I know better. They are AWESOME and I’d LOVE to thank the mystery person. This blog post is the best I can do. Come out, come out, whoever you are, and claim your spot in my heart!

The reason these are so cool? They are designed for little hands to hold. They’re an aid to developing fine motor skills (and hand-eye co-ordination). They help guide a child’s early abilities to grip a writing utensil. Those skinny crayons don’t fit in a little hand nearly as well. All the OT’s reccommend a chunky crayon, and the child development specialists, and the preschool teachers, and… me too! Once you get used to the shape, you will love them.

From eHow:
To develop the proper open web space in their hand — the place they should hold a writing utensil — allow preschoolers to use specific preschool crayons. These crayons are best used when drawing on a vertical surface to promote proper wrist and hand movement. Preschool crayons are round and short with a hole down the center. Stuff the hole with cotton to prevent the child from putting his finger in the hole. When children use these short, wide crayons, the web space between the thumb and first finger is stretched and the muscle strengthens.

Lucy likes to stack and sort them, as well as draw with them.

You can find similar ones on Amazon.