There's a story or more like a rumor, going around the internet on Facebook where it talks about burning a crayon in an emergency instead of a regular candle. Here's the graphic that we made, you may see one similar.
1} We used regular matches, the ones that most people would find in their homes. It took us more than a full pack of matches to actually start the tip of the crayon on fire. The paper burns easily but it takes several tries/matches to actually get the flame going.
2} Most rumors will tell you that the crayon will stay lit for 30 minutes. Our crayola crayon only stayed lit for 10-12 minutes.
3} The flame does not burn consistently, it stinks (may irritate some noses), and if you do not have it properly secured in a holder it will fall over causing hot wax to spill over. We all agreed, that we would be very uncomfortable burning a crayon in our home.
Plus, the major reason why we do not condone, besides the above reasons, burning crayons in place of candles... is that should young people see this, it would be sending a very wrong and dangerous message to them. It is NOT OK for a child to see something that they play with, as a source of fire. Kids are generally curious enough as it is, this is something that they should not observe. Let's set a good example for our kids and not associate something that they play with, as a means to produce fire.
If you're looking for an inexpensive light source in the case of an emergency, you're much better off stocking up on a few candles and holders from the dollar store, which are safer and last much longer. Better yet, grab yourself a good flashlight and always have extra batteries.
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LadderJockey
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