EASTON, Pa. — The world’s favorite crayon maker is getting extra vibrant with a star-studded cast of characters for 2026’s Crayola Creativity Week.
This year’s celebration, themed as “Color Inspires Creativity,” will bring artists, athletes, scientists and more together to show millions of children how creativity fuels learning.
Oh, and one of those creative experts just so happens to be a Lehigh Valley native.
Running Jan. 26 through Feb. 1, 2026, classrooms and homes across the world will be invited to participate in free, standards-aligned activities designed to spark imagination across literacy STEAM, and social-emotional learning.
Last year, more than 13 million students in classrooms, libraries and homes participated in the program across more than 120 countries and 90,000 learning sites — a 116% increase in participation over the prior year.
A colorful celebrity lineup
Crayola expects the 2026 celebrations to reach even more students, with presentations from drummer and producer Questlove to NASA astronauts to the Property Brothers. Also scheduled are soccer star Harry Kane to the artists behind beloved children’s properties like Bluey and Snoopy.
That includes Nazareth native musician, actress, and creative force Kate Micucci, who just recently popped up for a performance at Martin Guitar.
“One of the reasons she was so excited is she said, ‘Oh, Crayola, you're in Easton, and you're working with my friends at Martin Guitar, and I want to thank Nazareth!’” Crayola Education Director Cheri Sterman said.
The 2026 lineup includes:
- Monday, Jan. 26: Facing the Music with artist Kate Micucci and illustrator Mark Hoffmann;
- Tuesday, Jan. 27: Building Together with Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, and illustrator Kim Smith;
- Wednesday, Jan. 28: Embracing Your Ideas with filmmaker, musician, and author of "The Idea in You," Questlove, and illustrator Sean Qualls;
- Thursday, Jan. 29: Reaching Team Goals with soccer players Harry Kane and Matt Turner and illustrator Marina Ruiz;
- Friday, Jan. 30: Exploring the Moon with NASA astronauts and Snoopy artist Mary Valencia-Shyne;
- Saturday, Jan. 31: Empowering Communities with actor Michael Rainey Jr. and illustrator Rob Flowers;
- Sunday, Feb. 1: Storytelling Adventures with Bluey artists from Ludo Studio Jasmine "Jazz" Moody and Nick Rees, and wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin.
Crayola Creativity Week participants will enjoy free access to daily education activity videos, downloaded resources, creative challenges and prizes.
Resources will be available in eight languages and are designed to be inclusive and adaptable for classrooms, libraries, after-school programs, and homes, according to organizers.
The program concludes with a global livestreamed school assembly that connects children around the world to celebrate creativity.
'An essential life skill'
"We launched Crayola Creativity Week to infuse creative experiences into the teaching and learning of all subjects," Sterman said.
"Creativity is an essential life skill that helps everyone reach their full potential. Educators report that after participating in Creativity Week, 80% of students increased their creative confidence, enthusiasm for learning, and curiosity.
“Teachers report that their classrooms radiated a more joyous atmosphere that fostered creativity after joining the program and that they increased their understanding of how creativity improves learning. The impact the program has on students and educators reinforces the importance of this global movement growing."
Sterman said creative learning is even more integral today, as educators have moved away from the standard rote memorization of facts as a standard — and creative thinking can be applied to just about any field, not just the art classroom.
“The celebrities that are our talent, they talk about how they use creativity and collaboration in their jobs. You're going to have to be collaborative and creative,” Sterman said.
“Some of our really exciting examples of that are this year we have the Artemis II flight commander who's responsible for the next NASA launch to the moon, and her message is, ‘We couldn't be exploring the moon without creativity and collaboration,’ and how much she depends on her team to bring the collaborative ideas forward.
“We have two soccer players, Harry Kane and Matt Turner, who talk about how creative you have to be on the field, but they couldn't do it without the collaboration. So these are real people, bringing up the situations they face, real life problems, and help kids be future ready with those skills.”
And those artists get plenty out of the experience as well, Sterman said.
Both Questlove and Qualls have shared that they were inspired to join the program in honor of elementary school teachers who inspired them to engage in creative pursuits.
Signups start now
Crayola Creativity Week is a signature event of Campaign for Creativity, Crayola’s global advocacy initiative focused on elevating creativity as a critical skill for childhood development and lifelong success.
Through such initiatives, Crayola aims to bring the program to life by creating large-scale, inclusive experiences that nurture creativity and celebrate the creative potential in every child, the company said.
Downloadable resources are translated into eight languages and encourage students to share their original thoughts.
Educators and parents can register at Crayola.com/CreativityWeek.
All content will be available on-demand after the event, ensuring flexibility for classrooms and families around the world, according to Crayola.
Leading up to the event in January, Crayola will offer several sweepstakes opportunities and planning resources for educators to add even more color to their celebrations.
