More than 8 million students, educators, families, and librarians from as many as 100 countries are expected to take part in fun and engaging activities that encourage creative expression during the fourth annual Crayola Creativity Week, running January 27 through February 2.

The event grows larger every year, says Cheri Sterman, director of Crayola’s education division—and this year’s program features new resources for librarians and educators, including a free tool for leaders to identify their personal creative style.

Intended to help develop creativity across all modes of expression, Crayola Creativity Week is a no-cost program for schools, libraries, and families worldwide. Crayola has partnered with famous authors, artists, actors, musicians, and NASA scientists to bring educational content, giveaways, and events to children, teachers, librarians, and families.

Nurturing children’s creativity is an important goal, especially in a rapidly changing world in which the ability to adapt and solve problems is highly valued. In fact, according to Forbes, 70 percent of employers say creative thinking is the most in-demand skill among new hires.

This year’s lineup

Crayola Creativity Week includes daily themes, activities, and prerecorded events with an impressive lineup of celebrity creators. Here’s the schedule of events for this year:

Monday, Jan. 27: Following the theme of “Life Lessons,” Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey will read from his children’s book Just Because, which helps kids think through their assumptions and urges them to speak up and be a leader in their community. The book’s illustrator, Renee Kurilla, will lead students through creative exercises in drawing their “visual voice” and illustrating how they lead.

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Under the theme “Change and Collaboration,” beloved actor Henry Winkler and co-author Lin Oliver will read from their new chapter book Detective Duck 2: The Case of the Missing Tadpole. In addition, illustrator Dan Santat will have kids draw their problem-solving teams and discuss how words can paint a picture in people’s minds.

Wednesday, Jan. 29: With the theme “Abstract Thinking,” children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems will read his book Opposites Abstract and will discuss how opposites can co-exist and that we can be two seemingly contradictory things at once, like excited and afraid.

Thursday, Jan. 30: Under the theme “Confidence Soars,” actress Phillipa Sou will read her book Piper Chen Sings along with co-author Maris Pasquale Doran. It’s an empowering tale about a young girl who turns her stage fright into confidence when she learns that “when we listen to the butterflies, we can soar like they do,” Sterman says. Illustrator Qin Leng will have students draw their own metaphorical butterflies as one of the two activities she’ll lead.

Friday, Jan. 31: With the theme “Flows Like Water,” NASA scientists will lead a discussion about the Europa Clipper mission that just launched in October and how life occurs at the interfaces of water and land. Students will sketch what the scientists might find on Europa, and U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon and illustrator Peter Sis will have students create their own illustrated poems for the mission and will share them in their new book In Praise of Mystery.

Saturday, Feb. 1: The theme “Bee-lieve in Your Future” touches on the intersection of creativity and financial literacy, with author and 19-year-old entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer reading from her book Bee Fearless, in which she describes her journey in starting her own lemonade company at age five and donating the proceeds to bee conservation.

Sunday, Feb. 2: Under the theme “Conquer Fears,” actor Max Greenfield will read his new picture book Good Night Thoughts and illustrator James Serafino will lead kids through mindfulness exercises involving drawing and breathing.

A live streaming event on Friday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. ET will feature street dancing led by a Chicago dance troupe, giving kids an opportunity to get up and move. In addition, actress Jennifer Aniston will describe how learning how to read was a struggle for her and how she doubted whether she would ever be successful. Her personal story is a powerful lesson that all children have their own unique talents and interests—and “when they lean into those, they can be successful,” Sterman says.

How to take advantage

Registration for Crayola Creativity Week is free, and schools and libraries don’t need any special materials to participate. The activities, which are all aligned with various content standards, are designed to be completed during a single class period with minimal prep time, and they include multiple versions aimed at different age groups.

All of the resources, including the live-streamed virtual assembly, will be available for viewing any time on demand, so educators can share them with students in class, during library periods, or during their own school-wide celebrations of creativity.

Everyone who signs up to participate in Crayola Creativity Week is automatically entered to win various prizes from the program’s sponsors, including Crayola products, audiobook listening stations from Audible, a faculty lounge makeover from Wal-Mart, and 12 all-expenses-paid trips to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

Participating educators and their schools can also earn extra chances to win prizes by posting students’ artwork and updates about their activities on social media using the hashtag #CrayolaCreativityWeek.

As part of the Creativity Week 2025 celebration, Crayola will be posting free resources that educators and librarians can use to spark creativity in their schools and communities year-round. One of the new resources this year is a Creative Style Self-Assessment Tool.

This is a five-minute survey that helps users understand how they think, perceive, and engage with the world. Understanding this “can help you get the most out of collaborating with your colleagues,” Sterman says.

Because librarians are whole-school leaders, “they play a pivotal role in leading Creativity Week activities in their communities,” she notes. To build awareness of the celebration’s events and help students get the most out of these activities, librarians can register their school to participate, share information with parents and colleagues, and encourage teachers to take part.

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