Twelve thick felt-tips in a card box with a window. Alongside the basics there are orange, pink, light blue, dark green, brown, grey and black, and with that you cover just about anything a child intends to draw.
These are Maxi pens, so short and fat rather than slim. An infant hand folds around them naturally, and because the nib does not push in, the line stays as wide as it was on the first day. Colouring in areas goes a good deal faster with a 5.8 mm line than with an ordinary marker.
The ink is washable. According to the packaging the cap can be left off for 96 hours without the pen drying out, which is welcome: putting caps back is not a five-year-old's strongest suit. The box says 3+.
Twelve is the size most families settle on: enough colours not to have to choose, and the box still fits in a school case.
