What OOLY does

OOLY is a privately held, women-owned consumer art supplies brand founded in 2005 and headquartered in Oceanside, California. The company designs and distributes innovative creative products across three core categories: Activity & Crafts Kits (shrink art, air dry clay, paint and canvas sets, activity cards, temporary tattoos, stickers), Coloring & Drawing (markers, gel pens, crayons, paint sticks, colored pencils, sketchbooks), and Planning & Organizing (highlighters, fountain pens, pencils, erasers). Product differentiation centers on sensory and experiential features including scented formulations, color-changing marker systems (Switch-Eroo), shrink-art thermal kits, watercolor-converting gel crayons, and dual-tip marker designs.

The company operates a hybrid distribution model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at ooly.com, a dedicated wholesale portal at oolywholesale.com, Amazon marketplace, and physical retail partners across the United States. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales spanning price points from under $5 individual items to premium gift bundles exceeding $100, supplemented by licensing royalties from co-branded collections with Girl Scouts of the USA and Peanuts Worldwide, and recurring engagement via the Sparkle Rewards loyalty program.

Name

OOLY

Legal name

OOLY

Website

https://ooly.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OOLY is a privately held, women-owned consumer art supplies brand designing scented, color-changing, and sensory art products for children and creative hobbyists, sold direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and through retail and Amazon channels in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Art Supplies

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail (CRALACAH), Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG), Art & Drafting Supplies Retail (CRALABAG)

Keywords

• Art supplies
• Children's craft kits
• Creative stationery
• Coloring products
• Activity materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Oceanside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (DTC E-commerce): Primary revenue stream through direct-to-consumer sales via ooly.com. Products are sold at set price points ranging from under $5 to over $100, with individual items and bundled sets available. Orders over $59 qualify for free ground shipping.
2. Wholesale and Retail Distribution: Products sold through wholesale channels via oolywholesale.com and distributed to various retail outlets. Revenue generated through bulk orders to retail partners.
3. Licensed Character Products: Revenue from co-branded products with Girl Scouts and Peanuts intellectual property, sold as limited-edition collections.
4. Sparkle Rewards Loyalty Program: Customer retention program offering 10% discount to newsletter subscribers and rewards for repeat purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OOLY designs, manufactures, and sells fun and functional art supplies and creative craft products for children, parents, teachers, and hobbyists. Its catalog spans markers, gel pens, crayons, colored pencils, paint sticks, sketchbooks, highlighters, fountain pens, erasers, sharpeners, shrink art kits, air dry clay kits, paint and canvas kits, stickers, temporary tattoos, coloring books, and activity cards, including licensed character collections such as OOLY x Girl Scouts and OOLY x Peanuts.

Product overview

OOLY is a consumer-facing art supplies brand offering a diverse portfolio of creative products primarily targeting children and young artists. The product line is organized into three main categories: Activity & Crafts Kits (including Shrink Art Kits, Coloring Books, Activity Cards, Paint & Canvas Kits, Air Dry Clay Kits, Temporary Tattoos, and Stickers), Coloring & Drawing (covering Crayons, Markers, Gel Pens, Paint Sticks, Sketchbooks, and Colored Pencils), and Planning & Organizing (featuring Highlighters, Fountain Pens, Pencils & Sharpeners, and Erasers). OOLY also maintains licensed partnership collections including OOLY x Girl Scouts (scented art supplies inspired by Girl Scout cookie themes) and OOLY x Peanuts (character-themed art products). The brand is known for innovative product features such as color-changing markers, scented art supplies, and mess-free paint solutions. The company operates on a Shopify e-commerce platform and offers products through various retail channels including its direct-to-consumer website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Switch-Eroo Color Changing Markers Color-changing markers that create a surprising visual effect when used, designed for children and creative play. Sold to individual consumers through ooly.com and to retailers via wholesale channels.
• Rainbow Sparkle Glitter Markers Glitter markers that add sparkle to drawings and creative projects, marketed to children and hobbyists through OOLY's DTC and wholesale channels.
• Yummy Yummy Scented Glitter Gel Pens Scented glitter gel pens that combine fragrance and sparkle, designed for children and creative journaling, sold via ooly.com and wholesale.
• Cat Parade Gel Crayons Gel crayons with vivid color payoff, designed for kids' coloring and creative projects, sold through OOLY's consumer and wholesale channels.
• Shrink-Its! DIY Shrink Art Kits Do-it-yourself shrink art kits that allow children to color, cut, and shrink designs into hard plastic charms and figures, sold via DTC and wholesale.
• Creatibles Air Dry Clay Kits Air-dry clay kits that let children sculpt and decorate their own creations, sold through OOLY's consumer and wholesale channels.
• Stickiville Color-In Sticker Books Color-in sticker books that combine coloring and sticker play, marketed to children through OOLY's DTC and wholesale distribution.
• Joke Decoder Activity Cards Activity cards featuring hidden jokes or messages revealed through color-reveal play, designed for children's creative and screen-free play.
• Markers OOLY's broader markers category, encompassing color-changing, glitter, and dual-tip markers for kids, hobbyists, and journaling, sold DTC and wholesale.
• Gel Pens OOLY's gel pens category, including scented, glitter, and multi-surface gel pens for kids and adult creative consumers.
• Crayons Crayons category from OOLY, including gel crayons and traditional-format crayons for children.
• Colored Pencils Colored pencils designed for kids and hobbyists, offering vibrant color for drawing, sketching, and coloring activities.
• Paint Sticks Solid paint sticks that allow mess-free painting without water or brushes, designed for children's art projects.
• Sketchbooks Sketchbooks designed for drawing, journaling, and creative practice, sold to kids and hobbyists via DTC and wholesale.
• Highlighters Highlighters for studying, journaling, and creative note-taking, designed with OOLY's playful aesthetic.
• Fountain Pens Fountain pens targeted at kids, students, and journaling enthusiasts, featuring playful colors and kid-friendly designs.
• Pencils & Sharpeners Pencils and matching sharpeners offered as everyday writing and drawing tools for children and students.
• Erasers Novelty erasers designed for kids, complementing OOLY's writing and drawing product lines.
• Shrink Art Kits

Quantifiable outcome

• Products suitable for ages 3+ with non-toxic, washable formulations ensure safety for young users
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered mid-tier and core.

• Girl Scouts of the USAmid-tierStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026OOLY launched a limited-edition OOLY x Girl Scouts collection featuring scented art supplies and DIY kits inspired by Girl Scout values. The partnership includes cookie-scented gel pens, markers, erasers, and crafts inspired by Girl Scout themes of confidence and community. Products are available at various retail outlets and promote creativity and self-expression among children.
• Peanuts WorldwidecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOOLY has a licensed partnership with Peanuts (Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Woodstock) featuring co-branded products including gel pens, mechanical pencils, activity travel kits, wooden birdhouse kits, scene kits, and double-ended brush markers. The Peanuts collection includes various themed products sold through OOLY's retail channels.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crayola: Hallmark-owned global leader in children's art supplies (markers, crayons, colored pencils, kits) sold through mass retail, education channels, and DTC; competes head-to-head with OOLY in kids' creative supplies and benefits from significantly larger R&D, distribution, and school-contract reach.
• Faber-Castell: Global art-supplies manufacturer and brand (pencils, markers, pens, accessories); overlaps OOLY's colored pencils, gel pens, and markers at both consumer and classroom tiers and competes through deeper channel and international reach.
• Stabilo: European-origin pen, highlighter, and marker manufacturer with strong global brand recognition; competes with OOLY in highlighters, fineliners, and scented/colored pens, including in the back-to-school segment.
• Prismacolor (Newell Brands): Owned by Newell Brands, Prismacolor supplies premium markers, colored pencils, and gel pens widely used by artists and creatives; comparable adult-tilt segment of OOLY's gel pen and colored pencil lines, with strong retail and education distribution.

Direct peers

• KiwiCo: Subscription and single-purchase activity/craft kits for children across age tiers; directly comparable to OOLY's activity-kits category and Shrink-Its!/Creatibles offerings, with overlapping parent-buyer target and similar age-appropriate messaging.
• Melissa & Doug: Toy and creative-product maker focused on early-childhood imaginative and craft play, with broad retail distribution; targets the same parent/teacher buyer as OOLY and shares a play-based, screen-alternative positioning across craft and activity kits.
• Strathmore: Artist-grade sketchbook and paper-products brand widely stocked in art and stationery retail; directly comparable to OOLY's sketchbook and planner-related paper SKUs at the premium creative-consumer price point.
• Sculpey (Polyform Products): Leading polymer and air-dry clay maker with branded clay kits and DIY creative lines; overlaps OOLY's Creatibles air-dry clay kits and competes for the same parent/educator buyer in craft and classroom channels.
• Horizon Group USA: Manufacturer and brand-owner of DIY craft kits, activity kits, and licensed children's creative products; competes with OOLY in shrink-art, clay, and jewelry/craft kits across mass-market and specialty retail.

Emerging players

• Green Kid Crafts: Subscription-based STEM and craft activity kits for kids targeting eco- and education-minded parents; overlaps OOLY's activity-kits and Creatibles positioning while pursuing a subscription recurring-revenue model OOLY has not adopted.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WeAreOOLY/videos
• Xx.com/weareooly
• Facebookfacebook.com/weareooly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OOLY