Half-size means the barrels are cut short rather than the usual full length, and for a nursery or early-primary child that is a genuine advantage. A short pencil sits closer to the hand, tips over less when a child presses at an angle, and slides into a small pencil pouch without sticking out of the zip.

The Kolortots box carries an illustrated pirate scene across the front, with a crocodile, a hippo, a parrot, a dolphin and a turtle on a raft. The 12 Colors badge sits in the corner, and the die-cut window on the front lets you check the pencils are all present before the box goes into a school bag.

Twelve colours cover the range a child actually reaches for in a colouring book: brown, red, pink, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, purple, grey and black. Each barrel is finished in the colour of its own lead, so a child picks the right one by sight without opening every pencil.

At this price it works as a second set to leave in a school bag, or as a party-bag and prize filler, where a full-price art set would be an expensive thing to lose. Parents ordering school supplies in bulk often take several boxes at once.

Safencia lists the Oro Kolortots 12 colour pencils at Rs. 140 with Cash on Delivery across Pakistan. WhatsApp confirms stock, your city and delivery charges before dispatch, wherever in Pakistan you are ordering from.

Why this product is worth considering