Anita HC – Page 25 – VeryCreate.com

The Best Kid’s Easels with insider tips! Selecting the best easel for kids seems pretty straight forward, but take it from me, there are some key points that you may not be aware of that will make the difference between being thrilled with your purchase and having regrets later, after a few weeks of use. Read my reviews below and be sure to scroll down to the insider tips, where you can read between the lines and learn from my mistakes! If you are short on time, here is a quick link to my number one choice: 1. Best Choice >> Kid's Easel by Evergreen Art Supply Experience and creating with art help children’s intellectual growth, personal expression, self-esteem and curiosity as they explore the world. An easel has additional benefits you may not have thought of! Read on: I will never forget my first exposure to paints in kindergarten! We used tempera paints on black construction paper and we were allowed to dip household objects and cookie cutters into paint and stamp with them on paper in rich vibrant colors. I was astonished to use a potato masher and stamp a bright hot pink shape onto the paper. I remember gasping and being blown away that I could create such magic! What a revelation! It is my earliest memory of being over-the-moon proud of myself. My mom kept that little art piece covered in intriguing shapes and in a dozen colors for decades. I finally ditched it when I was about 50. THAT’S how defining and momentous creating can be for small children! You can see the joy on this child's face as she loves painting on her easel! There are some surprising features to consider when choosing the best kid’s easel! It sounds like a great idea to purchase just one all-purpose easel for toddlers that can serve for older kids as well, but we’re going to limit our choices in this article to an age bracket of 5 on up because toddlers have capabilities and limitations that need equipment specifically for them, and that age bracket lasts for such a brief time. I’ll cover that more in-depth in my partner article Best Easels For Toddlers. The needs of children are completely different from the needs of teens and adults when using an easel. Not only that, but parents have unique requirements for their kid’s easels as well that don’t often get consideration until after the purchase. The wrong choice can mean regret, frustration, more upkeep, and more work for parents! Who needs THAT can of worms! Ya go'in the wrong way! I know when I created a bedroom makeover for one of my granddaughters, I wanted her to have craft and art stations. I delved into enough research into the specifics of kid’s easels that I learned a ton about them that I had never considered before! I’m super happy with the results and she loves her new art equipment. When it comes to selecting the best easel, hopefully I can help you as well. One of my top priorities was to maximize creativity and minimize the all-over-mess that can so easily get out of hand when kids create! Another was to keep her art adventures in her bedroom and not in the family living area. Let’s face it, easels are large and while I love seeing her creativity, I don’t want to look at it all day, everyday while I’m relaxing with family or entertaining guests. Yikes! Art Fun for kids doesn’t have to mean a cleanup disaster for parents every time they use their materials. Benefits of having a kid’s art easel: The joy of creating for kids is not the same as adults and teens creating fine art! Kids are not really attempting to create a masterpiece when they play. They are exploring and expressing themselves and experiencing color and happiness. Here are just a few of the many wonderful benefits that small children experience when they stand and use an easel: By using markers, chalk and paint brushes while standing to create at an easel, they develop fine motor skills that will translate into muscle strength and coordination that they’ll use to learn to write. ( their arms and hands are positioned in a unique placement straight ahead of their torso that is a completely different motor motion from sitting at a table.) This helps develop balance, control and ease of motion Easels and their coordinating storage features keep art supplies organized and accessible and teach kids that everything has it’s place There is something intrinsically exciting and grown up about creating at an easel that thrills children Easels encourage children to create on an appropriate surface (not on the walls or furniture,or their arms, or their face, or their baby brother’s face, thank you very much!) A versatile easel can showcase so many different art materials: chalk, dry erase markers, crayons, markers, watercolors, tempera paints, magnetic alphabet letters, stencils, tracing templates, large coloring book sheets, and washable markers Multi sided easels can accommodate two or more children simultaneously Oh the joy of squeezing out all the colorful paint you want! Some features to consider when selecting an easel: Floor space. Some kids easels are so large that they would take up a large amount of floor space. I don’t know about your home, but square footage is at a premium in our home! Versatility. Some easels only do chalkboard on one side of the easel and a hard surface to hold paper on the other. Sturdy and durable construction Ease of assembly and breakdown for storage- a must when you have out of town visiting relatives and need the floor space more than you need art play Reasonable price point Ease of being cleaned up Replacement pieces available Storage for art supplies and projects Perfect size for small child that will adjust as child grows Cup holders for rinse water when painting - let’s keep those wet spills to an absolute minimum!! Extra items or materials included in the kit Roller bar for continuous feed of a roll of craft paper Magnets to anchor drawing paper while painting or drawing Really read the dimensions of the easels as you shop. One product had a fantastic price point, but was only 24 inches tall!!! The pictures looked great, but the easel would only work for SHORT toddlers or kids who sat on the floor! I’m serious. Nuts!! Exposed screws, wingnuts Top heavy with a new roll of paper and insufficient stability Here are my recommendations: 1. Kids Easel with Paper Roll +FREE Kids Art Supplies - Double Sided Childrens Easel Chalkboard / Magnetic Dry Erase Board by Evergreen Art Supply >>Check Price On Amazon<< This easel is our favorite because of many special features like five water/paint cups recessed into the wood tray for stability and three large storage bins to organize wet artwork and supplies. It isn’t adjustable, but tidiness won out for me over height adjustability. Also, the paper roll is down low, which means the easel will not be top-heavy when a new roll is being used. I'm only giving it 4 out of 5 stars for versatility because only one child at a time can use it. BUT, it can be backed into a corner of the room because you’ll never need to use the rear side, you just flip the front over while standing in front of the easel to access the backside. That is a big floor space saver for our needs! 4 out of 5 stars for versatility 4 out of 5 stars for durability 4 out of 5 stars for sturdiness 5 out of 5 stars for storage 5 out of 5 stars for compact footprint 5 out of 5 stars for extra bonus supplies Five paint or water cups recessed into the wood tray reduces chances of spilling Dry erase or chalkboard Continuous paper roll for drawing or painting Markers included Three storage bins with waterproof bottoms-but not very durable materials Colored chalks included Dry erase pens included Whiteboard eraser Set of magnetic numbers and symbols 100% guarantee Not height adjustable Not tall enough for 7 year olds on up Step by step video instructions on your phone for easy setup Lightweight enough that a child can move it around easily 2. Kids Easel with Paper Roll, Magnetic Painting Chalkboard and Dry Erase by Infanton >>Check Price On Amazon<< I'm suspicious of the plastic bracket that holds the paper roll….It is not screwed it, it just slides in...which is good for easy changing out of the roll, but not so great for heavy use. It is lightweight enough for a child to easily move around the room. 5 out of 5 stars for versatility 3 out of 5 stars for durability 4 out of 5 stars for sturdiness 4 out of 5 stars for storage 5 out of 5 stars for compact footprint 5 out of 5 stars for extra bonus supplies Three water or paint cups Large storage tray Height adjustable Bonus materials and accessories Upper paper roll Front and back sides can accommodate two children simultaneously 3. Costzon Kids Art Easel, 3 in 1 Double Durable Sided Art Easel >>Check Price On Amazon<< If you need a durable easel that will outlast multiple generations, this easel is built to last and last. The downside is that you can’t disassemble it for storage. Both sides are stationary, which means only one child can use the chalkboard supplies while the other child has to use other materials. Lots of storage options with this easel 3 out of 5 stars for versatility 5 out of 5 stars for durability 5 out of 5 stars for sturdiness 5 out of 5 stars for storage 3 out of 5 stars for compact footprint 0 out of 5 stars for extra bonus supplies Two recessed water/paint cups Lots of storage Can accommodate two children simultaneously No supplies included Surfaces do not flip over Not height adjustable Large footprint Best quality of materials 4. U.S. Art Supply Children's 3-Sided Art Activity Easel with 3 Magnetic Stations >>Check Price On Amazon<< This might be a good choice for families with three or more small children because the tri-sided easel can accommodate three kids simultaneously It’s at the top of the price point, but it is very sturdy and is made with fairly good quality wood The storage is minimal though, but with three kids or more, you’ll appreciate controlling access to a lot of supplies, so that could be a great feature! The sides are stationary 3 out of 5 stars for versatility 4 out of 5 stars for durability 5 out of 5 stars for sturdiness 2 out of 5 stars for storage 2 out of 5 stars for compact footprint 0 out of 5 stars for extra bonus supplies Tri-sided for three kids at once great wood quality Four non-spill water/paint cups 100% lifetime guarantee Three feet, ten inches tall 5. U.S. Art Supply Children's Cardiff Double-Sided Art Activity Easel >>Check Price On Amazon<< The same company, but with two sides We’re not crazy about the exposed screw bits on the inside of the legs, but the large attaching bins will keep kids from crawling under the stool 3 out of 5 stars for versatility 4 out of 5 stars for durability 5 out of 5 stars for sturdiness 4 out of 5 stars for storage 3 out of 5 stars for compact footprint 0 out of 5 stars for extra bonus supplies Six no spill water/paint cups recessed into wood Better than average wood quality Sturdy, large storage bins Adjustable height 100% lifetime guarantee Paper roll in center of easel for stability Not collapsable SIX water/paint recessed cups! Insider tips: Colored chalk does NOT vacuum out of carpet. Trust me. It also crumbles to fine powder easily Lay down a rug or tarp under the easel for easy cleanup Keep paints and markers inaccessible to kids unless you can supervise sessions Put a plastic bucket under the easel for kids to dump unused water and paint in so that they can clean up by themselves (hooray!) Remind kids to erase dry erase markers that day, because they air dry and become impossibly attached to the surface Use water erasable markers, not the permanent kind! Read the labels first! Can you guess my faux pas? Even washable markers can stain white dry erase boards if left on overly long Take digital pictures of your child’s art often then have them printed into a book of memories. You can add captions of their ages or their cute comments and it makes a wonderful permanent memory when children’s art supplies are not designed to be archival or durable- especially when they create on a large format like easels and craft paper Consider uploading some of their most prized art pieces to print on demand sites. You can gift family members their creations on mugs, plates, posters, T shirts and even fabric! Must haves: School Smart Vinyl Art Smock Apron, 22 x 16 Inches, Red >>Check Price On Amazon >Check Price On Amazon >Check Price On Amazon >Check Price On Amazon >Check Price On Amazon >Check Price On Amazon<< Just look at all these fun variations for kids to use in their art: https://youtu.be/xSsdnC896pU Here’s a fun beginning tutorial for kids about age 6 and up! https://youtu.be/swu28u4l3Fo Wahoo! Lots of fun and cool art coming your way! Let’s get some art on!!