My 4-year old son absolutely loves to paint and draw. He also likes to practice writing his numbers and letters. All of this writing and drawing has led to a house full of paper. I hate waste, so I needed a way to curb the waste and keep him (and myself) happy at the same time. A friend of mine suggested buying an easel.
As most of my friends know, I never buy anything without first doing some research. So I did some research into easels for kids and found one that I thought would be great. The one I found and eventually purchased, was the Melissa & Doug Easel. Read on to see what I uncovered during my research.
Melissa & Doug Easel Review
The Melissa and Doug Deluxe Easel is geared for children ages 3 and up. It is a 2-station easel with a large chalkboard on one side and a dry erase board on the other side. This double sided feature would work well for siblings. Children can stand in front of the easel to work on their masterpieces. A dowel between the two easels can hold a roll of art paper. Simply pull the paper to either side of the easel and let your child paint or draw on it.
When the painting and drawing is done, the paper can be torn neatly across the top using the child-safe paper cutter that comes with the easel. A new length of paper can be pulled down for the next artwork. The easel also comes with sturdy clips that you can use to hold large-sized individual art paper on the easel’s surface.
Some Assembly Required
The Melissa & Doug easel requires some assembly. I hate it when I buy an item and it needs to be assembled. However, the directions to assemble the easel are easy to follow. Two people may be needed to mount the dry erase board and chalkboard, as it can be difficult to keep the easel frame steady while mounting the boards.
Built-in Storage Trays
Storage trays are built-in on both sides of the easel to hold art supplies such as chalk, crayons and paint. One tray is a long trough that can hold pens or chalk. The other tray has four spaces for paint cups. Additional sections can hold paint brushes and other art supplies. I really like this feature.
Children can easily get the art materials they need. When your little artist decides to call it a day, he can put away his markers, paint, crayons and other art materials in their proper place.
Art Makes Learning Fun
Experts on early childhood education say that preschoolers learn many valuable lessons while working on easels. Painting or drawing encourages motor development. Painting also gives the child the opportunity to experiment with colors, shapes and different textures offered by different art media.
Young children love to draw with chalk or paint with poster paints. Preschoolers, like my son, can learn how to make different colors by mixing paints. An easel makes it easier to draw and paint without having to reach awkwardly across a table or kneel on the floor.
Educational Toy
The Melissa & Doug wooden easel is also an educational item. My son loves to play school with the chalkboard side. The easel’s adjustable height allows it to accommodate little kids as they grow.
Easy Cleanup
Artwork for young children is often messy. That’s why parents will appreciate the Melissa & Doug easel’s easy-to-clean design. The storage trays and board can be removed and washed individually. You’ll want to use only washable paints with this toy. I make sure that everything my son uses is washable as he tends to get whatever medium he’s working with all over the place.
To clean up the wet or dried paint all you need is a wet paper towel. An eraser can be used to wipe off chalk or a dry erase marker. If the dry erase marks are left on the board for a couple of days, the board may appear stained. However, you can wipe off the marks with a wet paper towel.
For easy storage, unscrew the crossbars and fold the easel flat. You can now stand it against a wall or store it under a bed.
Art Supplies Not Included
I was a little disappointed by the fact that art supplies were not included with the Melissa & Doug easel. If you don’t want to disappoint your child, you must purchase the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Companion Set separately. This collection of art supplies includes 4 bottles of poster paint and 4 spill-proof paint cups. It also includes an easel paper roll, paint brushes, chalk, dry-erase marker and eraser.
You will need two erasers, one for the chalkboard and one for the dry-erase board. You may also want to buy the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Paper 3-pack so you’ll always have extra rolls of paper on hand. Artist’s smocks are also available to help keep clothing clean.
Consumer Reviews
In doing my research, I learned that many other parents agreed that the Melissa & Doug easel was sturdy, durable and easy to assemble, plus it provides educational entertainment and fun for young kids. Parents also love the paper roll holder, and the fact that the boards and trays are adjustable to accommodate the child’s height.
Complaints
For most parents, the biggest complaint was the quality of the chalkboard. A significant number of customers reported that the chalkboard on the easel they received scratched easily and chalk would not write on the board. The problem persisted even after sanding and priming the board, as advised by customer service. Many parents ended up re-painting the chalkboard with chalkboard paint, or having a replacement chalkboard shipped to them. I haven’t experienced this problem so I’m not sure how widespread it is.
Nevertheless, parents say their kids do love the wooden easel, but they wish it would come with at least a few accessories, like paper or chalk, so it can be used right away. As it is, you must also purchase art supplies and paper together with the easel.
Overall, customers say it is a great product that their kids thoroughly enjoy. I can definitely relate as my son absolutely loves his easel. relate to other parents.
Where Can You Buy the Melissa & Doug Easel?
You can buy this children’s easel from Amazon. They are currently offering free shipping on this item, and as far as I can tell, they currently have the best deal on the market especially since they have the free shipping option. Please be sure to visit them to view this item on Amazon.
Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Melissa & Doug Easel?
The best place for reviews from people who actually use the product is Amazon.
