Toddler Toys: Magnetic Whiteboard Easels

One of the most versatile toys you can get is an easel. It allows for many activities as well as ages. It makes a perfect gift for a special occasion like a birthday or Christmas.

There are a wide variety of easels available for children on the market. They are table top easels, stand alone, chalkboard, white erase and magnetic. They can range in price from $20 to over $100 US. Prices are often determined by size, company, and versatility.

PAINTING: Although painting is the first activity you think of when you say the word easel, we do most of our painting on flat surfaces. We do like to han partially dry art work up to finish drying.

DRAWING Chalk is fun to draw on and easy for children to erase. Small pieces need to be kept out of young toddlers reach. I store in a container and used only when children could be monitored.

DRY ERASE BOARD Dry Erase Pens provide vivid color, however most are not washable so you need a smock or old t-shirt. Crayola Dry Erase Crayons are a great alternative that comes with a sharpener in the box and a mitt to rub off the board. Young toddlers will need help wiping off the crayons with the mitt but we found that a baby wipe will clean it right off very easily and no residue.

DISPLAY Artwork or place to hang art to dry. Display a calendar or chart.

#1 USE: Magnetic Board for Letters and other Magnets My children use the board routinely since they received it. They love to put pictures they drew up with magnets and even spell words. We also learned that magnets do not stick on the front of stainless steel refrigerators

Here are a few more suggestions for activities using Magnetic Letters and Animals

Having two children able to stand side by side or on either side of the easel is a plus.

The white magnetic background makes magnets stand out visually.

It comes with clips which makes this a great way to pin work they have done, great for holding up recipes for cooking, number and alphabet charts, cards with their names on it.

Storage and Mobility...Can it fold up and be stored? Can I carry it up and down the stairs?

While tabletop easels take up less room space it does take up table space. You also would want to place it on a low table for easier monitoring.

The tray makes a handy place for storing items as well as keeping drips off the floor when painting.

How sturdy is it? Is it heavy enough NOT to push over easily?

Examine the hinges so that little fingers won't get pinched easily.

How easy is it to fold up to store if needed.

Our photo shows an easel we purchased from Lakeshore. They have great products for the classroom and homeschooling.

A very popular easels is the Little Tikes Double Easel which is a two sided easel has chalkboard on one side and a large clip to hold paper pad on other. Large removable trays are easy to clean and easel folds for easy storage.

Consider an easel that is sturdy and heavy enough that is shouldn't tip or move during normal use. An easel that folds to store easily if needed is always a plus. Make sure hinges are secure so that only an adult can fold the easel up so there are no fingers accidentally being pinched. As you all know it takes but a second for children to think of creative ways to use toddler toys, so take time to place it in a safe location. Always check the most current recalls on all toddler toys that you select. Product materials and specifications can change over time. I have a direct link on the Toddler Toys Home Page.