Image: Flickr
Art is beneficial for kids in so many interesting ways.
It helps them learn how to solve problems, improves communication and builds self-esteem. It improves their emotional intelligence, stimulates both sides of the brain, and opens them up to new ideas.
So why not create the perfect space at your house where your pint-sized Picasso can express his or her creativity?
If that's your plan, you need to get your hands on the right equipment, so we're bringing you a round-up of the best art easels for kids.
Before we get into the finer details of each product, check out the table below for a quick look at our favorite products.
Quick comparison: Best art easel for kids
Easel | Features we love | Rating | Buy it now |
|---|---|---|---|
Melissa & Doug 
| - Easy to store as it folds flat | ||
Step2 Flip and Doodle 
| - Durable with tons of storage | ||
Cra-Z-Art 3-in-1 Artist Easel 
| - Comes with 35 ft. paper roll | ||
Step2 Easel for Two 
| - Comes with 77 foam and | ||
Hape Early Explorer 
| - Whiteboard is also magnetic | ||
Little Partners 
| - Fantastic quality | ||
Little Partners 
| - Independently height adjustable |
Aspects to consider when picking out an easel include whether or not the height can be adjusted, how much storage it has, if multiple children can use it simultaneously, and if it's compact and folds up nicely.
Read on for all the details on some of the best art easels for kids on the market.
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel
This is one of your favorite easels, as it comes from one of the most trusted names in children's products. It's recommended for kids ages 3 through 10.
Aside from that, it's got an extremely sturdy wooden frame, it's easy to put together, and it's got all the fixins': a dry erase board, a chalkboard, a paper cutter (a safe one for kids to use), 4 grip clips, 2 plastic trays and a paper-roll holder that locks the paper in place.
What we love:
- It's double-sided
- It has 3 height adjustments
- It folds up easily, so it's convenient to store
What we don't love:
- The dry erase board is, unfortunately, not magnetic
- Some previous buyers say the chalkboard scratches easily (but have remedied this by painting it with chalkboard paint)
- Some say the plastic trays could be stronger
Step2 Flip and Doodle Desk with Stool Easel
If you're looking for something that's versatile, then this easel is a very interesting candidate. The work surface is pretty large, accommodating a wide range of projects. It's recommended for kids ages 2 through 8.
You get your easel, but the easel can be folded down, creating the perfect desktop for your kiddo.
It comes complete with a dry erase board that's magnetic, trays for storing art supplies like markers, and its own stool. It also has storage galore: 4 bins and a storage area in the back for books.
What we love:
- It's easy to assemble and lightweight
- The clip holds artwork in place
- It's small enough that it doesn't take up too much room
What we don't love:
- If using the stool on laminate or wood floors, you might want to add non-skid pads
- A stool may not be the best choice for a toddler or a preschooler; a chair would have been more suitable
- It doesn't accommodate a standard size easel pad
Cra-Z-Art 3 in 1 Artist Easel
Here's another great option. This easel, though simpler than the previous two, provides an excellent place for your child to unleash his inner artist. It's recommended for kids ages 3 to 12.
It's double sided, featuring a chalkboard on one side and a dry erase board on the other, and it comes with 2 convenient washable trays for storing art supplies.
It also comes with a 35-foot paper roll.
What we love:
- It's wooden, which potentially makes it sturdier than plastic
- It's easy to assemble
- Art trays detach for easy cleaning
What we don't love:
- The white board is not magnetic
- The colored sections of the easel are not painted but, rather, covered in colored tape
- Does not use standard size paper, so you have to buy special paper (but it's easy to find)
Step2 Easel for Two with Magnetic Letters and Numbers
Here's a great plastic easel for your little artist. This easel accommodates two kids, and is recommended for littles ones ages 3 to 8.
It shares a lot of the same characteristics with the other easels: it has a clip on both sides to hold paper in place, and it has trays to store a range of art supplies, from markers and chalk to erasers and paintbrushes.
But this model comes with an added bonus in the form of 77 foam magnetic letters and numbers, which can be used on the easel's magnetic side.
What we love:
- It's sturdy enough to stand up to rough use by toddlers
- It's easy to fold up and store
- The clips at the top are very strong
What we don't love:
- The legs of the easel may slip on hardwood floors
- The chalkboard is not magnetic
- Some say the magnetic letters are on the flimsy side
Hape Early Explorer All-in-One Wooden Easel
If the height of your easel is an important factor, and it may very well be as you want it to accommodate your growing kids, this is a good candidate. It's recommended for children ages 3 to 8.
Hape is a trusted name in children's products, and this easel is child safe and is made with non-toxic finishes.
With two different sides for your kiddo to play on—a magnetic whiteboard and a chalkboard—this wooden easel promises hours days years of fun for your little one.
It comes with three color-coded sealable paint pots and a replaceable paper roll at the top, as well as a spacious tray to store markers and paintbrushes.
What we love:
- The easel is compact and easy to store
- The wood is sourced from sustainably sourced forests
- Special clamps hold paper flat and in place
What we don't love:
- Only works with 15-inch paper rolls, as opposed to the standard 18-inch ones
- It's difficult to remove paint from the natural wood frame
- Previous customers say the paper roll that comes with the easel could be longer
Little Partners Deluxe Art Easel
This is a more upscale art easel for kids, and we love it for so many reasons.
Like many of the other models, it has the chalkboard and magnetic dry erase board. It's also got tons of storage for all of your budding artist's art supplies. That includes storage shelves, an art tray, 4 non-spill paint cups and two large fabric bins.
What's especially neat about this easel is that the bottom section can be removed, and the easel can be placed on top of a table.
There are paper clips on each side, so your kiddo can create his or her masterpiece on one side, and then clip it to the other side to let it dry.
What we love:
- The paper holder is easy to refill
- The height is adjustable, which makes it suitable for very small kids
- Great quality and lightweight
What we don't love:
- Some previous buyers say assembly is slightly challenging
Little Partners Tri-Side Art Easel
This is the mother of all art easels for kids.
This tri-side easel, which is as sturdy as they come, features a chalkboard, dry erase board and a felt board. It's also height adjustable, which means it grows right along with your child.
It comes equipped with non-spill paint cups, pencil ledges and trays, a large bottom shelf for storage, a roll of paper and an eraser.
This is the perfect art station for multiple children to use simultaneously,
What we love:
- Great quality material and design
- Plenty of room for multiple kids to use
- Very sturdy
- Previous customers say it's worth every penny
What we don't love:
- Assembly is quite challenging
- It does not come with felt shapes for the felt board
- It's larger than most easels and, therefore, takes up more space
- The styrofoam that the easel is packed in creates a huge mess
Now, if you're going to buy an easel, you might want to pick up some art materials while you're at it.
The following products were recommended by people who purchased the models detailed above.
Top picks include:
1. Crayola Sidewalk Chalk
2. Chalkola Neon Chalk Pens
3. Melissa & Doug Easel Paper Roll - 18 inch
(not suitable for all easels)
4. Guidecraft Replacement Paper Roll - 15 inch
5. Crayola Art Smock
6. Melissa & Doug Easel Accessory Set
We hope you found this list of the best art easels for kids to be helpful. Let us know how we did in the comments!
