These Are the Best Art Easels for Kids, According to the Pros

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Tired of wiping finger paint off your walls? It might be time to invest in an easel for your little one. Perfectly tilted so they can observe their works of art in progress, the best art easels for kids will encourage creativity while also keeping your walls nice and clean. Melissa & Doug, Colorations, and Hape all make some impressive (and reasonably priced) easels that are available on Amazon. Then again, if you want to go a more bespoke direction, Creative Chaos, Créer & Co., and Whitney Brothers are all small businesses you can support.

If you're not quite sure where to start, consider what medium your child gravitates towards: paint, chalk, crayons, or pens. There are art easels with chalkboards, whiteboards, or both. Most come with clips to secure paper to the top, for painting or drawing. There are small easels for young children, large easels for older kids, and we even found the best travel easel for when you're on the go. (A travel easel might actually be the best keep-kids-busy-on-an-airplane hack we've seen.) Below, you'll find 10 picks selected by artists, teachers, and pros in the childcare space.

All-in-One Art Easel for Kids

"This easel is a great choice for young children because it has a low height and safety knobs that cover the side screws, making it safe for toddlers to use," says Amira Martin, a professor and therapist who works with children. "It's a dual-sided easel with a chalkboard and whiteboard, so kids can switch up their medium for creativity." It also comes with a ton of accessories!

2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Easel

Easels aren't just for inside! "This Colorations easel is a brightly colored and easy-to-clean easel that works well outdoors," says Martin. "It's adjustable and versatile, making it a great choice for kids who love to create in the fresh air." While it's not a traditional whiteboard or chalkboard, it does come with clips on top for paper.

3-in-1 Travel Easel

Yes, they even make travel-friendly easels now! Martin is a fan of this option from Faber-Castell. "It's a durable, brightly colored, and easy-to-travel-with easel that comes with markers and other art supplies. It's a great option for families on the go or for keeping kids entertained on long or short road trips."

Double-Sided Magnetic Tabletop Easel

"This easel is perfect for a preschool classroom that works in small groups," says Melissa McCall, a preschool literacy teacher and founder of Moving Little Minds. "The easel is magnetic, which allows the teacher to use magnetic letters in small group learning. It is very versatile, allowing for chalk, magnetic, paint, and dry erase markers!" It's also ideal if you just happen to be a little low on space.

3-in-1 Kids Art Easel With Storage

Amazon reviewers love this easel for its sturdy, modern design. It comes with a paper roll at the top (a must) and tons of storage below. You'll need it for all the crayons, colored pencils, markers, chalk, and paint brushes.

Art Easel For Kids

"If you're looking for an easel that supports different mediums, the Joyoos Art Easel for Kids is a fantastic choice," says Martin. "It's a double-sided magnetic easel that can be used with chalk, crayons, pencils, or paint, and it comes with a paper roll on top to keep kids' imaginations and assignments flowing."

All-in-One Wooden Kids Art Easel

Qing Zhuang, an illustrator, elementary school art teacher, and author, says her artist friends love this Hape model for child artists. Recommended for kids between three and eight years old, it'll have a long shelf life in your playroom.

Mobile Art Center (Two Station Set)

Art educator and Fine Art Tutorials publisher Emily Clare knows the best easel for a classroom is something a little heavier duty. "This two-sided easel comes with adjustable paint trays and write and wipe panels, making it perfect for all ages from 2 1/2 to 6 years old," she says. "It also has clips to hang paper or other artwork, giving kids the opportunity to work on separate pieces that they can showcase. The easel itself is very sturdy, so kids can be as expressive with their drawing techniques as they like! It will last for many years of creative exploration. Overall, this product is a great option for younger budding artists looking for an all-in-one art station!"

Table Top Art Easel

Martin calls this easel a "simple, easy-to-use, and portable option that's great for families with limited space." It doesn't come with any bells and whistles, but it's a great option for those just getting started on building their art kit. The business also sells neat paint kits for kids.

Small Black Easel

Donna Paul, Montessori teacher and co-creator of That's So Montessori, advocates for easels from a family-owned brand. "Créer & Co. has created the perfect art easels for kids: aesthetically beautiful, handmade, and sustainable Montessori-aligned easels for the classroom or home. This art easel is designed with children in mind, making it easier for them to make art and express their creativity."

What to look for when shopping for art easels for kids

✔️ Weight and durability: Consider who will be using this (kids) and how they'll need to interact with it. If it's a travel easel, the lighter the better. If it's in the home, perhaps you need something sturdy yet capable of being moved. If multiple kids are using it in a classroom setting, a heavy easel might be better so it doesn't get knocked around.

✔️ Type: Not all easels are meant to look and feel like a traditional adult easel. Tabletop easels are great for younger children who may not have the patience to stand long and fold-out easels are better for travel. "For more serious budding artists, A-frame easels are the most appropriate option," says Clare. "They’re sturdier and can support heavier artwork, so they’re also perfect for professional painters who may be working on larger canvases, painting with acrylic or oil paints. If your child is thinking about taking art as a subject at school, this would be a great investment for a first easel."

✔️ Storage: If you don't have a place to store pots of paint at home, get an easel that comes with built-in shelves underneath. It may not hold all their various equipment, but the shelves will help contain the chaos. At the very least, there should be a small shelf for the paint pots directly below the canvas area.

FAQ

• Are there different easels for different types of art? Yes, Clare says. "There are multiple different types of easels that all suit different kinds of practices and experience levels. Easels made for young kids look a little different to traditional artists' easels. They tend to look more like workstations, are often mobile, with wipeable panels. Of course they're also smaller than regular easels, so kids can easily stand to draw."

• What feature should you look for when buying a beginner easel? "Activity stations with write and wipe panels are great for younger kids, but make sure they come with clips, so you can clip paper on top to produce separate artworks."

• What's a red flag when it comes to buying art easels for kids? All the pros agreed: Sturdiness is key! Whether you're buying for a toddler or an older kid, this thing will be pushed around a bit — especially if they're an aggressive wielder of crayons.

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