5 Ways to Use an Art Easel
Art with kids is so much fun… and so messy! Good messy though, right? Art is one of my kid’s favorite activities and we have the crayons and paint out all of the time. Creativity is a skill to encourage and facilitate in children. And you can do that in many different ways.
I received a KidKraft Easel in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.
One of our very favorite art tools of the trade is our Deluxe Wooden Easel from KidKraft. We use it so many different ways in addition to art, but here are our top 5:
1. Art- Of course. My kids love to unroll the paper from the top and draw and color and paint to their hearts content. I love that they can have free reign over t
heir canvas and they love it so much! It is so fun to see their little bodies standing together by the easel as the create together.
2. Practice- We use the chalkboard/whiteboard sides of our easel for practicing our letters, numbers, and shapes. Fine motor movements are so important for kids to master and practice makes perfect! My son is 3 1/2-years-old and I usually draw out the letter first with small dotted lines and then he traces them, we can erase and do them over and over again!
3. Schedule- Sometimes my kids just can’t get enough questions in about what we are doing, where are we going, what day is it? Ha Ha after a day of answering the same questions over and over again I wrote them out a schedule (in pictures) on the white board. Worked like a charm.
4. Puppet Show- The white board side of the easel is the perfect canvas for a shadow puppet show! All you need is a lamp or the morning sun and your hands, but some shadow puppets on sticks are fun to add into the mix!
5. For playing games- Whether it is drawing for a guessing game, or writing sight words up to be slapped as they are read off, or even just keeping score on family night there are so many ways to use our easel while playing games!
I never would have guessed we would use our easel as much, and in so many different ways, as we do! KidKraft has several amazing options when it comes to easels. Ours is the Deluxe Wooden Easel in white. It has chalkboard on one side, whiteboard on the other. It includes two anti-spill paint cups, an easily refilled paper roll, and great trays for holding all those art supplies! It can also be adjusted to different heights as your child grows! It retails for $164.99 (but currently on sale) on Amazon. You can find more great products from KidKraft here, follow them on Facebook for more information from them!
We have art easels we use all the time. This one looks like a nice one.
What great ideas, and a fun way to use something over and over again.
I love these ideas! There is so much you can do with one great item!
Great ideas! Our easel was one of our best investments for our kids when they were younger.
I never thought of using an easel for a puppet show. What a great idea! I always wanted to have an easel when I was a kid. I’ll definitely get one for my daughter when she’s old enough.
That puppet show idea is something I hadn’t thought about. What fun easel activity ideas!
Fabulous ideas! Love the Puppet Show idea. I never thought of that!
Those are great ideas. I really love how you used it for a schedule!
Ha… I love these ideas… especially the puppets! So cute. Thanks for sharing
I loved the puppet show Idea. Clearly I am out of my element haha since my girls are grown but keeping in mind for when I have grandbabies. 馃檪
They look like they really enjoyed that. We need to invest in one of these! Great ideas!
I had no clue there were so many ways to use an easel! Great post.
Oh that puppet show is just so cute! I never thought of that feature! We used our easel as a great way to help practice letters and numbers too. Great uses for easels and kids!
We had an easel in our home when we were kids. I had forgotten all about it until I read your post. We loved playing with it. I am going to try to budget for one for my kids from my next check.
I am a huge fan of art easels. This one seems to have all the bells and whistles!
Great ideas! I love finding new ways to use my kids toys and creative tools. It really helps extend the lives of their various toys and doodads.
These are great tips. I love finding new, creative ways to use household items.
I never even thought of using git for shadow puppets – smart! Thanks for the ideas!
We had one and I had to donate it because it was too bulky for us. I love these ideas though, and it makes me sad I had to get rid of our’s.
I would use it in my homeschooling for my boys copy work!
We have an easel and my boys use it for painting. I love your ideas.
Great ideas! I have a few easels around my house and my kids aren’t using them right now. Thanks for the tips on repurposing them.
How fun to do a puppet show with the easel!