Hello Moms out there! My 8 yr old is really talented in art and painting so for her birthday we would like to get her an easel. I see a lot of easels that are more for toddlers. I have my eye on the Melissa & Doug easel but on the website it doesn't list the dimensions and I'm not sure if it's more suitable for toddlers or if it will work for older kids. I want it to last for a few years at least and also I'd like my 10 yr old to be able to use it too. Lastly, I don't want to spend a fortune on this either :) Any suggestions on different brands and how you liked the product, how much you paid etc. would be very helpful. Thank you, Corinna
We have the Melissa & Doug easel and it is perfect for my almost four year old. I think it will still be a great size for several more years, but for an eight or ten year old I would go with taller one.
Ikea sells a good one that's not babyish. I don't recall what I paid for it, but remember it was a bargain.
If your child is seriously interested in art, I would skip the kids easels and get an actual artist's easel.
A full standing one can start at about $50, (at dick blick... look up bamboo lyre easel)
tabletop easels are less than that. You may also be able to find a presentation easel at an office supply store for about $20-$30. I think that good quality materials can really help nourish a young artist...
A better investment at this age might be summer art classes at a community center/ art center. Those can help her explore her interests and then she can find out what tools she needs. Is she a painter, a sketch artist, printmaking? My artist's easel cost $250... and I got it in high school.... but at her age I took a ton of painting, drawing, and photography classes! Oh, and i entered work into the county fair...
Good Luck!
-M.
I am with Rachel D. there are a lot of great easel selections at Michael's...you should check there or other craft stores in your area?
I bought a real artist's easel for $10 or $15 from Michaels... want it?
