Melissa and Doug Standing Deluxe Easel: Save 33% and Get FREE Shipping

When it comes to arts and crafts, the Melissa and Doug Wooden Easel is first in its class.Continually a top-seller on Amazon.com, this toy is one that provides hours upon hours of fun for your family's toddler-aged child.

It comes with a chalkboard on one side, a dry erase board on the other, and the ability to add a paper roll for painting activities, too! This easel for kids is recommended for the age range of 3 and up. I bought one for my daughter at age 3 and she still uses it to this day, so it's a long-term investment your child will never grow tired of.

One of the best things about the Melissa & Doug Easel is that is stores away neatly for you when and if you need it to - you can put it in a corner, in a closet, or even lay it down flat and push it under a bed. It's not a big, bulky toy that takes up a lot of room.

If you buy the easel, then you'll want to make sure you get the Melissa Doug Easel Companion Set, too. There are actually several types of companion sets. Some of the Easel packages come with them, or you can buy the easel by itself and pick up companion arts and crafts sets in your local retail store if you prefer.

Some of the Melissa & Doug Art Easel arts and crafts companion sets come with the following items:

Bottles of Poster Paint
Spill-Proof Paint Cups
Easel Paper Rolls
Chalk
Paint Brushes
Dry Erase Marketers
Erasers

You might also want to pick up a Melissa & Doug drop cloth (to save your floors!) or an artist's smock for your child to wear as he or she creates wonderful masterpieces.

Accessories are usually reserved for dress-up games. But in the case of this arts and crafts toy, you'll want to get your child some Melissa and Doug Easel Accessories to enhance their playtime. First and foremost, you want to avoid messes when your child plays. So get a drop cloth and an artist's smock for them. This way you protect their clothes and your floors from the mess.

Other accessories you'll want are the art supplies. Your child can do a lot with the Melissa Doug Easels, so you'll want to have rgeular and colored chalk on hand for them to draw with, in addition to a soft eraser so they can start over. Paints are a must-have, too. With the paper rolls, they can make an endless supply of pictures for you to hang on your refrigerator. Be sure to get paint brushes, finger paints and spill-proof cups, too!

Dry erase markers run out fast, so make sure you have a steady supply of those, too. A dry erase marker will be good in addition to the chalk eraser because they won't have to get chalk residue on the dry erase side of their new easel. And here's another idea - little girls love stickers! (So do boys come to think of it)! Let them scroll a piece of the paper down and place Melissa & Doug stickers all over it - or allow them to use the many stamp sets this brand makes and stamp all over the paper roll supply.

Are there are Melissa & Doug Easel Instructions that you need to know to refill the paper rolls or clean the easel? How about putting the easel together in the first place?

You moms and dads will be happy to know that this toy isn't one that comes in a million and one tiny pieces for you to put together like a jigsaw puzzle on Christmas Eve. It's almost there - you just have to put a couple of items together (like attaching the tray that holds the crafts) and stand it up for your child to marvel at.

All you need is an Allen wrench - and they supply that! Then you unpack everything (I highly recommend getting the Amazon.com frustration-free packing that's available through one of the links on this page). You should find all of the following items:

* 1 Dry-Erase Board
* 1 Chalkboard
* 2 Upper hinged legs
* 4 lower legs
* 1 paper guide/cutter with logo
* 1 upper art board frame with logo
* 2 lower art board frames
* 2 leg braces
* 1 paper roll dowel
* 20 short screws, 6 long screws, 1 Allen wrench
* 26 plastic knobs (wing nuts)
* 4 plastic clips
* 1 red plastic tray
* 1 blue plastic tray molded with pot holders

Basically, the instructions walk you through it easily - it only requires 1 person to do. You're jus attaching the legs so it'll stand upright, and making sure the art supplies have a place to hang out :)