Is an easel or toddler table better for painting for 2 yo?

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Just about to order a bundle of arts stuff for ds and wanted adice on table vs easel? If easel, what is the best and most cost effective type?

Sorry - advice!

Younger children find it easier to draw on an upright surface due to the grip they are learning to use - this is why parents are often driven mad by children drawing on walls rather than paper provided!! So, at that age I would definitely go with an easel. You can find some lovely ones that have a blackboard on one side and a magnetic whiteboard on the other, so no matter what your child decides to use he/she will have space to do so with or without paper.

Not sure where to get them from, though, sorry. Hopefully someone else will be along in a moment with more advice!

Easel better for anything non-runny (crayons etc), table better for actual painting (no drips ruining the special big fat blob with arms picture of Mummy).

Early learning centre used to do very sturdy easels with a magnetic surface (but I bought mine about 13 years ago), and I think I've seen basic ones in Ikea.

Brilliant advice! Thank you.

My dc had an easel from Ikea as toddlers. It is backboardone side and whiteboard the other, it had a rollof paper on it for painting.

It's a fantastic toy and still used now, at 6 and 8 yo.

i'd use your table with oilcloth on it for crafts etc.

The Melissa & Doug easel is brilliant and comes from amazon. It has several heights so it grows with them and is blackboard and whiteboard as well as an easel.

My ds2 is 2 and finds it much easier to use an easel. We have the step 2 one from amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Helper-Wooden-ArtStation-Blackboard/dp/B008D21TX4/ref=sr_1_7?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1361392462&sr=1-7

I've just bought this for my DD's 2nd birthday. No idea if she will like it - she'd better!

We got a wooden easel for dd(2) from elc they don't do the exact one now but do have similar. They are double sided with a chalkboard on one side and a magnetic whiteboard on the other.

Dd has this one from ELC.

It's strong, well-made, and heavy enough to be in no danger of tipping over. The paper roll wasn't much use, but dd uses the big magnets to stick A4 sheets of paper to the magnetic side of the board.

Make sure the blackboard side is one that actually takes chalk. If its plasticky the chalk just scores the surface IYSWIM.

The Ikea one is great. The ELC one went to the Boot fair.

We have the ikea one. Here

Its a bit light, but seems to be holding up well. Its £16, so not a massive loss if it turns out to be something they dont like.