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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing easel, but not of the highest quality, January 6, 2008
Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
This easel was the hit of Christmas for my 18-month-old nephew. The adjustability of the trays, white board, and chalk board is terrific and I hope the easel will last long enough for him to use it for many, many years. The two trays are large and have very well-designed compartments. The paint tray holds four standard non-spill paint cups (from Melissa & Doug or various other brands) perfectly. The lowest height is perfect for an 18-month old. If your child can walk about, s/he is tall enough to use the easel.
Assembling the easel was not difficult - just took some time and I am glad I did it before Christmas. There were two real quality issues. The holes drilled into the legs are countersunk on the backside so that the screws slip in nicely. BUT one of the 4 legs had screws countersunk on the wrong side. Luckily I had a No. 10 countersink, but was worried about compromising the integrity of the leg by added drilling. Had I not had the tools, which are not common household tools, I would not have been able to put the esel together, and there would have been no present in time for Christmas.
The four legs you see are 6 pieces - 2 sets of HALF legs joined by a hinge at the top and 4 lower legs that join to the upper leg (hope your screw holes are drilled correcly). Because the four legs are not single pieces, the easel is a wee bit rickety and I fearthat over time, with readjusting the height, the easel will become less sound nd a leg with break.
Also, the colorful plastic safety nuts are really bute, but not designed for long wear and frequent adjustability. The threading is just plastic - no interior metal threads. One nut was not threaded well and so I used it on the least load-bearing part. I suppose I could find metal nuts when these wear out, but the colored ones are so cute - and safer.
My nephew is not rough, but leaned on the trays to reach the top and he is young and experimental. He LOVED to paint - brush in both hands going at the same time. Took a small taste or the red paint and also briefly experienced the feel of painting his leg before he discovered that he could make wonderful designs moving the paint on the paper around with his arms and eventually his face. It was great. He was not rough or destructive, just got his whole self into it. For that reason, I am worried that the legs - in 2 pieces screwed together in the center and held with a plastic nut - will not withstand the passionate way in which he paints.
An easel is an amazing toy for any child. S/he will share it with friends and other siblings. S/he may use it very often. An easel that is adjustable is intended to grow with your child (or children). And so it should be built solidly to last. An adjustable easel that does not make it long enough to need adjusting is pointless. This easel is made OK, just not as well as it should habe been. My easel growing up did not have a white board, was not adjustable, and not as amazingly cute, but it was TOUGH. You would need an axe to break it.
The chalk board is great - I recommend getting a box of several-colored bright chunky chalk. Funny how very youg children who have never seen an easel know exactly what it is for. We were are all greatful for the chalkboard - he wanted to paint all the time, so being able to guide him to the chalk came as a relief when we were not in the mood for a painted baby and the chalk is accessible to him at any time. He would wander by it, put a toy down, scribble a bit, experiment "drawing" with the eraser through his drawing, and then leave his masterpiece. He would be back in an hour.
All in all, I am thrilled. He loved to color and finger paint, but it was a project to get the supplies out at his age and required 100% supervision. He didn't think to ask to paint or draw - the supplies were put away. With the easel (now in their kitchen) he can create whenever. And he does often - picks up chalk as he walks by, scribbles carefully, and goas on his way. Art is so good for his creativity and mind and imagination and the easel makes it so much more accessible - just a wonderful thing!
I recommend getting a large set (8 - 10) non-spill paint cups with lids. Theye have color-coded lids and you can pour pint in them and just reseal the cups so it is easy to set up and clean up. Several brushes with thick handles and bristles. Lots of chunky chalk and an eraser. LOTs of washable paint. Extra rolls of paper. I bought a set of Crayola paints, but they were gone quick the way he lays the paint on. I am thinking of buying the large jugs of paint.
OH - the easel does not come with a floor mat as depicted, but a large garbage bag does the trick. But the paint washes off floors and everything else very easily anyway.
SO - buy and set up well ahead of time in case you get the defects I found - countersunk hole on wrong side and bad nut. Fixable, but you may need to get the tools and hardware to fix them,
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love the easel disappointed with the contruction, January 17, 2009
Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Alex Toys Magnetic Artist Easel (Toy)
The plastic screw caps have plastic threads unlike the Melissa and Doug easel with metal threads. The plastic threads strip very easily and we had to glue several cap back on after transporting the easel to my daughter's house. I don't know if we can find any caps to replace them; will see how long this easel last. It was the only easel with a magnetic white board. I emailed the company on Dec 26 and have yet to hear from them. Very disappointed in the caps, this easel may not last if we cannot replace the caps, if you don't need the magnetic white board buy the Melissa and Doug brand.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
disappointed for the price, February 26, 2009
Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Alex Toys Magnetic Artist Easel (Toy)
I purchased this easel for my 2 and 4 year olds for this past Christmas. The price is a bit steep for the quality. Some of the screws would not tighten so we had to find one that we had in the house to hold better. Another has fallen out since then so the chalkboard is not completed secure at this point. Also the bars that go on the sides are both for the right side so we had to put one backward which makes folding up the easel a bit awkward. I don't think the chalkboard is the best quality as the chalk does not show up very well.
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