easel recommendation they they will share

I am looking to get an easel for my kids- preferably a chalk one (i think it will be less messy then markers/paint) but one that tehy can share, two sided BUT the same on both sides - i saw one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00295WCJQ/?tag=mytwins02-20 but i think they will end up fighting over who gets which side if they aren't exactly the same.. or if anyone knows of a good but cheaper one for me to get 2 of? do any of you have easels for your twins and do they share or do you have two?? thanks!

 

We got this KidKraft one (or one very much like it) and I highly recommend it. The whiteboard is KEY -- that's the side we have always used the most.

FWIW, I find chalk a lot messier than dry erase markers! Yes, paint is messy (even at age 6, we only do that as a supervised activity with almost constant parental involvement), but chalk gets all over their hands and then they track it everywhere. The biggest problem with markers (which, again, we still have at age 6) is that they don't put the caps back on and then the markers dry out. It drives me insane. But it's worth it for how much use we've gotten out of that thing.

When you do want to paint, you just roll the paper down on either side and tape it down.

It's also very sturdy. When they were younger they could even climb in and hide on the storage shelf. (It would probably still hold them, but they're too tall now.) The little holes for paint cups (or cups of markers ) are very handy too.

Yes, this one is a lot more expensive than the Step 2, but I think it has a lot more staying power. We bought ours at Costco for more like $100 (not $130 as at Amazon) -- it might be worth keeping an eye out there, or seeing if they have it online.

 

We have this one from Ikea

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50021076/


It has a whiteboard on one side and chalkboard on the other. There is a way to hang paper for painting but it's been a while since I've done that as the twins are not ready yet.

 

but do they fight over who gets the white board side or who gets which side? or is it big enough that they can both use one side at the same time?

 

When I was a kid my parents just bought a big dry erase board that was 4 feet long and attached it to the wall... maybe you could consider that instead?

I'm not ready to trust my kids with that kind of stuff yet! I agree though, chalk is messier, but at least it cleans up easily.

 

I think you can get away with the sides being different, as long as it comes with a way to clip paper to it. We have one we got second hand and I clip paper up for them to color with crayons, which is something they can do unsupervised. It has a white board and a chalk board side, but the white board is a pain to clean crayon off and I agree with the PP that chalk is messy! It ends up getting tracked all over the place. I even hate the dust it leaves on the easle and tray.

 

We have a step 2 One and the ikea one. I would get 2 of the ikea one. It folds up pretty flat, and this way they can both work on the chalk or the white board.

 

I don't remember it being a problem having two different sides -- I'm sure there have been times when they both wanted to use it, but they took turns (with "help" if necessary). It's no different IMO than any other toy we don't have two of.

 

We have this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AUWKG/?tag=mytwins02-20 and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Honestly, they don't fight over sides, but they both prefer the white board. We practice shapes, letters, and color like crazy on that side. The chalk is a little more messy and less engaging for some reason. I love this easel as it is adjustable, bright colored, and sturdy.

 

Mine don't fight over sides. If one is using chalk and the other one wants to use chalk, they share the chalkboard. We haven't let them use the markers yet.