Little Partners Deluxe Learn and Play Art Center Easel Review

My Experience with the Deluxe Learn and Play Art Center Easel

I already have the Learning Tower/Art Easel Combo, which works perfectly for the amount of space I have available for an easel, so I gave the Deluxe Learn and Play Art Center Easel to my son and daughter-in-law for Zoey, who’s now 2 years old. My daughter-in-law was able to assemble the easel without difficulty. As with every Little Partners product I’ve used, the easel is well made, sturdy, and very high quality.

I had purchased the Melissa & Doug Easel Accessory Set so Zoey would have art materials to use with her easel. (Note: The Little Partners easel already comes with 4 paint cups, an eraser, 1 roll of paper, and 2 large storage bins.)

First Zoey checked out the chalkboard. Even though it doesn’t have the feel of a traditional chalkboard, it worked well with the Melissa & Doug chalk. It also erased easily.

Then Zoey tried the dry erase board. It worked well, but it’s hard to get the dry erase marker out of a white board, any white board. (This isn’t because a problem with the Little Partners white board. I just haven’t found a washable dry erase marker that I’m happy with.) Only one marker comes with the Melissa & Doug set. Instead of using that, I ‘d recommend buying dry erase crayons, which are inexpensive and will both wipe off the whiteboard and wash out of clothes easily. The whiteboard is also magnetic, so it would work well with any magnetic objects.

The paper clips work well for holding paper on the easel. I love that there are two side clips to hold artwork that’s drying. There’s an extra set of paint cups with the Melissa & Doug set. Because the Little Partners ones work so well and fit into the easel, Zoey will probably use the Melissa & Doug ones for playdough. I like that the Melissa & Doug paint brushes and paints come in the same colors as the Little Partners paint cups … a nice color matching activity. I appreciate the Little Partners storage containers for storing a wide variety of art activities.

Zoey loved her painting experience. (To work with paints, I always use aprons with sleeves for toddlers. We have a bib with sleeves that works well for babies through 2 year olds.)

If you have both the Little Partners Learning Tower with easel and this easel, you’d even be able to have a playdate with kids working side by side. Or you can use the Learning Tower easel for magnetic objects (like I often do) and this one for painting.