Read reviews on Melissa and Doug Melissa and Doug Standing Art Easel 

Pros: adjustable height as your children grow, easy to collapse and store
Cons: no supplies included, bordering wood should be glazed, whiteboard not magnetic
The bottom line: This is a great product for your budding artists and even teachers. A good investment that will last for years and years.
A BIRTHDAY PRESENT

My 2 year old received this easel as a birthday present from her grandma and grandpa. Although it was recommended for children 3-9 years old, grandma knew that her granddaughter loved to paint, use chalk and crayons and would manage fine. Also, she has a 4 year old sister, who could also use it. In this way, she gave something to the both of them.

THE SETUP

When we opened the box, there were so many pieces to put together that I left it for my husband to do. He had our 4 year old be his assistant and managed to put it all together within an hour. He had it adjusted to the lowest height initially which is perfect for both kids.

WHAT WAS INCLUDED

The easel itself has 2 sides. The surface of each side is roughly 2ft by 2ft. One side is a chalkboard and the other side is a whiteboard. Note that the whiteboard side is not magnetized like some other easels - this would have been a welcomed addition.

On the whiteboard side was a paint tray designed to hold paints, paintbrushes and other accessories. It is important to note that Melissa and Doug does also sell accessories that would perfectly fit in these pre-designed spaces.

On the chalkboard side, there is a chalk tray for related accessories.

The easel also comes with 4 colorful clips to hold down paper for art and general doodling.

Between the two boards is a paper roller for roll paper available from Melissa and Doug to make it easy to dispense paper.

MY OPINION

I think that this is a good, sturdy product. Its design was well thought out both functionally and in a marketing sense.
I really think that the whiteboard should have also been magnetized but this is okay. I also like the height being adjustable. I think that the company should have included some sample accessories. Thank goodness grandma paid attention and bought some.

A key problem I have found is that the bordering wood has not been treated to a glaze. As a result, once marks from crayons, markers or paints get on it and believe me, they will, it cannot be cleaned. This makes the easel look very used.

DID THE KIDS LIKE IT?

Of course they did. But my girls play very well together especially when painting so while I could use paper on both surfaces and let them paint on either side, they did end up painting on the same side and creating consolidated designs. There should have been enough clips included to hold down paper on both sides simultaneously. The paint tray is only available on one side and this is a bit problematic when the kids were painting on both sides. But all in all, it was and still is a hit. The kids use the chalkboard all the time. They especially like the whiteboard and they LOVE LOVE painting. Sorry girls, you'll still have to use the fridge for your magnetized letters and numbers!