Description

Let the creativity flow with this set that's packed with supplies for all your art projects. There's 25 pieces in all, including: four bottles of poster paint, four spill-proof paint cups, roll of easel paper, 10 jumbo triangular chalk sticks, felt eraser, dry-erase marker and four paint brushes. Great value and the perfect companion to the Deluxe Standing Easel, sold separately.

Customer Reviews

 Perfect start up set - Jul 25, 2010

My son loves this start up set. Even though the paint is washable I still make him paint outside. It can be a little messy (of course).

 Great set! - Jul 21, 2010

We purchased this set to go with the Melissa and Doug easel, and the only complaint I have (and it's a minor one) is that it only comes with one (blue) dry erase marker. Beyond that, the items in this set have exceeded my expectations. First, the paints really are washable (note--my kids paint outside, so I can't comment on whether or not the paint comes out of carpeting). The paint is just the right consistency--not too thick, not too thin--and the colors look just as vibrant when they dry as when they are wet. The best part is that the paint washes right off of my kids' hands. The paint cups are genius! I love the inverted lids that help decrease mess and also keep the paintbrushes in place. Clean-up is so simple--I just rinse the brushes under cold running water and wipe the cups and lids with a damp paper towel, and they're clean! Any splatters of paint that land in the paint tray or on the whiteboard can also just be wiped away with a damp paper towel. Snap the storage lids on top of the paint cups, and the paint doesn't dry out in between art sessions. The chalk is colorful and sturdy--if it can stand up to my three-year-old, who tends to be hard on her crayons and sidewalk chalk, it can stand up to anyone! The included eraser is also of very good quality. This is a great set and I'm very glad that we purchased it. When we run out of paint and chalk, I will definitely buy Melissa and Doug replacements!

I am editing my review several days later to include an additional comment regarding the chalk. Another reviewer mentioned that the chalk creates a lot of dust. Our experience thus far has been that the green chalk, in particular, creates an amazing amount of dust. I've had to teach my kids to clap the eraser after they erase their drawings, otherwise the next time they go to use the eraser, it just smears green chalk dust around on the chalkboard. I'm not changing my overall rating for this set, though, since it is still a great value. We just may end up purchasing another brand of chalk when our Melissa and Doug chalk runs out.

 Great set, except for one thing.... - Jun 14, 2010

We got the Melissa & Doug Easel Companion Set a couple years ago when we purchased the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel and we really like it a lot, except for one thing.

First, the positive: the brushes are really high-quality and durable. The chalk is great, with nice colors and easy to hold because of the unique shape. The containers are really handy and very clever. They have two lids, one that you can use when you are painting, kind of cone-shaped, inverted with a hole....so you can dip your paintbrush into it, and easily wipe off the edges on this cleverly-designed lid. Then of course a top-lid that goes over that, when you are not using the paints. The eraser is good-quality and durable. The dry-erase marker is standard. Since there is only one, I bought another set with more colors.Expo 7-Piece Original Dry Erase Organizer Kit

The only negative: The paints look vibrant in the containers, and still look bright when you first put them on paper. Unfortunately, when the paint dries it is faded in color. At least, this is our experience when using the Melissa & Doug Easel paper. By the way, you can get 3 replacement rolls here on Amazon for a really good price. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Paper (3 pack bundle) So it's fine for everyday art, but if you want to do something special as a keepsake, like we did, be prepared for the colors to be more muted than they look. Since I'm not an art expert by any stretch, I don't know if it's because of the paper or the paints....but it definitely wasn't the result we were looking for.

Overall, I would still buy this set again. As with all Melissa & Doug items, it is high-quality and durable, and includes quite a bit for the money. Just wanted to mention the paint issue above, in case it matters to anyone else.

And by the way, the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel is a fantastic purchase. Our child was 3 when we got it, it has grown with him to age 6, and will easily last another couple years (height-wise for the child, not in durability. As far as durability, the easel will probably last forever!) Hope this has been helpful for someone.

 Protect your carpet - May 30, 2010

This says the paint is washable, but it won't wash out of your carpet. Even though the box says it won't spill or drip on your carpet, well, it does. From the brush it drips down onto the carpet, because the paint's not thick enough to stay on the brush. What they should do is INCLUDE THE DANG DROPCLOTH IN THIS KIT INSTEAD OF MILKING PEOPLE FOR MORE MONEY. I had no idea the drop cloth was even available, because I bought this product in the store. The green paint is runny and will drip off the brush and onto your carpet and once it does, it won't come out. Our white carpet is now green, even though we've tried three different carpet cleaners. We'll probably have to replace the entire carpet. Thank you, Melissa and David. Try making the green paint a little thicker, maybe make it actually washable, and include the dang dropcloth. If you buy this, make sure you move the easel outside, because you will regret it if you don't. NOT WASHABLE, NOT DRIP-PROOF, NO DROP CLOTH INCLUDED.

 Poor quality - May 28, 2010

Don't buy this kit. I bought it with my daughter's easel and i'll have to get her something else.
The paint cups are spill proof true but too big.
The paint is awful and comes with only 4 colors. it smells, is thick and low quality. I prefer by far Crayola paints that comes in small jars.
The brushes frankly are very bad.
There is only one eraser -- at this price ( i bought it $30+) an eraser for the chalk board could be added.
The chalk and the rest of the kit are okay.

Summary: i do no recommend this kit. If i knew about the quality, i'd have bought items separately.

 Great set, good value! - May 23, 2010

This is a great set that completes the Melissa and Doug art easel. The spill proof cups are great and the paint is washable. The only thing we didn't use was the dry erase marker because that is obviously not suitable for young children.

 Easil for Grand daughter - May 20, 2010

My grand daughter loves her easil and the accessories. She is 2 years old and uses it often. She will "grow" with it and enjoy it for many years.

 Easel set - May 12, 2010

Purchased with the easel. Great set. I wish it came with a full set of colors of the markers, not just the blue. Otherwise the paint cups are great as you do not waist any. I put small amounts of each color in the cups about 3 weeks ago and they have not dried out as long as the lids stay on when not in use. The bottles should last quite a while at this rate.

 Needed for Easel - Mar 17, 2010

I bought the Melissa and Doug Easel, the Easel Companion Set. and the extra rolls of paper for my 6 year old grandson. I highly recommend buying the Companion Set. It comes with everything needed for a budding artist! He loves the paints best, although he uses the chalk too.

 wonderful set,goes perfectly with easel - Mar 17, 2010

This set is perfect for the Melissa & Doug easel.
This set seems like it's pricey,but when you buy the roll of papers it's about $15 for 3.The price isn't so bad at all.
I'm happy with this set.

 Very happy with this set - Feb 18, 2010

I don't actually have the M&D easel but wanted a set of paints, brushes and no spill containers. We also happen to have a chalkboard (the M&D small one), so even though I didn't need the chalk I figured it would get used.

The no spill containers are great and they have covers (which I wasn't sure about). They're bigger than I was thinking they would be. There are 4 coordinating paint brushes- 1 for each container. I'm also happy with the paints.

Chalk set comes with quite a few colors and are higher quality than the thinner chalks our small M&D chalk board came with.

 Fun! Fun! - Feb 17, 2010

I sent this to my grandson who will be two next week. From all reports, he loves the materials. He got the easel for Christmas and now spends much time being creative and having fun with his Mom and Dad.

 Given As A Gift - Feb 07, 2010

I gave these as a gift to my twin three year old nephews last Christmas. The products are well made and attractive and they enjoy playing with them.

 Paints for Easel - Feb 06, 2010

Great product. I purchased this along with the easel. It also included a giant roll of paper which fits into the easel. Stong recommend this product.

 Wonderful! - Jan 30, 2010

I love this companion set! The bottles of paint are a very generous size. The chalks are great, easy for my two toddlers to hold and use. I thought the dry erase marker was a tad bit boring, but my kids love it. Great purchase!

 easel set - Jan 29, 2010

sits not messy. it has covers for when they are done you justput the lids and the paint wont dry.

 Wouldn't Buy again - Jan 25, 2010

We bought this for my 3 year old to go with the Melissa and Doug easel. It comes with one dry earase marker and the point collapsed into the pen the very first time my quite gentle daughter used it. The chalk comes in pretty colors but makes such a dust storm I would not buy these again. I'd add up the cost of the paints, the spill free paint containers which are great, the paint brush and the roll of paper (which is also optional. I think clipping single sheets is easier) and compare costs. I think buying just the items you want seperately would have made more sense.

 Great paint containers!! - Jan 23, 2010

This is a great set! The best thing about this set is the paint containers! No more wasted painted- not only are they "spill proof" and have an easy way for kids to dab some of the paint off instead of wasting it, but when you're done painting for the day...just snap the top on and it's ready to go the next time you want to paint! Works great! The color coded paint brushes are a nice touch too!
We do not have an easel, so we just bought the kit for painting fun. Highly recommend.

 great companion set to the easel - Jan 13, 2010

A must buy if you purchase the easel. It is the perfect compliment and provides everything you need to use the easel to its fullest extent and all in one convenient package.

 If you buy the standing easel, you should buy this kit - Jan 12, 2010

We were glad we bought this kit to go along with the standing easel. It came with everything we needed for our 4 1/2 yr old daughter to begin enjoying her easel. She somehow managed to smash the tip of the marker in, but other than that, everything seems very durable. The size of the paint brushes are great for her little hands. The paints does have an odor, but nothing that can't be tolerated for the time she paints. We haven't had trouble with erasing the chalk on the chalkboard, but if we do, we will follow the recommendation of another reviewer by re-coating it with blackboard paint.

 Everything we needed - Jan 11, 2010

This set had everything we needed. There was no searching once we got the easel all put together. All the items were there and ready to use.

 Great starter kit - Jan 11, 2010

We purchased this to go with an easel and it's fantastic. The containers for the paint are amazing and perfect for my 3 year old. When he finishes painting, we just snap on the lids and wash the brushes for next time. Each brush is color coded to the paint, so he knows which one they need to stay in. We did have to buy some extra dry erase pens, because one was not enough. The chalk colors are fantastic. Lots of options to choose from. Definitely a great value.

 art supplies to go with easel - Jan 10, 2010

I bought this set of art supplies to go with the easel for my Granddaughter for Christmas. It was nice because everything a child would need to paint with is in this set. She's having lots of fun with it.

 Great Starter Set For the Easel - Jan 07, 2010

The paint containers are wonderful. Having the matching paint brushes makes it easy for my 4 year old to know where they go. The chalk is nice.
However we had to buy another eraser and wipe board markers as the kit only comes with one of each. The paint worked great, as did the roll of paper.

 easel companion set review - Jan 04, 2010

Very convenient to be able to purchase the accompanying essentials to complete the easel set.