The Best Easel for Kids UK

Written by Paul Worrall

A genuinly good kids’ easel earns its keep in a way a lot of children’s art equipment doesn’t — it turns painting from a table-and-towels production into something a child can genuinly set up and get on with themselves, and it survives years of use rather than a few enthusiastic weeks. The right one depends more on your actual space and how your child likes to work than most parents expect before they start looking.

I’ve spent 16 years in the UK art and craft supplies industry and now run Discount Art Supplies, used by over 41,000 UK artists and parents every week. Zach and Nancy have both had their own easel phases at home, so this comes from genuine kitchen-and-playroom experience alongside industry knowledge.

1. IKEA MÅLA Easel — Best Overall

The MÅLA is genuinly the easel most UK parents picture when they think “kids’ easel,” and it’s earned that reputation properly — height-adjustable to grow with your child, double-sided with a whiteboard/magnetic surface on one side and a chalkboard on the other, plus a proper roll holder for paper on top so you’re not constantly buying pre-cut sheets. It’s a genuinly clever, well-thought-through design at a price that’s stayed remarkably reasonable for what it offers.

It’s not available through the usual affiliate channels, so this is a straightforward recommendation without a commission behind it — it’s simply, honestly, one of the best options on the market, and worth checking directly with IKEA for current stock and pricing.

2. Melissa & Doug Wooden Easel — Best Premium/Wooden

Melissa & Doug’s genuine reputation for sturdy, well-made wooden children’s furniture and toys carries through to their easels — a proper solid wood frame that feels and looks like a genuine piece of furniture rather than a plastic toy, typically combining a chalkboard, whiteboard and paper roll holder in one unit.

It’s a considered purchase rather than an impulse buy, genuinly aimed at parents who want something that’ll last years and look at home in a playroom, and who are happy paying a bit more for that build quality over a plastic alternative.

3. Crayola Easel — Best for Painting Specifically

Crayola’s genuine trust and reputation with parents extends naturally to their easel range, built with a genuine focus on the painting and drawing experience specifically — paper roll holders, paint cup holders and clip-on trays designed around actually making art rather than just being a writing surface.

If painting specifically, rather than chalk or whiteboard drawing, is genuinly the main activity you’re equipping for, this is a sensible, trusted choice built with that in mind.

4. Step2 Easel — Best for Outdoor Use

Step2 is a genuinly well-established name in durable outdoor plastic toys, and their easels are built with weather resistance genuinly in mind — sturdy, easy to wipe clean, and unbothered by being left in a garden through changeable British weather in a way a wooden easel simply isn’t.

Worth choosing specifically if the easel’s genuinly going to live outside or move between garden and garage regularly, rather than staying in one indoor spot.

5. Tabletop Art Easel — Best Budget/Tabletop

For anyone short on space, or simply not ready to commit to a full standing easel before knowing whether it’ll get regular use, a genuinly affordable foldable tabletop easel does the same essential job at a fraction of the price and footprint. It sits on any table or worktop and folds flat for storage between uses.

It won’t offer the same standing, adjustable-height experience as a full easel, but as a genuine first step or a space-saving permanent solution, it’s honest value.

Wooden vs Plastic — Which Should You Choose?

Wooden easels genuinly feel and last better, and suit an indoor spot where appearance matters — they look like a genuine piece of furniture rather than a toy. Plastic easels are genuinly more forgiving of mess, weather and rough handling, and are the sensible choice for anything spending time outdoors or handled by younger, less careful children.

Standing, Tabletop or Wall-Mounted?

A standing, height-adjustable easel genuinly suits a dedicated art corner and grows with your child over several years. A tabletop version is the space-saving choice for smaller homes or occasional use. Wall-mounted options are a genuinly clever solution for very tight spaces, fixing a drawing surface directly to a wall without taking up floor space at all, though they’re the least flexible option to move or store away.

Double-Sided, Magnetic and Chalkboard Surfaces

Many easels, including the IKEA MÅLA, combine a magnetic whiteboard surface on one side with a traditional chalkboard on the other — genuinly good value, effectively two activities in one unit, and useful as children’s interests shift between drawing, writing practice and chalk art over time.

Which Should You Buy?

If you want the genuine all-rounder most UK parents already know and trust, the IKEA MÅLA is the sensible default. Melissa & Doug suits anyone wanting a sturdier, more furniture-like wooden build. Crayola is the trusted choice if painting is genuinly the main activity. Step2 is worth choosing specifically for outdoor use, and a basic tabletop easel is the sensible budget or space-saving option.