(1) The best art easels for kids do not always have to be large pieces of furniture and take up a lot of space. (2) Art easels
are not just a (DECORATE) ________ part of the playroom. (3) While many families choose to turn a whole wall into an easel, there are also great tabletop and lap easels that can be folded making them a great travel toy.
(4) There are so many reasons why kids benefit from being creative, using their (IMAGINE) ________ and drawing on
easels with crayons, markers, pencils and paints. (5) Easels do not just give kids a special place to draw. (6) Writing, (DRAW) ________ and coloring on an easel can help children develop a good grasp on their crayon, which they will
need to for handwriting when they are in school. (7) This is because an easel offers children a vertical surface to write on.
(8) See there is a reason why kids like to try and write on the wall! (9) When children write on a tall, straight surface it (NATURAL) ________ encourages the fingers to come together when their wrist is extended back.
(10) This simple idea helps children develop (STRONG) ________ in their arms, and a more controlled pencil grip they will use when writing on paper with a pencil in grade school. (11) Because playing on easels usually means kids have
access to a lot of small crayons and markers, many easels have built-in storage for supplies. (12) While creativity is important, markers, paint and other art tools can quickly take over the playroom.
(13) Not to mention sensory (ACTIVE) ________ like painting often leave a huge mess! (14) Having a dedicated space to store these materials may help teach children how to clean up their work when they are finished.