A great artist is hard at work, getting in touch with nature as they paint in the great outdoors. Okay, so “the great outdoors” might be your backyard, but that still counts! And your kid can be that artist with the Little Tikes 3-in-1 Paint ‘N Play Backyard Easel from MGA Entertainment.
This inflatable art station gives kids three different ways to play: They can paint over a printed scene, trace people or objects through a clear panel, or draw freestyle paintings on an opaque panel. First, parents will have to inflate the easel. It comes with a foot pump, but it’s much quicker to use an electric pump if you have one to fully inflate the easel in less than 5 minutes. The set also includes three washable paint colors, a brush, a roller, a sponge, a patch kit just in case the inflatable gets any holes, and stakes to hold it into the grass so it won’t fly away on a windy day.
The easel has an inflatable shelf with compartments to store the paint and tools, and kids can even mix the paint directly on the easel if they want to make new colors since it’s all washable. Kids can choose whether they want to paint independently or color in between the lines of a coloring book-style scene, depending on their skill level — or they can do both! The printed scene features a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe car and flowers in front of a house. The paint is a little thick, but parents can also purchase their own paint if they’d prefer a different consistency or more colors.
Kids can let their scene air dry and move on to the other panels to get even more creative, using the painting tools to experiment with different textures and techniques. The clear panel is great for tracing over objects, like trees or scenery in the backyard, or someone can stand on the other side so that kids can paint funny faces over them on the transparent sheet. Parents might want to clip or tape the panels down so that they don’t rustle around while kids are trying to paint.
The best part about this art station is how easy it is to clean. When kids are done painting, parents can hose off the panels with water, and they never have to worry about running out of paper since kids are painting directly on the plastic. It’s a great activity to add to summer get-togethers so that kids can take turns at the art station while they’re playing in the backyard.
There’s no better way to create artistic masterpieces in the great outdoors than with this backyard easel!
