Dry erase markers for easel?

[sarahsthreads]

DD got the M&D easel and accessory kit for Christmas. The accessory kit came with ONE dry erase marker, which of course by now has been uncapped enough that it's completely dry. Can I just buy the low-oder regular old dry erase markers that are sold pretty much everywhere, or are there special kids' dry erase markers somewhere I'm not finding?

Thanks!
Sarah

[sidmand]

I think you can buy any one you see. FWIW, we had something that required wet erase markers...that was impossible for me to find until I realized they were the same pens for overhead projectors!

You might want to buy one or two (or cheaper ones) and test them out, but I'm pretty sure any dry erase marker will work.

[new_mommy25]

I just buy them from the drugstore or Walmart.

[sarahsthreads]

Thanks ladies!

DH picked up a pack of Expo low-oder markers, and aside from the warning on the back about keeping them out of reach of children (although it also says "non-toxic") they seem to be working out fine. DD can't cap them herself, but since she doesn't play with the easel unsupervised that's not too big a deal. (Except now that she has multiple colors to choose from she's been picking up a different one every 17.2 seconds, so she asks me to re-cap her markers a LOT.)

Sarah :)

[Marisa6826]

Sarah-

The one thing you know about and be careful with, is that I was unable to find dry erase markers that were also washable - meaning, they come out of clothes easily. Crayola *used* to make them, but discontinued them a year or so ago. I seriously went on a quest for over a month looking for washable ones. I finally gave up and just let the kids use the chalk side of their easel (they use the white side for magnets). I know... mean Mommy.

So, just be careful that your DD keeps the markers away from stuff like your couch! :)

-m

[bubbaray]

Sarah-

The one thing you know about and be careful with, is that I was unable to find dry erase markers that were also washable - meaning, they come out of clothes easily. Crayola *used* to make them, but discontinued them a year or so ago. I seriously went on a quest for over a month looking for washable ones. I finally gave up and just let the kids use the chalk side of their easel (they use the white side for magnets). I know... mean Mommy.

So, just be careful that your DD keeps the markers away from stuff like your couch! :)

-m

I was just going to post this. I've been unable to find washable DE markers. We've had a couple of clothing stains here from the Expo ones that were hard to remove (took me a number of washes and I'm stain removal queen, LOL).

[caleymama]

Sarah-

The one thing you know about and be careful with, is that I was unable to find dry erase markers that were also washable - meaning, they come out of clothes easily. Crayola *used* to make them, but discontinued them a year or so ago. I seriously went on a quest for over a month looking for washable ones. I finally gave up and just let the kids use the chalk side of their easel (they use the white side for magnets). I know... mean Mommy.

So, just be careful that your DD keeps the markers away from stuff like your couch! :)

-m

Same issue here. We just use the chalk or the magnetic sides of the two things we have that can be used with Dry Erase markers. DD1 would be fine. Heck, I could give her only Sharpies to color with and she'd be fine. DD2 somehow creates disasters with regular washable markers.

[sarahsthreads]

Thanks for the warnings about the staining potential - I was wondering how washable they would be, so there's my answer. Generally DD is really quite responsible about art supplies and furniture/carpets/etc, and I've had her wear her art smock when using the markers from the beginning, so I think we'll be OK. But I'll be sure to put the markers away (actually, probably the whole easel) when we have other kids come visit.

When I asked at the independent toy shop, they did say that they had ordered dry-erase markers from M&D but they weren't in yet. I couldn't find any on-line though, so maybe the employee thought I just meant regular markers? Anyway, if I do eventually find some there and they're washable I'll just send the Expo ones to work with DH, where I'm sure he's going to want pink and purple dry erase markers. ;)

Oh, and the white side is magnetic?!? I didn't know that...

Sarah

[caleymama]

Thanks for the warnings about the staining potential - I was wondering how washable they would be, so there's my answer. Generally DD is really quite responsible about art supplies and furniture/carpets/etc, and I've had her wear her art smock when using the markers from the beginning, so I think we'll be OK. But I'll be sure to put the markers away (actually, probably the whole easel) when we have other kids come visit.

When I asked at the independent toy shop, they did say that they had ordered dry-erase markers from M&D but they weren't in yet. I couldn't find any on-line though, so maybe the employee thought I just meant regular markers? Anyway, if I do eventually find some there and they're washable I'll just send the Expo ones to work with DH, where I'm sure he's going to want pink and purple dry erase markers. ;)

Oh, and the white side is magnetic?!? I didn't know that...

Sarah

Sounds like you'll be fine with them. I've had to put many of DD1's art supplies away (stuff she's had out since she was younger than DD2) because of the havoc DD2 can wreak when temporarily unsupervised.

We have this by M&D, but not their regular easel:
http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product.aspx?item=2208&mr:referralID=15b4e480-dd7c-11dc-b7fb-000423bb4e95
The chalkboard part is magnetic. The white dry erase side doesn't really get used :(. Sorry I wasn't clear!

Our easel is from a different company - one side is a chalkboard and the other is white. We just use the white side for painting & drawing (clothespin up some paper).

[ellies mom]

I've found washable dry erase markers at Target several times. Usually, they are in the kids book section but sometimes I've seen them with the dry erase stuff. I should mention that their washableness is relative. They are more washable than non-washable ones but still not particularly washable.

I keep DD's dry erase side covered with paper and I leave out colored pencils and chalk for her unlimited use.