Back to School with the Step2 Flip & Doodle Easel Desk {Review}

I am a Step2 Test Drive Blogger. I received a product in exchange for my review and opinion. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are 100% ours.

Someday I’m going to build really nice wrap around desks in my kids’ rooms for homework and art, but that day is not today. So these days we do our messy art projects on my dining room table, my kitchen island, or in the living room around the couch. I don’t think it will come as a surprise that I avoid doing art projects with the kids because of the inevitable mess it leaves.

But, this year to celebrate back to school, we got the perfect addition to our house to keep the peace and still allow the kids to be creative: the Step2 Flip & Doodle Easel Desk with Stool. Once the kids got a glimpse of the package contents, they banded together with cuteness until we put it together.

Luckily, it went together quickly with only a couple pieces to snap together and a few screws. In a matter of moments, the kids were loading up the easel desk and organizing their art supplies.

Step2 makes all sorts of easels and desks in different colors and variations, but we loved the Flip & Doodle design because it can be either a stand-up easel or a flat-top desk with one quick motion. The easel has a great magnetic white board surface as well as clips that can hold art paper or boards with ease and then it flips down to become a more traditional desk with a flat
writing surface for homework, iPad time and more. With so many ways to use it, I know it's going to be one of the best-loved play pieces we own.

I also love that the Flip & Doodle Easel Desk comes with a stool instead of a full chair since it makes it easier to fit both children at the desk together. Add in the fact that it has under-desk storage for all the millions of art supplies and coloring books the kids have collected, and it's no wonder that I adore it so.

But, in addition to holding our art supplies and providing a place the kids are encouraged to be messy, this little art desk succeeds in many more fronts. The beauty of the Flip & Doodle Easel Desk is in the details and Step2 really did think of everything. From the built in white board surface that is easy to wipe clean, to the ridges around the desk surface that keep wayward pencils and crayons from rolling to the floor, this desk is a little artist’s dream.

Whether the kids are playing school, doing homework, writing notes, or channeling their inner Picasso, the Step2 Easel Desk is the first thing they run to during playtime. It really is designed for one child, but they like to both sit on Step2 stools and play together or they will play games where one of them is the teacher and the other is the student {as above}.

Then, when it’s not in use, the art desk is a parent’s dream. With bins for storing large items, medium bins for arts and crafts supplies, and small reach-in bins for frequently grabbed items, the desk always seems to stay clean. Finally, along the backside of the desk is the storage for coloring books and art pads, which I love. Our many art books used to take a whole chair at our dining room table and always were getting knocked over, so I love that I finally have a home for all of them that's easy for the kids to reach on their own.

• Dual design of the Flip & Doodle Easel Desk with Stool features an upright easel that folds down into a desktop
• Art easel features a magnetic dry-erase board for a child to draw a quick masterpiece
• Paper clip on the art easel holds paper in place or can be used to display artwork
• Large 13” x 20” (33 x 50.8 cm) kid’s desk surface allows for maximum creativity and space for a child to paint or draw
• Molded-in trays below the kid’s art desk and easel help children to organize paints, markers and art supplies
• Cup holder for water or markers keep supplies within child’s reach

My daughter loves the Step2 Flip & Doodle Easel Desk so much that she asked me if she could do a video of it. This was what she came up with {with a little editing help from mama}:

If anyone is worried about the writing on the desk, you will be happy to know that it came off very easily with a little water and vinegar. Sure, I could have left it since that's their "messy art" zone, but I wanted to see how it would clean up and was thrilled that it took no scrubbing at all. Another reason we adore this awesome little art desk!

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