This year, the school summer holidays seem to have a been a bit hit and miss with the weather, especially with some of the torrential rain we have had. So that has meant that we have had to try and find more ways to entertain the children indoors as the constant cries of “I’m bored” and “we have nothing to do” are becoming very tedious (especially when they have a room packed with toys, games, books and craft items).
Most kids like to draw and paint but sometimes the thought of all the mess can be quite draining so I was delighted when Little Brian offered us the new Art Station to review. Little Brian create virtually mess free paint sticks, so having a portable art station to use with them sounded ideal as we already had some paint sticks and they really are very clean to use and virtually no mess.
The Little Brian Paint Sticks 2-in-1 Classic Art Station features a double-sided portable art station, 6 Classic Paint Sticks, 6 Chalk Sticks, 10 sheets of paper, a duster and storage pots!
It is a double-sided easel that when opened up is a whiteboard on one side with a chalkboard on the other. It has storage pots and paint stick holder around the frame and a handy storage compartment inside. The whiteboard side also has a clip at the top so that you can clip on a sheet of A4 paper giving you options to paint on the whiteboard, chalkboard and paper. As it is double-sided, it also means that 2 children can get creative at the same time. And once finished, the easel part folds down into a briefcase style carry case with the paint sticks, chalk sticks, paper and duster stored securely inside making it portable (you might want to take the kids to the park to play, enjoy the sunshine and maybe paint while getting some fresh air).
If you have never used paint/chalk sticks before, you are in for a treat. They would in the same way as a glue stick and twist up/down to release the stick of paint. The children then create their artwork using a stick of paint rather than messy brushes with water to knock over. The paint dries in seconds making the whole time virtually mess free. You can even mix colours.
The paint/chalk sticks are safe, easy to use, long-lasting and virtually mess free – the perfect medium for a portable art station and getting the house paint streak free (and the chalks are dust free).
Overall, we loved the art station. It meant both kids could work together with less arguing (except when they both wanted the same colour, which seems to happen more than I would have thought possible), it folds up neatly when not in use and is very portable so can be used anywhere. And once the kids have finished being the next Rembrandt, it’s more a case of a quick putting things away than a full-on clean up.
The paint sticks themselves are vibrant and good quality and last a long time.
A fantastic, fun and easy to use portable easel that young budding artists will love.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £29.99
For more information visit www.littlebrian.com. Available to buy from Amazon here. 
Disclosure: I received this item for free for the purposes of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.
