“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ~Maya Angelou
We love our creative table here at Small Potatoes. It is probably the most used piece of furniture in our care centre classroom. We also love chalkboards. So one day, the idea came to me that I should take the best of both worlds and put them together as one. The result was more fun than I had even imagined.
When your table IS the chalkboard, your creativity is no longer limited to just 2 dimensional drawing…it becomes a whole new world of 3 dimensional imagination.
The process of giving your table a coat of chalkboard paint couldn’t be simpler. I taped the edges, and I painted it. Simple as that.
My table had a laminate surface. It was not wooden. I did not sand it. I washed it first and then got to work. Chalkboard paint likes to stay put. In all my history of using chalkboard paint, I have never used a primer, nor have I sanded the surface first and I have never had a problem. This is a beautiful thing for me, as I am a “shortcut” kind of gal! The hardest part of this project, was waiting overnight for the paint to cure…
Once your paint has cured, you are ready to play!
I find some of the smalls will bring the loose parts to the table and plan their small worlds before they begin to chalk…
Once the planning stage is finished, the chalking begins in earnest…
And then…they play!
Some smalls prefer to draw first…
Then they bring in the loose parts, and the magic of the chalk table has no limits…people can even ride on giant rabbits!
HELPFUL HINTS:
*The tabletop is easily washed with a wet dishcloth, but you can also proved chalk brushes for the smalls to use to re-work their art as they go along.
*Cover your chalkboard creative table with plastic or a sheet if you are using glue, paint, play dough, crayons, pencils, or inks to preserve the finish.
Happy chalking!
Thanks for stopping by,
Arlee, Small Potatoes
Small Potatoes 
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing this!!
Thank you! And you’re welcome! 🙂
Very cute! We use our two chalkboard tables for exactly the same thing, inside and outside!
Awesome idea Arlee. Hey I was just wondering if you got my email from last week. I asked how you handle the different age groups trying to keep the under two’s from the over two’s especially when the older ones are doing projects or building and the little ones want to come and knock their lego buildings etc. down do you keep them seperate and how do you do that?
Kathy
On Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 4:00 PM, Small Potatoes
Oh LOVE this! We’re in for a SUPER rainy weekend here in South Florida so this might be what we do tonight to get us through the next two days inside with a 2 year old. Thanks for sharing!
You are soooo welcome!! Have fun and stay dry! 🙂
I LOVE the invention of Chalkboard paint!! Thanks for reminding me how fantastic it is…I now plan on painting part of a wall in my classroom 🙂
Love it! Made a chalkboard wall in my playroom…kids love love love!
Wow! It looks great! Can’t wait to do projects like this once my little girl arrives…and gets a bit older!
This blog is amazing!
Thank you soooo much!!!
Really amazing
Love this! thanks for sharing… Looks like a new summer project for me 🙂
Wow this is fab, you have given me so much inspiration! From a very grateful childminder x
Absolutely inspiring! Can’t wait to recreate this! As a teacher I am always so inspired by the amazing worlds you create for children! Thank you so much for sharing!
Sue
Great idea!
I love this, I want to paint my UGLY green fridge in this paint but my husband says because were renting I cannot. Lol oh well, with this idea maybe I’ll find an old ugly coffee table 🙂
such a nice idea!
This is a perfect idea. It makes me smile just thinking of how I can do this to my own table.:)