Chalkboard

Even in the age of dry erase boards, there's something to be said about an old-fashioned chalkboard. With a few ingredients from your local hardware store, you can make and decorate your own chalkboard that will add a little pizazz to any playroom. Your kid will love it because she'll get a nifty reusable "canvas" to practice writing, drawing, or math. It's a special treat for children up to third grade!


What You Need:
• Newspaper
• An old picture frame
• thin, smooth board (smooth plywood works well for this)
• Chalkboard brush-on paint (available at hardware or discount stores)
• A paintbrush
• Wood glue
• Paint, any bright color
• An exacto knife or box cutter
• Chalk and a chalk eraser
• Sharpie marker, jewels, stickers, glue (optional)


What to Do:
• Cover your work space with newspaper to avoid any mess.
• Using your box cutter, cut out an appropriate size out of your wood. (ex: 8x10 for an 8x10 frame…)
• In a well ventilated area, use the chalkboard paint to cover the entire piece of wood.
• Let dry for about 3 days
• Decorate your frame with paint, stickers or anything else your child desires!
• Glue the chalk board in the frame
• Before breaking in your new chalkboard, rub it all over with the side of a piece of chalk and erase. Now your child is ready to use it however she pleases! If your child is older, encourage her to use it to practice her spelling words, math equations, and draw silly pictures. Let her pretend she's the teacher, and invite her to teach you what she's been learning in class. It's even great for preschoolers--have your child practice writing the alphabet, numbers, her name, and the date for a head start into kindergarten.