From Stephanie Brown,
Your Guide to Babies & Toddlers.
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Large dry erase boards and chalkboards can be expensive, but they are a fun way to give your child a ready and renewable space for creative art.

Luckily, there are several ways you can quickly and inexpensively create these spaces for your child. Several companies make dry erase paper in rolls and sheets. You can cover a table, part of a wall (indoors or out), the front of your refrigerator or the back of a door in your child's room. These come in both rolls and sheets, so you can cover lots of area, several different areas or share your roll with another parent.

Another way to make a quick chalkboard is with chalkboard paint. It's not too pricey (about $10) and you can use it to cover a large area, like part of a garage wall or a piece of plywood. Chalkboard paint typically comes in standard green or black (and also aerosal) but if you want to use another color, you can also make your own paint. Just be sure to follow the directions completely, as conditioning the area is important.

Here are some other fun projects involving chalkboard paint:

Building a Lemondade Stand

Chalkboard Table

Chalkboard Dresser

Paint Additive to Make Chalkboards Magnetic

Do you have a tip you'd like to share with other parents? You can send your tips to me at babyparenting.guide@about.com and I will publish them here on the site.