Product Spotlight – Chalkcloth Placemats

Fact:  Chalkcloth Placemats are one of our favorite things in our home and I don’t know if I could survive meal time without them.

I don’t know what it is about kids, but as soon as it turns 4 o’clock and my kids come begging for food.  The rule in our house is no snacks after 4 because then they don’t eat their dinner.  4:00 also happens to be the time that I start prepping dinner.  As 5:00 gets closer and closer, the troops get rowdier and rowdier.

Usually around 4:45 I send the kids to set the dinner table.  After they are done, they sit at their seats and turn their placemats over and begin writing or drawing with chalk.  Sometimes they write words that they just learned how to spell, lower case letters they are practicing, numbers, or pictures of things that happened during their day.  It easily buys me the time I need to finish cooking each meal without having them be under my feet.

Something we’ve been working on as a family is having everyone stay at the table until the last person has finished their meal.  This can be difficult.  We have pretty quick eaters but most often, the kids are waiting for Matt and me to finish our meals.  The easiest way to help them learn this task is by having them clear their plates (they load the dishwasher themselves) and come back to the table to use their placemats while they wait.  We frequently talk during this time and they don’t notice the time that goes by.

This placemats were first made as birthday party favors for one of the girl’s birthday parties. (Rebecca’s 2nd birthday maybe?)  I mistakenly ordered double (maybe triple) the amount of oil cloth and chalkcloth that I needed.  So until the fabric is all gone, I will have these in the shop.  I do have to say that they are one of our best sellers!

Chalkcloth placemats measure 11×15 inches.  It easily fits a full size plate, silverware, and a cup.  The placemat includes a pocket to store chalk between uses.  Because they can be folded or rolled up, they easily fit into a purse or diaper bag for use on the go.  They can be used while eating out, riding in the car, waiting at the doctor’s office, or numerous other places.  They are a great way to entertain your children!  The chalk cloth can be wiped off with a wet paper towel so the children can start creating and playing all over again.  The printed side is made of oil cloth and can be easily wiped for cleaning off between meals and snacks.

I like them because:

• The kids can draw or write on them while they are waiting for us to serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• The kids can use them after they have finished their meal and they are waiting for everyone else to finish.
• They are easy to wipe and clean.
• They are the perfect size to mark each child’s “space” at the table.
• They are portable – easy to roll up & toss in a diaper bag.
• They protect the table from mess and damage.