“Chalkboard T-shirts, Hoodies, and Drawstring Backpacks: DRAW, WRITE, ERASE, REDO (using chalk and chalk markers they supply with each purchase)!” This is the phrase from Chalk Me Up!® that caught my eye.  They sounded like an excellent way for kids to express themselves, and I was excited to try them out. We received two chalkboard t-shirts for my children to try out—a teal shirt with a heart chalkboard shape and a red shirt with a truck chalkboard shape. 

The shirts are made of soft cotton. The chalkboard shape is slightly stiffer and has more of an iron-on feel to it from the outside, but it did not bother my children while wearing it.  There is a style difference between the boy’s and girl’s shirts, with the girl’s shirt being more fitted and having a narrower neckline. The shirts are true to size, so you can feel confidant ordering your child’s regular size.  

My kids (ages 8 and 10) were excited to decorate their shirts. There was a small learning curve the first time they used the chalk markers, to learn to use the right pressure.  The colors of the chalk markers were bright. The lighter colors showed up better against the black chalkboard.

After creating their design and wearing it, we washed the shirts.  The chalk washed right out.  You could still see a faint outline of the design on one of the shirts even though the colors had all washed out.  The other shirt had no trace of the design after the first time but did after the second wash, although a third wash again left no trace of the design. The difference was most likely due to the elapsed time between when the design was drawn and when the shirt was washed.  The shorter the interval, the more likely there will be no trace of the design left.

The color of the shirts has held up to multiple washes and has not faded. The chalkboard element has not changed either. 

My kids like having a shirt they can doodle on. Sometimes they wear it without drawing on it, and because of the fun shapes, it still looks fine. A few times, I decorated their shirt with a fun message or design and left it for them to be surprised. 

The chalkboard t-shirts have been a fun addition to their wardrobe. It has allowed them to express their creativity and experiment with different designs and colors. If you have a child who loves to doodle or draw, they will enjoy these.  They would make a great gift or just a fun surprise.

~Product review by Destiny Mawson, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, December 2020