I keep whistling the theme to 'Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings'.
Maybe because we now have a giant chalkboard in our kitchen hall?

I have wanted to do this for several years~ each time I pass down that boring hallway, each time all the pictures fall off the front of the fridge when I open the door. Up to this point, we kept an 'art line' (picture wire and clothespins!) in our family room.  Now that Rowan is reading, it seemed like a good time to create a central communication hub (so I told Andy to get him on board~ really I just wanted to write on the walls!). So I did it.

We used the Rust-Oleum products (magnetic primer and chalkboard paint), both of which are  waterbased and non-toxic with minimal fumes.  You can also make the chalkboard paint out of any colour of latex paint you wish by adding unsanded tile grout.  Since we wanted the chalboard look, we went for the Rust-Oleum tinted to 'Moonstone'.
 I put on four coats of the magnetic paint (the full can) to maximize the 'stickiness' of the wall.  These were applied over the course of  4-5 hours (they dry quickly) and then left to cure for 24 hours. This was followed by 2 coats of the chalkboard paint, four days of curing and then 'seasoning'.  The seasoning meant covering the entire surface with chalk (I had an eager helper!) wiping it off with a damp cloth and we were good to go!
 We have some leftover sidewalk chalk, but we also hit the store and cleaned up on clearance summer products with chalk (Crayola).  I have ordered rare earth magnets as we do find that standard magnets don't quite hold like they should on the magnetic surface (and now instead of things falling off of the fridge, they fall off the wall when you breeze past!).
 My little artist is over the moon!  And the addition of a set of Kid's Magnetic Poetry as a 'new reader' gift keeps her at the wall for hours.  Although, I should mention, that my painting the wall because it was 'boring' had the unfortunate consequence of inspiring Rowan to paint our downstairs bathroom with her fingers in sparkly green paint because, like the wall, it was 'boring'. Thank goodness for washable paints (and she had as much fun washing it off as she did painting it!).

Well you know my name is Simon,
and the things I draw come true,
Oh the pictures take me, take me over,
Climb the ladder with you.