Art for Kids

New thinking about doodling

Research has long shown that art benefits children in many ways. Art education opens children’s minds and helps them become more tolerant. It also improves student’s academic performance and helps them develop the skills needed for the 21st century workplace – critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, teamwork and more. New research published February 27, 2009 in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology shows that the act of “doodling” may help improve memory recall. Study researcher Professor Jackie Andrade, Ph.D., of the School of Psychology, University of Plymouth said, "This study suggests that in everyday life doodling may be something we do because it helps to keep us on track with a boring task, rather than being an unnecessary distraction that we should try to resist doing."

Promote creative doodling at home. Encourage your children not only to draw but to be inspired to stretch their imaginations and take their minds on a mini vacation. Take a moment from the busy day to be playful with art activities. Instead of a coloring book, give your child a blank sketch pad. Suggest that your child doodle a special creature, a new spaceship, a fanciful friend, or playful word art. Have some fun by offering themes or ideas that will spark your child’s creativity. Abrakadoodle remarkable art offers some online creativity games for kids – see http://www.abrakadoodle.com/kidsgamelist.html.

Art Education

Creative Children's Art Welcomes President Obama

Art is a wonderful tool for children's self-expression, and art students at participating Abrakadoodle locations nationwide shared their patriotism and visions for America as part of a colorful welcome for President Barack Obama.

Some students learned about the art of Jasper Johns as an inspiration for their art. They learned about Pop Art, encaustic painting and the use of texture. Children tried out smaller, quicker brush strokes in the style of Jasper Johns as they created American flags.

Other students learned about the life and words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and called upon his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to draw inspiration to bring their own dreams for the future into a work of art using words, images and shapes. Some children created Presidential Seals using model magic, while others created mobiles with inspirational phrases. One student literally made Presidential "seals" as shown left.

Children also created poster art in the collage style of contemporary artist Shepard Fairey, whose portrait of Barack Obama will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Art for Kids

Art and History Prove to be a Powerful Combination

Art education has a special place at the Barrier Islands Center, an historic site on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Abrakadoodle offers special workshops, after school classes, art enrichment programs and summer camps for children. In some cases, Abrakadoodle customizes its visual arts lessons that teach children to use their imaginations as they render creative works that depict the islands’ early inhabitants, seascapes, as well as its unique vegetation, coastal birds and fish.

Abrakadoodle art students at the Barrier Islands Center participate in an Art Rocks workshop. Their art works are based upon the style of Shepard Fairey, the contemporary artist whose portrait of Barack Obama will soon grace the National Gallery Art. These creations were sent to the White House to welcome President Obama.

“Because the Barrier Islands Center is located in one of Virginia’s most impoverished communities, we are particularly grateful for the community participation of programs like Abrakadoodle,” stated Laura Vaughan, Executive Director of Barrier Islands Center. “Monika and Abrakadoodle not only provide valuable educational programming, but they also help bring dollars and boost interest and participation that are so important right now as we face tough economic times.”

For nearly four years, Abrakadoodle has been partnering with the Barrier Islands Center (http://www.barrierislandcenter.com/events.html) to creatively engage children, as well as to help raise funds to help further the center’s mission.

Art for Kids

Stress-Busting Gets Creative

Art education can help children cope with worries. Children under stress tend to bottle up their feelings, creating emotional and physical effects. With negative news dominating our newspapers and airwaves – from a struggling economy and war to issues closer to home with worried parents, less disposable income and school stress -- children need to find healthy ways to manage. Art is one of the best ways you can help your children develop skills to express themselves and liberate their feelings to help maintain healthy emotional well-being.

The key in reducing or eliminating unhealthful stress is to provide children with the tools and attention to deal with stress and by giving them a healthy outlet that sets them up with coping skills for life.

Artful calming

Art for kids should be all about originality and creativity. You can create a space at home that promotes imaginative play:

* Set up a creativity center that your children can access, which contains lots of paper, crayons, markers, nontoxic paints and brushes, modeling compounds (like Crayola Model Magic®) and more;
* You can spiff up your creativity center by encouraging your children to add recycled materials from around the house (paper towel and toilet paper tubes; bows, ribbon, bottle caps, postcards, printer paper and more;
* Identify a place where your children can create art, such as your kitchen or a coffee table. Set up the rules, such as working on plastic or newspaper;
Instead of plopping down in front of the TV or a video game, encourage your children to grab their creativity tools and make something new;
* Create meaningful patterns, such as sitting with your children before they start their art, and teach them a relaxation technique. Tell them to shut their eyes, take a deep breath while they count to five and then slowly exhale while counting to five. Play with the idea, such as “in through the nose and out through the mouth” and “in through the mouth and out through the nose;”
* Never ever judge your children’s artwork. You want to empower them to use art to express their ideas, thoughts and feelings.

Above all, children need to know that they are loved and supported. Give hugs and model grace, calm and problem-solving. Sometimes children need just 15 minutes of your undivided attention. They need to turn off the TV and sources of distraction and learn to turn within to tap their own imaginations where a world of creative adventure awaits.

Art classes are another wonderful way to promote stress-busting, while fostering imaginative learning and developing new visual arts skills, technique and vocabulary. Learn more about Abrakadoodle remarkable art classes, in-school field trips, workshops, camps and parties: http://www.abrakadoodle.com/programs.htm.

Art for Kids

Creating Art in the Key of Rhythm & Fun

Art education can come to life when you engage a child’s senses during the creative process. Creativity is such an important part of every child’s development. You can inspire your child’s creativity by adding music and even movement. Art for kids can be made more magical when you combine art forms, such as tuning your child into some Japanese folk music while working with Chigirie (paper art) – for an activity go to: http://www.abrakadoodle.com/press/chigirie_0906.htm. It is a great way to give your child an appreciation for the arts and cultures while exploring them. Music can also help set the tone for a creative sketch. Your child may find that certain classical or jazz or contemporary soundtracks help activate his or her imagination. Encourage your child to show movement in an art creation – whether it be a modeling compound or swirling paint on paper – and then suggest that your child move or dance as a further expression of that creation.

Use art combined with music and movement next time your child wants to express his or her creativity. Ask your child what kind of music will help set the mood for making art. Play with creative movement by suggesting that your child demonstrate how a butterfly moves, and then set it to paper while listening to music reminiscent of spring and summer. Talk with your child about his or her feelings and the energy of his or her creation as this creative process continues, because emotions, beliefs and ideas are such a big part of art education. Your child will love it! Art for kids can come to life in beautiful ways by adding a few art supplies, music, movement and interactive encouragement with just a dash of guidance.

Creativity for Kids

What color was your day?

Art can be introduced into your child’s life in so many fun ways! Color evokes powerful emotions in us all, and each of us perceives color in different ways. What’s fun is to find out how your child reacts to color as an individual. Forget the preconceived notions of what people are supposed to think about a certain color, which is commonly known as the psychology of color.

Co-create a color wheel, chart or box with your child. You can use the basic colors or add lots of additional colors, depending upon your child’s age and interest. Perhaps your child will want to color white paper to create a personalized palette. Once you have your colors organized, you can have some fun exploring them.

We traditionally greet our child after school with a “Hello, how was your day?” What if you changed this up and said, “Hi, what color was your day?” Instead of hearing the typical, “Fine,” “Ok,” “Boring,” “Hard,” etc, you could engage in a colorful conversation. Your child could use the color palette to express the color or colors of the day that best suits his or her experience. Maybe it was a purple day. The question is: what does that color mean to your son or daughter? So, you’ll have to ask questions, such as: “What made today a ‘red’ day?” Perhaps the day was more than one color, and that’s okay, too. As long as your child does not feel judged for his or her feelings about colors and emotions, then you can give your child yet another way to colorfully express him/herself and expand visual perception. It's also an imaginative way to show interest in your child.

Creative Kids Need Art

The “Other IQ” can help ensure school success

Just two short years ago a new buzz started around the concept of the “Other IQ,” which stands for Imagination Quotient, as opposed to the familiar Intelligence Quotient. Results from a study conducted by Dr. Robert Sternberg of then Yale University revealed creativity was a very important factor in a student’s success in school and life. According to Dr. Sternberg, anyone can be creative, commenting, “It’s never too late to start developing a child’s creativity or even your own. Creativity is like exercise. If you make it a habit and regularly engage in creative activities that build the Other IQ, you’ll develop your creative muscles.”

How can the visual arts help children develop creativity?

Imagine children creating on canvas with bamboo brushes or working with fine sculpting material or designing a mosaic and learning the art of embossing. Exposure to a variety of art forms helps to challenge children to use their right brains as they problem-solve and apply diverse techniques. Art education can help children develop their imaginations; especially art classes that focus on Process Art (read more at www.abrakadoodle.com/process.htm). In no other venue can children actively express, explore, create, innovate and challenge without fear of rejection or negative judgment. Building creativity is so very important starting with toddlers and continuing throughout children’s lives. By the time children reach school age, the focus in education increasingly moves toward testing and conformity, which means that children get less opportunity to be creative. Today’s youth need to develop both intelligence and imagination– a strong pairing of competencies to serve them through life.

What’s your child’s imagination quotient?

Take the quiz: http://www.crayola.com/theartofchildhood/quiz.cfm

Artists For Kids

Natasha Wescoat is an artist from Michigan. She is a painter, illustrator, photographer and a videographer. Her works range from contemporary abstracts to pop art cartoons and her favorite medium is acrylic paint. She is an Abrakadoodle Artist of Distinction and she has works in private and corporate collections worldwide. Wescoat creates vibrant, whimsical paintings that are inspired by landscapes in which she expresses emotion, energy and movement.

What Kids Can Learn From Wescoat
(Art for Kids)





Natasha creates beautiful pictures using vibrant colors and swirling shapes. She likes to feel the movement, energy and life coming from her artwork. Children can learn about soft edge shapes using wavy lines, swirls and dots.


Wescoat is inspired by the lighter side of life and she wants the viewer to smile. Her artwork inspires children to express their feelings through colors and shapes while developing their creativity.

Learn more about her work at:


http://www.natashawescoat.com/

Get an Early Start with Art

Getting an early start in the arts can make a real difference in the lives of children. The arts impact the developmental growth of every child. When children express themselves through the arts, they benefit in many ways. Research shows that the benefits of early arts education extend way beyond providing an important creative outlet for children. Young children build fine motor, language and cognitive skills. Elementary age students strengthen problem-solving and critical thinking skills, which helps to increase overall academic achievement and school success. When children use their imaginations, they enjoy a sense of accomplishment, as well as build confidence in themselves.

Art education also helps children develop a sense of craftsmanship, quality task performance, and goal-setting, which are valuable skills needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond. The arts help children to develop more appreciation and tolerance for other people’s unique point of view. A quality art program also introduces children to world cultures through art forms and activities unique to different regions and countries. From broadening perspective to expressing thoughts, feelings and perceptions, the visual arts are a smart choice for children. Art is one activity that offers children a release from the increasing pressures of academics, sports and many other competitively-focused enrichment activities. A balm for the soul, art also helps kids learn how to see the big picture, which is an important life skill.

Creativity: Be a Booster and Not a Buster

There is no doubt that children benefit from learning to use their imaginations in creative pursuits. Creative kids learn how to problem-solve, see new and different ways to do things, and they can apply innovation in all aspects of their lives. Art is synonymous with creativity. Whether children participate in planned art activities or they use their imaginations at home, there are several ways you can help support children’s creative pursuits:

DO – set up a creative cupboard in an area where your child can readily access such art tools as recycled household items (cardboard tubes, fabric scraps, etc), crayons, water-based markers, paints, glue stick, glitter, stamps, construction paper, and so forth. Make sure that the products you supply children are age-appropriate and carry the AP label for non-toxicity.

AVOID – passing out coloring books that limit creativity.

DO – set aside “creativity clothes” for children. This is play apparel that kids can wear in confidence and can take a paint splash without causing distress for the young artist (or parent).

AVOID – criticizing children if they get messy or continually cleaning up after them. Keep in mind that children pick up on the messages they see and hear.

DO – Keep creativity open-ended. This means that children will do one-of-a-kind creations given an array of interesting material and blank paper, boxes, and more.

AVOID – telling children what to do or giving them a model of a finished piece of art to reproduce. This can cause frustration and limits individuality.

DO – Build upon interests! If children enjoy video games, give them index cards or poster board to create their own storyboard with characters and settings they can design. Car enthusiasts can sketch a design for their ultimate auto. Doll lovers can create a design for their own paper dolls. Fashion fans can embellish a pair of jeans with lace and sparkles.

AVOID – making negative judgments about children’s ideas or creations.

DO – Give specific, positive feedback that focuses on the creative process and not the finished product. “I like that bold color. Tell me how you chose that blend? How did you make it? What was your inspiration?”

AVOID – simplistic comments, such as “Isn’t that pretty?” Children enjoy honest compliments that focus on specific accomplishments, such as shape, scale, color, design, theme, etc.

DO – Display children’s artwork. Abrakadoodle uses FrameDoodles to proudly display student creations in its classes for children. Honoring children’s artwork boosts confidence and inspires children to continue with their healthy, creative pursuits.