By Rosemarie Hartnett, CFE, Co-Founder & President, Abrakadoodle, Inc.

You may have heard this before: “I’m bored!” Not exactly music to a parent’s ears. It can be frustrating to know how to respond when a child simply does not feel engaged. As kids proceed through primary school, homework tends to increase, coursework often requires more memorization and even school may start to feel tedious. The question therefore becomes: what kind of activities will get my child excited and ignite that wonderful sense of curiosity that is so important to the learning process?

When a child is actively engaged in the process of creating art, that’s when they should be encouraged to explore a variety of possible outcomes and feel confident in creating something very original.  From painting a landscape inspired by a master artist to creating a sculpture inspired by a faraway culture or learning about the galaxy by drawing a space scene, art inspires  a child to use their imagination while exploring new art materials, techniques and artists from around the world. 

Starting at a young age and continuing throughout adult life, art fosters curiosity, creative problem-solving and craftsmanship. Art invites us to design, defy and dazzle! Abrakadoodle has the philosophy that there is no right or wrong way to create art. This philosophy frees students to apply their learning in meaningful ways, avoiding the trap of “getting it wrong.” We designed Abrakadoodle to build upon a child’s natural creativity, imagination and curiosity by creating an engaging learning environment where children are free to express their ideas while learning new things!