As we move into summer 2020 parents and educators nationwide continue to be challenged as we face uncertain times. Questions range from, “What will my children do this summer?” to “What will the 2020-2021 school year look like?”

Abrakadoodle camps have long provided fun summer camp experiences for thousands of children. This year we took many of our summer camps and classes online, continuing to enable children the benefit of making new friends and staying engaged while nurturing their creativity! Feedback from families has been wonderful to see! A parent recently commented, “We loved how creative the online class was, how engaged the kids were and the beautiful pieces they created.” Encouraged by our new virtual camp experiences, we are delighted to see parents posting pictures of their children proudly holding up pictures of their freshly created artwork. Dinosaurs are roaring across social media posts from our Artosaurus! STEAM camp, allowing all of us to share in the fun!

One parent wrote to tell us that her daughter, “liked going around during the end of class and talking to everyone. Showing them what she did really made her feel part of something, which is very much needed right now.”

Feeling connected and engaged is at the core of the well-being of children at this time and should be at the center of their activities. We understand that art uplifts us and see it as a way of helping children to focus on the positive during such a stressful time.

In some locations, we have been fortunate to be able to continue to bring our traditional onsite camps to children. Adhering to the highest standards of guidelines for safety, campers participated in camps like, It’s a Jungle Out There! Did you know that while only 6% of the earth’s land is a rainforest, half of animal and plant species live there?  Campers are immersing themselves in a jungle adventure while creating artwork showcasing colorful sloths, toucans, and piranhas too!

Abrakadoodle is looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year. We are actively working with our partner schools and community-based sites, getting ready to continue to bring our arts education classes to children whether through online or onsite classes. We remain deeply committed to our educational sites, communities and families. Bringing the joy and benefits of the arts through the creative process to our children remains our mission.