PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The past year has been a very stressful year for many kids, but artwork can help. Very young children don’t have the vocabulary to express their feelings.
“The only way they express them is basically with behavior and drawings,” said Harriet Hodgson, art therapy coach and author of “Grief Doodling: Bringing Back Your Smiles.”
“There is a misconception here that doodling is just the mind taking a break. It really isn’t,” she adds.
“Your mind is still functioning, you’re still gathering facts, taking notes, comparing things, planning, problem solving.”
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Drawing, painting and coloring can also be calming for teenagers. Having the right materials on hand will help encourage kids to use art as a stress management tool.
“Felt tip pens, watercolor markers, crayons, gel pens, and have lots of blank paper.”
Art can reduce anxiety, improve concentration, promote creativity and help kids cope with loss.