What Is Art Therapy - A Poetic Introduction for Children
- Koöko Fleurs
- Sep 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 28
Welcome to the Garden of Feelings!
Every heart is a garden.
Every feeling is a flower, a cloud, or a spark.
In art therapy, we learn to care for them all.”
Welcome, little artist. This is a place where your feelings can stretch, swirl, and shine. You don’t need to explain everything. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be you.
Here, we use crayons that whisper, clay that listens, and colors that help our hearts speak. Whether you feel happy, sad, curious, or quiet—you belong.
Let’s begin our journey through the Secret Garden of Feelings, where every emotion is a friend, and every artwork is a story waiting to bloom.
Meet the Feelings
“Feelings live inside us like little characters. Sometimes they dance, sometimes they hide. Art helps us invite them out to play.”
Inside every heart lives a team of feelings. They’re like tiny actors in a play—Joy loves to twirl, Sadness likes quiet hugs, Anger stomps when things feel unfair, and Calm floats like a leaf on water.
We don’t need to be afraid of our feelings. They’re here to help us understand what’s going on inside.
When we draw or paint, our feelings can come out of hiding. They can wear costumes, tell stories, or even become superheroes.
Joy wears yellow shoes and sings in the morning.
Sadness wraps herself in a blue blanket and whispers lullabies.
Anger is a red volcano who needs space to cool down.
Calm is a green leaf that floats gently when we breathe.
In art therapy, we meet them all—and they become our friends.
Sensory Prompt
- Invite children to choose a color for each feeling and draw them as characters.
- Use soft textures (felt, feathers, clay) to represent how each emotion feels in the body.
The Magic Art Box
Art therapy is like opening a magic box. We use colors, shapes, and textures to help our feelings come out and play.
Imagine a box filled with crayons that giggle, clay that listens, and feathers that tickle your thoughts. Each tool helps you tell a story—your story. You can paint your dreams, sculpt your worries, or glue your happiness into a collage.
You don’t need words—just your imagination.
Sometimes talking is hard. But drawing a storm, painting a rainbow, or building a tiny house from sticks can say everything your heart wants to share.
Crayons whisper secrets.
Clay molds your mood.
Watercolors wash away worries.
Feathers float your dreams.
Glitter makes your joy sparkle.
Let children “open” the pretend magic box and choose one tool to express how they feel today.
Pair each tool with a sensory station: clay for sculpting emotions, feathers for breath and movement, watercolors for blending moods.
Brain and Heart Talk
When we make art, our brain and heart become best friends. They listen to each other and help us feel safe.
Your brain is like a library—it remembers things, solves puzzles, and asks questions. Your heart is like a garden—it feels things, grows love, and sometimes gets tangled.
Sometimes the brain and heart don’t agree. That’s okay! Art helps them sit down together, like two friends sharing a snack.
Drawing, painting, and sculpting help your brain slow down and your heart speak up. It’s like giving both a microphone so they can sing a duet.
Brain brought a notebook.
Heart brought a flower.
They sipped tea, shared stories, and made a painting together.
Sensory Prompt
- Invite children to draw their brain and heart as characters.
- Let them create a scene where both characters do something together—paint, play, or build.
The Art Therapist
An art therapist is like a feelings gardener. They help you grow your joy, calm your worries, and turn your art into healing.
An art therapist is someone who helps you feel better using colors, shapes, and imagination. They don’t ask you to explain everything with words. They listen to your drawings, your clay creatures, and your painted dreams.
They’re like a helper who walks beside you while you explore your feelings.
Art therapists are trained to understand emotions, even when they’re messy or hard to talk about. They help you feel safe while you create.
She wears a flower crown and carries a sketchbook.
Her voice is soft like moss, her smile warm like sunlight.
She doesn’t ask you to explain—she invites you to create.
With every brushstroke, she helps your feelings bloom.
Sensory Prompt
- Invite children to draw their art therapist as a magical helper.
- Ask: “What does your helper carry in their bag? What do they say when you feel sad?”
Your Feelings Are Welcome Here...
In art therapy, every feeling is welcome. You don’t need words—just your imagination.
This is a place where you can be yourself. You can be loud or quiet, silly or serious, happy or unsure. Big feelings, small feelings, mixed-up feelings—they all belong here.
You are safe. You are seen. You are welcome.
Art therapy creates a safe space where children can express themselves freely, without judgment or pressure. It honors each child’s emotional rhythm and helps them build trust in their own voice.
You can paint your joy, sculpt your sadness, collage your dreams.
You can whisper with watercolors or roar with red clay.
This is your art. This is your heart.
Sensory Prompt
- Begin each session with a “Welcome Ritual”: a soft bell, a breath together, and a question: “What color is your feeling today?”
- Create a “Feelings Wall” where children can hang their art anonymously or proudly, knowing it belongs.
Your Art Is Your Heart
“You painted your joy.
You sculpted your sadness.
You gave your feelings a home.”
You’ve met your feelings, opened the magic box, and let your brain and heart talk like old friends. You’ve created with courage, listened with kindness, and shared your story through color and shape.
Remember: your art is your heart. It’s strong, soft, brave, and beautiful—just like you.
Whenever you feel unsure, you can return to this garden. Pick up a brush, a feather, or a crayon. Let your feelings speak again. They’ll always be welcome here.
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