EcoArt with Animals

With ecotherapeutics, humans and animals spend structured time in nature to improve mental health during stressful times. by encouraging structured, purposeful interactions with nature to improve mental health, while releasing creative expression through interpretive art, you’re bringing an aspect of mindfulness and intentionality to being outdoors. by holding art sessions outdoors with elements of nature, we are letting nature serve as a co-therapist. Exposure to nature tends to soothe and refresh overstimulated brains. While concrete tasks such as completing an assignment or writing an email require sustained, focused concentration, actions such as looking at a flower as art or listening to a thunderstorm while painting, cause us to engage in something called “soft fascination". Kaplan states, "Soft fascination occurs when attention is grabbed without extreme cognitive effort. Because nature elicits soft fascination, it allows the mind to recover from fatigue." This class is great for those in need of stress reduction,

Child Participants will develop many skills including:

Positive relationships and friendships with peers

artistic expression and hobby building

Verbal and nonverbal communication skills

Cooperation and turn taking

Being kind, patient, and respectful of others

Empathy and perspective taking

Understanding social contexts and customs

Awareness of proxemics (personal space)

Self-regulation and coping skills

Emotional regulation and recognizing emotions in self and others

Confidence and self-esteem

Self-advocacy and assertiveness

Conflict resolution and problem solving

Acceptance of diversity and differences

Class size: between 3 to 15 participants

ages 4-100+

(4-8 yr old class, 9-12 yr old class, 13-17 yr old class, 18+ class options)

Time: meets for 1 hour, once a week, for 4 to 8 weeks

Cost: $200 for 4 weeks, $350 for 8 weeks

includes supplies

Fill Out Inquiry Form to Find Out More