Kids Can Craft a Summer Adventure at Crayola Imagine Arts Academy Camps

A crayon or colored pencil isn’t just a tool for a child to draw. It’s the ignition switch to their imagination—where with every scribble and line they can picture themselves as anyone they want to be, in any world they can dream up.

This summer, kids can turn that love of art into a real-life adventure to remember at Crayola® World of Design and Artist’s Passport Camps from Imagine Arts Academy of St. Louis. Whether designing costumes for comic book heroes or exploring far-off lands, kids entering kindergarten through fifth grade can boost their art skills and their confidence through hands-on activities.

World of Design Camp

Now in its second year in St. Louis, Crayola® World of Design Camp introduces kids to different art media while demonstrating how they can be translated into business, science and engineering.

“The camps are more about the experience of creating art than just teaching the techniques,” said Alan Simon of Mad Science of St. Louis who brought the Imagine Arts Academy afterschool and summer camp programs to the region. “The focus is on creating a home and a lab for the whole artistic experience, giving kids the chance to learn about different aspects of design and careers in the fields of art and design. We want them to think in a non-linear way, and we want to give them a taste of everything so they can find their passion in the arts.”

During the architecture-themed “Mars Habitat” activity, for example, kids will brainstorm home designs that would allow people to live on the Red Planet before breaking out to build their own structures using Crayola Air-Dry Clay. They’ll also dive into product design during “Pitch Your Product,” illustrate storyboards and flipbooks with “Wild Animation,” and design a wheelchair-accessible home and research center in a tropical rainforest during “Universal Treehouse.”

The popularity of Crayola® World of Design in 2018 led Simon to launch Artist’s Passport this year. While World of Design centers on careers, Artist’s Passport focuses on culture.

During the globally-inspired camp session, kids will learn about various countries and the art forms associated with their history, tradition and people. Using techniques developed by local artisans, campers will try their hand at creating drums, masks, prints, and other pieces that will help them build a world gallery at home.

Remarked Simon, “One activity we’re really excited about is our Pakistani truck art lesson inspired by the beautiful, intricate murals featured on trucks throughout the country. Kids will have their own cardboard bus templates and will use Crayola products, bells and other supplies to create their own elaborate designs.”

At the same time, campers will learn the history behind these mobile works of art, how each design honors the artist’s ancestry or a significant meaning in their life, and how many of the artists create each piece of art themselves, from the carved wood paneling on the doors to the vibrant textiles that decorate the hood.

Plus, each young artist gets their own passport with geotag stickers and a world map to keep track of their “travels’ around the world.

Gear up for a summer of fun

Imagine Arts Academy will host Crayola® World of Design and Artist’s Passport Camps at various locations in Chesterfield, Des Peres, Olivette, and Belleville, and at Saint Louis University. Week-long, full-day and half-camps are available. All kids who participate will also receive Crayola art supplies to take home so they can build on their in-class projects or create new projects in their free time.

To learn more about upcoming camps or to sign your kids up for their arts adventure, visit Crayola® Imagine Arts Academy of St. Louis online. For more information on STEM-themed camps, such as Gross Out Science!, Red Hot Robots or Secret Agent Lab sessions, check out the Mad Science of St. Louis website.