The Nature of Art: Growing Kids’ Attention, Confidence + Joy

By Shari Davis, Camp Wildcraft Co-Founder/Director

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“Wonder seeds our curiosity. Wonder snaps you to attention and is one of the
​most effective ways to spark curiosity.”
-- Your Brain on Art

I recently read the insightful book Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, which explores how the arts change our brains in beneficial and lasting ways. Research increasingly backs up what we see and hear at camp. Neuroplasticity--the brain’s ability to expand and rewire throughout life--is especially activated by artmaking. Every time a child (or adult!) paints a new image, or figures out how to weave yarn through a loom, their brain is not just observing—it’s physically changing: neurons are firing! But for neurons to truly wire together--and for real learning, meaning, and growth to happen—the experience must be salient: it grabs your attention, is sensory-rich and engages your emotions. These moments happen daily at Camp Wildcraft. 

The sound and shape of focus
I hear it in the sound of 40 kids sanding walking sticks to take on their hikes. The ch-ch-ch of sandpaper rubbed along branches collected after the fires– the collective hum a soothing background music. With the roughest grade they sand the black remains of the burn, then run to the Guides, suddenly experts in the vocabulary of sandpaper grades. “Can I have a 120?” It takes four grades of progressively finer sandpaper to achieve the final mirror-smooth layer of wood. “Am I ready for the 400?” they inquire, with a sense of urgency. There is joy in this type of simple, physical work. With sustained effort that kids of all ages can manage, they transform their stick into a helpful tool, a steady companion as they hike the uneven trails.

I see it in a child’s face: looking intently at their canvas after gluing an image of ancient art to its center–some of the oldest art ever made. Our campers choose from dozens of black and white photocopies of art across the world, the creators now unknown. Reaching inside themselves for their own patterns, texture, story, they work to embellish and add to these ancient creations. I watch with fascination as four to fourteen year olds sit knee to knee in front of their canvases, immersed, focused and surprised at what emerges. Mixing colors – vibrant green-blues or orange-reds, holding their paint brush confidentially, their strokes thick and thin, our campers find unexpected joy in glossy paint being transformed into infinite designs, shapes, ideas. 

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Why are these experiences so satisfying?
When we’re immersed and focused—and challenged at just the right pitch—our minds and bodies enter a deeply rewarding state of flow. Research by Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced CHIK-sent-mi-high) confirmed that we feel happier and more focused during flow—the self-critical parts of the brain quiet down, and we stop judging and overthinking. 

Growth inside and out 
Camp Wildcraft is filled with these kinds of salient, feel-good, growthful experiences.   

• NATURE is the ultimate salient, sensory-rich experience. Just 20 minutes in nature activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering stress hormones and helping kids relax, feel more present and happy. Making art in nature deepens the benefits.
• HIKING POUCHES & SKETCHBOOKS: Every Monday campers take needle and thread and stitch a pouch to sling over their shoulders, and a handmade sketchbook to take on the trail. Kids of all ages learn to hand sew, strengthening motor skills, patience and persistence. Sewing activates both sides of the brain, and because it’s rhythmic and focused, it calms the nervous system. Campers carry their sketchbook (and pencil and snack) in their pouch on all our hikes, drawing and writing along the way.
• CURIOSITY is a core value. We spark it all day long: on the trail, through story-telling and in multi-age conversations in our morning circles. That spark of curiosity releases dopamine, fueling empathy, engagement, and deeper connection—with each other and the natural world.

Choice, Autonomy and Confidence
Wonder, Dreams, The Spirit in Nature–we channel kids’ imagination, energy, curiosity through weekly themes such as these. Our expansive themes are a catalyst for the big art projects we create each week and the conversations and stories that connect us. Whether creating a papier mache animal mask, wooden wonder box or large painting, campers have a lot of autonomy in their art making. Encountering a pile of wood scraps, or old National Geographic magazines, stacks of animal pictures, or an array of seedpods collected from nature, they quickly realize: the choices are theirs. Being emotionally invested provides a strong sense of ownership over their work—and growing confidence in their unique creative selves as they experiment and explore new ideas, materials, techniques. It’s a confidence carried home from camp, along with their stack of artwork, stories of each day, and hand-sewn pouch filled with their sketchbook and treasures collected along the trail.