Art Making in the Home
Fostering Healing, Growth, and Creativity
Welcome to the very first edition of our Between Sessions newsletter! We’re excited to offer a space where you can regularly find both clinical insight and biblical wisdom to support you in daily life. We hope you enjoy this thoughtful article by our staff art therapist, Elizabeth King, ATR-BC, LPC.
At Haven Christian Counseling, we believe healing can begin with something as small and spontaneous as a crayon stroke.
God spoke creation into being with only His voice. He formed humanity in His image from the dust of the earth. In many ways, counseling reflects that same creative act—working from what seems like nothing, or even ashes, and making something meaningful, restorative, and new. Every day, our counselors use words, presence, clinical wisdom, and sound theological training to walk with clients toward hope, insight, and transformation.
Art therapy is one powerful tool on that journey. It bridges creativity and relationship, mirroring the process of creation, reflection, and restoration that we see in our Creator—and that we see again and again in the counseling process.
But healing doesn’t only happen in the therapy room. It can begin at your kitchen table—with markers, glue sticks, and an open heart.
Created to Create: Why Art Matters
As image-bearers of God, we are made to reflect His nature. That includes His creative nature—His delight in making, ordering, enjoying, expressing, and restoring. Children, especially, are naturally wired to create.
When families encourage spontaneous art-making at home, they’re doing more than offering a fun activity—they’re supporting a child’s emotional, relational, spiritual, and neurological development. Through art, children learn to:
Regulate emotions
Communicate nonverbally
Express experiences that are hard to put into words
Build motor coordination and attention spans
Develop creativity and resilience
And perhaps most importantly, they learn that what’s inside of them is valuable, welcome, and safe to express.
Embrace the Mess: Art Is Sacred Work
Let’s be honest: making art with kids is messy.
Markers end up on upholstery. Paint finds its way onto arms or walls. Play-Doh gets permanently embedded in the carpet. But this is sacred work.
When children create, they engage with the same wild, beautiful chaos that existed before God brought order to the world. We join our Creator when we tame the wild, make something new and name it, and renew what seems broken or formless. That’s what happens in art therapy—and it can happen in your home, too.
It’s Not About the Masterpiece
One of the most important things you can do is value the process over the product. This helps children develop:
Flexibility
Openness
Emotional resilience
Optimism
Encourage and model risk-taking and imperfection. Welcome scribbles and half-finished ideas with curiosity. Praise effort, creativity, and development—not the final result. Wonder about the creations without judgement. After all, the greatest healing doesn’t come from what we make, but from what happens while we make it.
Tips for Supporting Art-Making at Home
You don’t need to be artistic. You don’t need fancy supplies. You just need openness, some space, and a willingness to let go of the outcome.
Here are some ideas to make art-making more accessible and sustainable:
Create a Creative Space
Offer a child-sized table and chair
Keep supplies at kid level
Use trays or mats to contain messes
Stock Basic, Age-Appropriate Supplies
Ages 2–4
Thick crayons and markers
Large paper rolls
Sidewalk chalk (outside)
Watercolor postcards to mail
Play-Doh (supervised)
Stickers for fine motor skills
Ages 4–6
Washable glue sticks
Homemade play dough (mud kitchen fun!)
Colored pencils and sketchbooks
Glue dots and beads
Recycled materials for "inventions"
Finger knitting
Ages 6–8
"How to Draw" books
Nail pens or small brushes for detail work
Low-temp glue guns (with supervision)
Basic crochet or knitting tools
Ages 8–Adult
Wreck This Journal or similar
Online tutorials and classes
Family paint nights
Projects that invite risk-taking and patience
Keep It Sustainable
Rotate and refresh supplies regularly
Provide plenty of paper—20 sheets or more! (Use one-sided scrap paper, junk mail envelopes, cut-up grocery bags.)
Create a “scrap tray” for reused materials
Tidy up together as part of the routine
What Should I Do With All This Artwork?
Let go of the pressure to save it all. Instead, try this:
Toss used papers guilt-free
Keep a manila envelope of “treasures”
Repurpose drawings into collages or greeting cards
Make an annual photo book of favorite creations
Remember, the real value is in the experience—not the storage.
Art as a Pathway to Healing
When children are free to create without judgment, they develop tools for emotional resilience and regulation that will serve them for a lifetime. They also experience something sacred: the joy of reflecting God’s image through creativity.
At Haven Christian Counseling, we believe healing is a collaborative process—whether it’s in the therapy room or around the kitchen table. If you’re looking for more support in your parenting journey or would like to learn more about how creativity can support mental health, we’re here to walk alongside you.
Visit us at havenrva.com to learn more or connect with one of our counselors.