Information for Parents

We Don't Teach Painting and Drawing

It's true. Creativity Express is not video tutorials of art techniques. If your children like to paint and draw, Creativity Express will make them much better at it, but that's not what we do. Art isn't just for children who like to draw.

Art teaches children to think. Creativity Express gives a solid foundation in the visual arts so that they literally "see" the world around them from a whole new perspective. Professional animation makes all 16 lessons are terrifically fun. That's what we do.

There's no such thing as mindless creativity

Your child is introduced to fundamental art principles and ideas in sayART, discovers meaning and interpretation in seeART, takes challenges and plays with puzzles in thinkART, then explores self-expression with hands-on projects in doART. Each learning module offers engaging lessons with animated characters, followed by interactive activities to strengthen understanding of the ideas presented.

Our animated characters excel at making abstract and challenging subjects understandable by putting the ideas into a context that is relevant to children. This enables your child to make personal connections to both the characters and the ideas being presented. We think it's vital to engage children emotionally as well as cognitively, and research has proven this technique to greatly enhance knowledge retention.

Art education is so much more than the study of a single subject – it is a gateway to history, science, geography, math, culture, and a world of ideas. It is also one of the best ways to help children develop their critical thinking skills, and explore their own creativity. Madcap Logic consulted with museum professionals and education experts to design a compelling course of study that meets the National Standards for the Visual Arts and several State Standards as well.

Read our whitepaper: The Arts - Leading the way to Academic Improvement.

Creativity = Careers

Remember the myth of the "Starving Artist"? It's over. Really over.
In today's world "Creativity" is the new buzzword.

A solid visual arts education is the foundation for creative thinking. So what fun jobs and well-paying careers "Start With Art"? The answers might surprise you! As creative people we decided that seeing was believing.

Visit our board on Pinterest to discover "Creativity at Work"

Why is Art Education so important?

Art is an essential part of any child's education; it is just as important as reading, writing, mathematics and science. Art fosters creativity, flexibility in thinking and problem solving, teaches visual literacy and builds self-esteem.

Studies have shown that children exposed to the arts perform better in other academic subjects and are less likely to be bored in school.
In sum, Art Education leads to academic improvement.

I'm not familiar with Art. What will I need to know?

Don't worry. There is no need to have previous Art Education or experience to use Creativity Express. The online format is easy to use for both the child and the parent, and is essentially self-guiding. The program is structured so that your child can use it without parental supervision.

A Welcome Letter with instructions on getting started with Creativity Express will arrive by email with your subscription; in addition we include an online support guide within the account center. Our team is here to help with questions or concerns - we have actual humans as well as animated characters.

Is this a full curriculum? How long can my child use this?

Understanding that each child is unique, we have structured the Creativity Express curriculum to be self-paced. Creativity Express is the ideal way to supplement your child's art education, or provide for what your child may not have access to in their traditional school. You can incorporate this curriculum into your home education or afterschool enrichment as you see fit.

The typical School Year runs 32 weeks, so the 16 lessons of Creativity Express provide a yearly curriculum with one lesson every two weeks. However you and your child are free to determine the speed at which you move through the lessons.

Will there be any inappropriate images that might offend my family?

No. We understand parents' concern that certain works of art might be inappropriate for young children. We have not included any questionable artwork or potentially inappropriate images in the lesson content.

How will I know what my child is learning and retaining from the lessons?

The Creativity Express program tracks progress through the curriculum and performance on assessments. This information is easily displayed for the parent through our intuitive Teacher Account Center. In a multi-child family the parent will be able to easily monitor the progress of all users through just one interface.

Why do I need an individual license for each child?

Each child will progress at a different rate, so Creativity Express is designed for individualized learning. The linear release function for the lessons, challenges, the puzzles and rewards are all part of a complete educational package. With more than one child per account the content sequence and motivational features are lost.

"I love this program. I have a background in art and I wanted something really good for my kids. Their approach is fun but also very informative and the chidren are very exited to participate. I usually have to stop them because they keep going from one lesson to the next."

-Claudia, homeschool parent

"Our family loves Creativity Express! My 8 year old was so excited about his lesson today he gathered the entire family (even dad from his home office) to witness what he learned. He was proud to show us his art project for the day. This program has great educational value, while at the same time holding their attention through interactive lessons. As a homeschool parent, I love the Teacher Account Center. It is so easy to log in to check my students progress and challenge scores."

- J Dunbar, homeschool parent

"Engaging and interactive affordable art lecture series which is easy to add to homeschool once a week before doing art projects. Has suggestions for weekly projects tied to lectures too. I learned facts I never learned in 4 years at a professional art college! As a professional in the Fine Arts I am very satisfied with the content of the lectures. They are concise, easily assimilated, and the site is navigable. Customer service has been very helpful too. Grandma has joined in on the class and is enjoying it. The children find it interesting: it has the rich graphics and interaction I was looking for."

- M. Smith, homeschool parent

"I took that course like three times over cause I loved it so much:) "

- Stephanie, student at Heritage Christian Online School

"My grandson, who is Autistic, loved your program. We followed up some of the lessons with a visit to the art museum and it was amazing how much he could link items he saw and the lessons he had completed. Thank you for the great work!

- Barb, homeschool grandparent

"My daughter always really liked art in grade school as she is very creative and has a great imagination. In two months of public school (middle school), the art teacher managed to make her hate art, and my daughter said she would never do art again. I found this program and told her she had to take it this year (we pulled her out of public school last year in November). After lots of grumbling and complaining, she started the program and it only took one lesson before she was back to loving art. Now it's her favorite subject and she even does it on non-art days! We are thrilled! It's a fantastic program, and I'd recommend it to anyone."

- E. Severn-Eriksson, homeschool parent

"I purchased this program for my 8 year old son who is not an artsy sort at all. I wanted to expose him to more art information and hopefully see if I can get him to explore his creativity artistically. I am happy to report that he enjoys the lessons in Creativity Express. He has even done some of the art activities, not many but certainly more than he has done in the past. He has even noticed how some of the principles of art he's learned are visible in daily life. My 3 and 4 year old children will hear the videos and come over to sit next to him when he is watching them. The videos are very engaging and appear to be piquing his interest in art."

- Dawn, homeschool parent