We had quite the busy summer this year! If you’ve been to any of our Fremont Street Eats art activity booth events this May-August, you would have seen a line of children waiting eagerly for their turn to make some art. What were they lining up for, you ask? Cardboard!

This Summer 2023, My Good Brain (MGB) collaborated with Makedo, a toy company creating cardboard construction tools based in Australia, to create a series of social-emotional learning art activities. This collaboration was MGB’s way of continuing down the path towards sustainability in art-making, and what a better way than to upcycle some used, plentiful cardboard that was originally used as packaging material for many of our daily consumer goods. Our main goal was to use Makedo products to show it can benefit children’s mental wellness, as we help create mental health-themed approaches to using their tools.

Through the MGB x Makedo collaboration, we’ve created a brand new collection of art-based social-emotional health activities using the Makedo tools! Our creative team of volunteers came up with a series of six art activities designed to support social-emotional learning using recycled cardboard! Below, we’ve shared some of our favorite ones from this summer.

The MGB x Makedo SEL art activities were not only fun, they were also very intriguing for children and parents alike! So many families were interested in the Makedo tools we were using and how it not only taught kids how to use tools in a safe manner, but also taught them confidence in learning and using new tools. Plus, it was a hit among the many parents who were inspired to find other ways to repurpose their own collection of cardboard boxes at home! We can use cardboard art to:

• teach children about upcycling and ways to address eco-anxiety

• build their self-esteem

• practice mindfulness and focus

• foster creative problem-solving skills

• practice pretend play and cooperation

• promote social connections among youth & families

• and so much more!

I hope this encourages and inspires you to try your hand at cardboard art. You can find more information about our MGB x Makedo collaboration here or check out our downloadable MGB x Makedo SEL art activity booklet to try it on your own. Remember to enjoy and embrace the process!