Arts Ignite Program

Creative Activity Kits

We deliver Arts Ignite Creative Activity Kits, filled with art supplies and specially crafted workbooks, to children throughout the year. These inspiring collections invite young people to participate in new creative experiences, independently or together with their caregivers.

About the program

Inspired by the voices of our partners

Arts Ignite developed the Creative Activity Kit initiative, a technology-free arts program for young people ages 4 months to 16 years old, in order to meet the continuing needs of our youth during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We heard from our program partners that their students were experiencing Zoom fatigue from virtual learning, faced limited internet access, and struggled to engage with virtual content. The first Creative Activity Kits were distributed in March 2021 as an engaging, creative learning solution to counter the challenges of inequitable access to the internet and electronic learning devices like tablets and laptops.

Self-guided instruction and bi-monthly inspiration

Since 2021, Arts Ignite has distributed over 4,000 Creative Activity Kits to youth across New York City, spanning all five boroughs. Our kits include activities for a wide age and developmental range, as well as multiple languages, meeting students where they are to create something special. To learn more about bringing Creative Activity Kits into your community—or to sponsor kits for others—please reach out to our team via the contact link below.

Partner Stories

Delivered directly to our Community Partners

Every other month, around 350 kits are delivered to community partners across the NYC boroughs such as Win, Apex For Youth, and Goddard Riverside Community Arts. These hand-delivered art kits provide students with art supplies, workbooks, and the opportunity to bring their individual kit home whenever inspiration strikes!

Combining art and education to spark creativity

Teaching Artists create custom kits that allow our students to hone their creative capacity, language acquisition skills, creative problem-solving skills, and innovation through a combination of visual and performing art. The activities included in the workbooks couple the arts with one of Arts Ignite’s Core Skills of initiative, courage, community, positive identity, and creative capacity.

From our partners

“As our team prepares for the summer season, we want to circle back and share that Arts Ignite was one of our favorite programs last summer. At WIN, we are incredibly grateful for your previous and ongoing support. We believe that all Arts Ignite programming and initiatives have offered valuable opportunities for children to reduce screen time while learning.” – Mariana Carmona, former Win Volunteer Services Coordinator