Positivity in Kids – Keys Kids’ Characters
I believe in the power of positivity in kids. My website, www.gracelynkeyskids.com, went live in March of 2023, with important wellness-related books and videos for kids. Before it went live, I created whimsical and smiling Keys Kids’ characters to match the ‘soft and wavy’ design of the website. Consequently, I wanted the characters to be positive and represent a variety of kids. I also wanted characters that were simple enough for kids to remember, recreate, and draw themselves.
Character Design Courses
I’ve been taking character design courses through Storyteller Academy for over a year now. It felt like it was time to use my new found knowledge. I’m grateful to the expert author/illustrator instructors who shared their knowledge with me and other creators, especially, Vanessa Brantley Newton.
Vanessa has designed playful and fun characters for over 100 children’s picture books. Studying her adorable book characters and other author’s characters, I was able to design my own style of friendly and fun characters. I even took her character design class twice. And, I purchased several of her books for further study! During the last course session, I submitted a few of my animal book characters (fish and honeybee) for critiques. I received encouragement from Vanessa’s positive comments about them.
Positive Keys Kids Characters
Once my first Keys Kids’ character was designed (yup, it sort of looks like one of my younger g-kids), I couldn’t stop. I have created over fifty whimsical characters with wispy arms and legs and all SMILES. A POSITIVE approach for children’s books and videos is my goal. Therefore, I would like my website and social media sites to reflect this. I believe in the power of positivity in kids, including the use of positive characters in books and videos.
The whimsical and smiling kids you see on my website, newsletter, and social media banners and posts are just some of these characters. Stay tuned as I debut more of my friendly child and animal characters in future social media posts, newsletters, and even some of my videos and books.
#happyhealthykids
Fun Fact About Me – I host an Easter egg hunt every year!
My husband and I have eleven grandchildren, ranging in age from three to sixteen. We love to host Easter and have the family come over for an Easter egg hunt and dinner. Sometimes, the younger grandkids help us wash and sort plastic eggs by color ahead of time. They have even used playdoh between plastic eggs to build towers.
STEAM Activities
Creating fun spring projects for them often turn into a STEAM activity. We love coming up with other spring crafts and healthy recipes for them to try. STEAM projects are always entertaining and educational for both the kids and adults!
Paper Plate Butterflies
This year most of the grandkids made paper plate butterflies. They love to color with silky crayons. This is a non-messy but colorful and easy project for every level. I even created a few to provide examples for them. Hence, I have a beautiful wall of colorful butterflies in my garage, which are sure to make anyone smile when they walk inside.
#wishingyouhealthandwellness
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