Pumpkins and Play: How Art Helps Kids Express Their Emotions

By Yana Shenker, LCSW-R
Founder, Resilient Mind Psychotherapy

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When words don’t come easily, children often speak through their creativity. Whether it’s a crayon drawing, a Lego tower, or a painted pumpkin, art becomes a language that allows kids to share what’s happening inside — their fears, excitement, sadness, or joy.

At Resilient Mind Psychotherapy, therapists know that creativity isn’t just about fun — it’s a powerful therapeutic tool. Through play therapy and other expressive techniques, children learn to identify emotions, manage stress, and communicate in ways that feel natural and safe.

This fall, our therapy space came alive with pumpkins, paints, and plenty of imagination. Some pumpkins turned out spooky, some silly, and some simply sweet — each one as unique as the child who created it. And behind the laughter and splashes of color, something deeper was happening: emotional growth.

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🧠 The Power of Creative Expression

For many children, especially those who struggle with anxiety, grief, or shyness, putting emotions into words can feel overwhelming. Art gives them another way to communicate — one that doesn’t depend on vocabulary or adult logic.

When a child paints a storm, sculpts a superhero, or decorates a pumpkin with bright patterns, they’re sharing how they experience the world. Therapists can use these creative choices to open gentle conversations:

• “Tell me about this color — what made you choose it?”

• “What’s happening in this picture?”

• “How does your pumpkin feel today?”

These questions invite self-reflection without pressure. Over time, creativity helps children externalize emotions, making them easier to explore and regulate.

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🎃 Why Seasonal Art Works in Therapy

Seasonal themes — like Halloween pumpkins or winter snowflakes — bring familiarity and excitement into therapy sessions. They help kids feel comfortable, and that sense of playfulness lowers emotional defenses.

During our pumpkin painting activity, some kids chose funny faces or positive affirmations (“Be More Chill”), while others explored more personal themes — resilience, friendship, and even loss. Each design represented a piece of that child’s emotional world.

Seasonal art activities are especially powerful because they:

• Encourage sensory engagement (touch, color, movement)

• Help children feel present and grounded

• Provide shared experiences that build trust with peers and therapists

• Create a tangible symbol of emotional progress that children can be proud of

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👧 Group Therapy and Shared Creativity

In group therapy for kids, collaborative art activities offer even more benefits. Painting pumpkins together, for instance, becomes a lesson in patience, cooperation, and empathy. Children share materials, exchange ideas, and learn to appreciate each other’s differences.

When one child compliments another’s work or helps clean up a mess, that moment becomes a real-world practice of kindness and teamwork. It’s social learning in its most organic form — and for many children who struggle with anxiety or peer relationships, it’s transformative.

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🌈 The Emotional Meaning Behind Art

Art therapy principles often highlight how children’s creative choices mirror their internal states. A child painting with energetic, bold strokes may be expressing excitement or tension. Another using calm, repetitive patterns may be seeking comfort and control.

Therapists at Resilient Mind Psychotherapy observe these cues with sensitivity, helping children connect behavior to emotion. Over time, this awareness turns into valuable self-understanding:

“When I feel angry, I draw with red.”
“When I’m calm, I make circles.”
“When I’m sad, I draw rain — but then I add a rainbow.”

Through this process, children learn that emotions aren’t “good” or “bad.” They simply are — and with understanding and support, every feeling can be expressed safely.

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💬 How Parents Can Encourage Creative Expression at Home

You don’t need to be an artist to help your child express emotions through art. What matters most is presence and curiosity. Try simple activities like:

• Drawing “feeling faces” together after school

• Building clay figures that represent different moods

• Decorating pumpkins or seasonal crafts as a family

• Asking open-ended questions like, “What does this color remind you of?”

These small moments of connection help children develop emotional vocabulary and confidence. They also reinforce that emotions can be shared, not hidden.

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🌤 Building Emotional Resilience for Life

At Resilient Mind Psychotherapy, we believe that creativity opens doors to emotional awareness. Through playful, expressive, and compassionate approaches, our therapists help children navigate complex feelings, build resilience, and strengthen self-esteem.

Art in therapy isn’t about perfect results — it’s about creating space for expression, connection, and understanding. Whether through a painted pumpkin, a drawing, or a simple game, every act of creativity helps a child say, “This is how I feel.”

And that’s where healing begins.