Kids Art Box is a family-owned business that uses the Montessori method to teach children ages three-12 how to create art. The Kids Art Box kits come with all the necessary supplies and step-by-step instructions to complete monthly projects. Boxes are hand-assembled and tested at a warehouse located in Chattanooga by their team of 20 employees. Founded last year before the pandemic, the art box subscription that supplements a homeschool virtual learning curriculum experienced "astonishing" success growing from zero customers to thousands in 12 months during 2020 school shutdowns.
Kids Art Box was created by Melanie Phillips, a mom of three boys who are seven, five, and two years old. A former engineer from France, Ms. Phillips started creating art activities with her children as a hobby and posting their finished projects on her personal Instagram account. After gaining interest from 15,000 followers, the idea for Mommy and Me Art Box was born. Ms. Phillips went from selling 14 boxes to 20,000 boxes in one year, necessitating a 6,000 square foot warehouse. She sells to a wide range of customers, including parents who homeschool their children and parents who work full time.
"Before the pandemic began, art was already being phased out of many schools across the country; when virtual learning became widespread in the midst of the pandemic, art classes became almost nonexistent," officials said.
Ms. Phillips thinks the high demand for the boxes exists because they allow families to consistently get exposure to different art mediums and techniques that are not being taught as often in an online learning environment. “Art is very underrated in school right now. There are so many benefits that come from learning art. It teaches the kids creativity, which results in problem-solving skills, and it teaches them about culture and civil movements when learning about art history. Art provides kids with critical sensory input and can help children express their feelings in a multidimensional way even if they lack the vocabulary to describe their feelings with words,” said Ms. Phillips.
Kids Art Box sells to all 50 states, and prices can range from one month of $35 to a year subscription for $360. The “Mommy and Me Art Box” is for children ages three – six, and each box comes with three art activities, one science project, and one visual recipe. The “Daddy and Me Art Box” is for children ages four – seven, and each box comes with three art activities, one science project, and one origami tutorial. “My Artist Box” is for children ages six - 12. Each box comes with three art activities and a diorama, all inspired by the artist of the month. Boxes can be purchased at kidsartbox.com.