As a mom, I spent years watching my kids reach for screens the moment they were bored. It was easy — hand them a tablet, and the restlessness disappeared. But something always felt off. They weren't making anything. They were just... consuming.
That quiet discomfort is what led me to start YOLA Kids. And it turns out, the science backs up what I was feeling.
What happens in the brain when a child draws
When a child picks up a stylus and starts drawing, something remarkable happens. Multiple regions of the brain fire at once — the motor cortex (controlling hand movement), the visual cortex (processing what they see), and the prefrontal cortex (making decisions about what to draw next). This kind of multi-region activation is exactly what builds strong neural connections.
Research from the American Journal of Public Health found that creative activities like drawing and writing stimulate the same reward pathways as play — releasing dopamine, reducing cortisol (the stress hormone), and building emotional resilience in young children.
Screens, on the other hand, tend to activate only the visual and auditory systems passively. The child receives, but doesn't create.
Fine motor skills are a foundation — not a bonus
Drawing isn't just fun. It's one of the most effective ways to develop the fine motor skills children need for writing, self-care, and eventually, complex tasks like typing and crafting. Every time a child traces a letter on their YOLA Kids tablet, they're building the muscle memory and hand-eye coordination that will serve them for life.
Occupational therapists consistently recommend drawing, colouring, and writing activities for children ages 2–8 precisely because the hand-to-eye coordination required is so foundational.
The erase button changes everything
One thing I noticed with my own kids — and that parents tell us all the time — is that the ability to erase without consequence makes children braver. They try things they wouldn't try on paper. They draw a house, decide it's wrong, erase it, and try again. They fail fast, iterate fast, and grow fast.
That freedom from permanent mistakes is one of the most powerful things about the YOLA Kids tablet. It teaches resilience in the smallest, most natural way possible.
What you can do starting today
You don't need a structured activity. Just give your child 10–15 minutes of free drawing time each day — before school, after dinner, or during a car ride. No prompts, no goals. Let them draw whatever comes to mind.
Watch what happens over a few weeks. The drawings get more complex. The stories behind them get richer. And the confidence? It grows quietly but unmistakably.
That's the magic of a blank page.
— Stella, Founder of YOLA Kids 🍁