Young Rembrandts Chester County has spent years bringing a structured, screen-free drawing program into local preschools and elementary schools. They also offer art classes and camps. Parents around West Chester, Malvern, Bala Cynwyd, Radnor, and Phoenixville have taken notice. What looks like an art class is, underneath, a fine motor skills and focus-building program that teachers say shows up in the classroom.

Why Drawing Matters More Than It Looks

It’s easy to file art class under “fun extra,” but a structured drawing program does something academics alone can’t. Before children can write words, they communicate through images and marks, so learning to draw is, in a real sense, pre-writing practice.

“We believe every child can, and should learn how to draw,” said Cristina Hartley, owner of Young Rembrandts Chester County. “It’s not about producing a perfect picture. It’s about helping a three- or four-year-old build the hand strength, focus, and confidence they’re going to need at a desk in kindergarten.”

A single drawing lesson asks a young child to hold a pencil correctly, follow multi-step directions, and stay engaged from start to finish. A kindergarten teacher watches for this combination of skills from day one. Young Rembrandts’ step-by-step method is built for beginners, so every child — regardless of prior experience — can complete a lesson and feel proud of the result.

The Skills Behind the Artwork

Drawing works on several fronts at once. A structured lesson helps preschoolers build the following skills:

• Fine motor control and pencil grip, which directly supports handwriting readiness
• Hand-eye coordination, focus, and the patience to follow multi-step directions

Many early childhood classrooms include art activities, and those experiences are valuable. However, there is a difference between a craft project and a structured drawing program. Craft activities often focus on creating a specific finished product, while drawing instruction teaches transferable skills that grow over time.

Young Rembrandts focuses exclusively on drawing, the foundation of all visual arts. Through a carefully designed step-by-step method, children learn how to create increasingly complex images while developing artistic confidence.

That step-by-step method is deliberate. Each week introduces a new lesson rather than repeating old projects. Therefore, returning students keep building on what they already know instead of standing still.

Preparing Children for Kindergarten Success

These days, kindergarten readiness involves much more than knowing letters and numbers. Children entering school need the ability to participate in a classroom environment, follow directions, complete tasks, and communicate effectively.

A preschool arts program supports many of the skills teachers look for in kindergarten-ready students, including:

• Following multi-step instructions
• Listening carefully
• Staying on task
• Practicing patience
• Completing projects independently
• Developing pencil control
• Expressing ideas creatively

Through their step-by-step drawing technique, Young Rembrandts’ students practice these skills naturally while creating artwork they are proud to share.

Trusted Inside Local Classrooms

Young Rembrandts Chester County doesn’t run out of a single storefront. The team brings its program directly into schools, preschools, and community centers across Chester County, Delaware County, and parts of Montgomery County. That in-classroom model is where its reputation has been built.

At The Goddard School of West Goshen, where Hartley’s team has taught morning Art Comes To School classes since April 2024, the impact has become part of the culture. 

“When Miss Cristina from Young Rembrandts visits our classroom, the children light up with excitement. During her sessions, the children practice important skills like following directions and strengthening their fine motor muscles, which also gives them great pre-writing practice.”

Brittany Franciotti, Executive Director at The Goddard School of West Goshen

Classroom teachers have watched the same progress up close. “In participating in Miss Cristina’s art class, my students have learned and improved shape recognition, positional words, following step-by-step directions, gaining artistic confidence, and working on patterns,” said Melissa and Brett, Junior Kindergarten teachers at The Goddard School of West Goshen. “Their art drawings have gone from scribbles to incredible pictures.”

Parents notice it too. One Main Line mom, Caroline B., says the program has taught her kindergartner drawing techniques like shading and highlighting. She also credits the practice with a more practical win: better pencil control for writing his letters and numbers neatly. “My son’s confidence has grown because of Young Rembrandts and he asks to go all the time,” she said. “I’m so grateful to his teacher for nurturing him.”

Supporting Screen-Free Learning

Young Rembrandts also leans hard into being screen-free. While technology can support learning, hands-on creative experiences remain essential. In a school day increasingly filled with tablets and smartboards, a drawing lesson asks a child to slow down, observe, and create with their own hands — no battery required.

During a drawing lesson, students practice concentration, decision-making, and creativity while strengthening important developmental skills. For early childhood programs seeking meaningful enrichment opportunities, drawing offers a valuable balance of learning and creativity.

Building Social and Emotional Skills Through Art

A strong art program for preschoolers supports social-emotional development as well.

Children learn these habits:

• Share materials
• Respect classroom routines
• Listen to instructors
• Celebrate their own accomplishments
• Appreciate the creativity of others
• Persist through challenges

Art also provides children with a positive outlet for expressing ideas and emotions. As they gain confidence in their abilities, they develop greater independence and resilience. That’s really the difference between this and a typical craft class. Craft activities usually aim for one finished product that looks the same for every child, while Young Rembrandts focuses on drawing technique, so the skills transfer and grow week to week.

Families Keep Coming Back

For many families, one session turns into years. Sara I., a Main Line mom whose 8-year-old has taken lessons with Cristina Hartley for a year, says the improvement in her daughter’s artistic skills has been remarkable across both school-year classes and summer camps. “Ms. Cristina is patient, encouraging, and truly talented at helping children build confidence in their art,” she said.

Another Chester County mom, Oksana I., has seen a similar trajectory over two years of after-school classes and camps. Her daughter has grown not just in artistic skill but in confidence and problem-solving to the point that older kids now ask her for painting advice at birthday parties. “Seeing how proud she is of her work and how eager she is to share her creativity with others has been incredibly rewarding as a parent,” Oksana said.

Getting Started

Young Rembrandts Chester County partners directly with preschools, elementary schools, and childcare centers, offering flexible weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly scheduling, along with camps and birthday party options for families who want to bring the program home. Programs are already running across the region, with new locations added as schools sign on.

Families and early childhood programs interested in bringing Young Rembrandts into their classroom can view current classes and enrollment options directly through the Chester County site.

Recognized as The Best Art Camps and Classes by Local Families

Each year, the Main Line Parent team asks readers who they love and why, through a ballot that opens in December and runs through Valentine’s Day. Families don’t just vote; they share heartfelt, specific endorsements in their own words. Their stories make the annual LOVE List a sincerely trustworthy collection of referrals because every nomination reflects a real family’s real experience.

Main Line Parent Members like Young Rembrandts Chester County collect endorsements year-round directly on their Profile Page. Each endorsement counts toward the following year’s recognition. Young Rembrandts Chester County has now earned this recognition four times — a testament to how consistently, and how deeply, Chester County families trust this preschool art program.

Congratulations Young Rembrandts Chester County – Main Line Parent 2026 Love Award Winner – Best Art Camps & Classes

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Photos courtesy of Young Rembrandts Chester County, as seen in the Early Childhood Education Guide and the Back to School Guide

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