About Laura-Marie.
Laura-Marie Small, lovingly known as Ms. Laura, is an artist, educator, and creative entrepreneur who has spent nearly three decades helping children build confidence through creativity. With a Master's degree in Art Education and a lifelong passion for teaching, Ms. Laura founded Kidcasso Art Studio in 2007 - starting at her dining room table with a simple but powerful mission: to help children See Art, Create Art, and Love Art.
What began as a small, heartfelt idea has grown into a vibrant, community centered creative hub with multiple locations across Massachusetts. At Kidcasso, Ms Laura and her team nurture children from "high chair to high school," creating a space where process matters more than perfection, and where every child is encouraged to explore, express, and believe in their unique voice.
Ms. Laura's journey is deeply personal. As a child with a language-based learning disability, she was often told that her oath would be difficult. Art became her way of understanding the world, building confidence, and ultimately rewriting that narrative. Today, she's uses those experiences to empower children, especially those who may learn differently-to discover their strengths through hands-on, sensory-rich learning.
Expanding on the magic of creativity, Ms. Laura launched Playcasso Toy Shop, a thoughtfully curated retail space that celebrates the joy of play. Playcasso is more than a toy store-it's an invitation for families to slow down, connect, and rediscover the power of imagination through open-ended, creative experiences.
Taking her mission even further, Ms. Laura created Clubcasso, a YouTube series designed to bring creativity and community into homes everywhere. Blending the heart of Mr. ROgers with a colorful, modern twist, Clubcasso highlights artists, local businesses, and meaningful connections-encouraging children and families to engage, create, and explore together.
Across all of her platforms, Ms. Laura believes that learning happens best when children are engaged through their senses, exploring textures, sounds colors, and movement. Through these experiences, she helps ignite the "spark plugs" in the brain that support confident, capable, and connected learners.
At her core, Ms. Laura is a builder of community, a champion of creativity, and a believer that art has the power to shape not just how children learn, but how they see themselves and the world around the.
"Because when children are given the space create, they don't just make art...they build confidence, connection, and a lifelong of learning."
Specialties
- Art Educator and Founder of Kidcasso Art Studios
- Playcasso Toy Shop
- and Clubcasso YouTube Series
