Our Story
My name is Lynne and I'm a pediatric occupational therapist. Over the past decade or so, I've worked with all sorts of incredible kids in a range of settings to help them learn and re-learn the skills that make life meaningful for them.
The inspiration for the Extraordinary Kids Project came from a little boy I met while working in intensive rehabilitation. He was recovering after the amputation of his leg and we were working with him to prepare for a prosthetic. This little boy LOVED to color and would work his absolute hardest in therapy if you could find a way to throw in some markers and crayons.
One day before a session with him, I searched online for a coloring page featuring an awesome amputee…maybe a superhero or an amputee scaling a mountain…something empowering and creative.
What I found was really disappointing. There were so few images out there of kids with disabilities, and the ones that did exist just did not embody the spirit of this little boy, or countless others.
I decided to take a leap of faith (with a hearty push from my husband!) and hire an illustrator, Stefanie Geyer, to create a few sample images. When I saw what she created, it was game over. I knew I had to take the plunge.
In March, 2021, I launched a Kickstarter campaign with the goal of raising $3000 to fund illustration, printing, and the donation of 500 books to children’s hospitals and organizations. With the generosity of a lot of incredible people, we far exceeded this goal, enabling us to create the book and donate 10,000 coloring books all across the country, shattering my wildest dreams of what this little idea could become.
Since our initial production run, we have been incredibly fortunate to partner with a range of organizations to donate over 40,000 coloring books to kids all over the country.!
We continue to seek opportunities to collaborate and share this resource with fantastic organizations. Interested in collaborating or funding a custom-branded print run for your organization? Reach out!
Check out our growing list of collaborators and donation sites below!
Amazing Organizations We’ve Partnered With
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Bringing happiness to seriously ill kids. Because happy kids heal faster. In 2023, Starlight impacted more than 3 million hospitalized kids and their families at 724 hospitals and care facilities across the US.
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Children’s healthcare system serving the state of New Jersey.
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Wisconsin Wayfinder connects parents, caregivers and professionals to resources supporting children with special health care needs.
Check out our growing list of donation recipients!
Riley Hospital for Children
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Painted Turtle
Santa Monica, California
Steel Magnolia Moms
Katy, Texas
Children’s Hospital of Montefiore
Bronx, New York
Boston Ability Center
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts
No Limits Cafe
Red Bank, New Jersey
Carrie Tingley Hospital
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Special Care Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado
Aurora, Colorado
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta - Center for Advanced Pediatrics
Atlanta, Georgia
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital
New York, NY
Point Pleasant Borough Board of Education
Point Pleasant Boro, New Jersey
TAAF 4 Kids
Tacoma, Washington
Cooper University Hospital
Camden, New Jersey
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Chicago, Illinois
Fisher Early Learning Center
Denver, Colorado
Campbell Elementary School
Metuchen, New Jersey
Whole Children/Milestones
Hadley, Massachusetts
ChildServe
Des Moines, Iowa
Sparta Alpine School
Sparta, New Jersey
The Children’s SPOT Inc.
Columbia, Maryland
School of Health Professionals at St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure, New York
Brooks Ave Church of Christ
Garner, North Carolina
Shriners Hospital for Children
Springfield, Massachussets
University of Virginia Children’s Hospital
Charlottesville, VA
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Wolfson Children’s Rehabilitation
Fleming Island, Flordia
St. Mary’s Hospital for Children
Bayside, New York
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, New York
Blythedale Children’s Hospital
Valhalla, New York
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center
Yonkers, New York
Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital (NYU)
New York, New York
Center for Children (Hospital for Joint Diseases)
New York, New York
School for Children with Hidden Intelligence
Lakewood, New Jersey
RWJBarnabas Health
West Orange, New Jersey
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee
PG Chambers School
Cedar Knolls, New Jersey
CI Pediatric Therapy Centers
Sun Prarie, Wisconsin
1p36 Deletion Support & Awareness
Cornelius, North Carolina
SMILES Integrative Therapy Services
Loveland, Ohio
Adult Down Syndrome Center
Park Ridge, Illinois
Northwood Technical College
New Richmond, Wisconsin
Hackensack Meridian Health
Hackensack, New Jersey
Imagine Me Shine
Ossining, New York
Valley Hospital
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Bergen County Special Services
Bergen County, New Jersey
Staten Island University Hospital
Staten Island, New York
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
San Jose, California
Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Spectrum360
West Orange, New Jersey
Illinois Spina Bifida Association
Chicago, Illinois
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Montclair Speech Therapy
Montclair, New Jersey
Meeting Street
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Natividad Medical Center - Therapy Services Department
Salina, California
Augmentative Communication Program - Boston Children’s Hospital
Waltham, Massachusetts
CI Pediatric Therapy Centers
Middleton, Wisconsin
CTC Academy
Oakland, New Jersey
Pacific School
Manhattan Beach, California
Baldwinsville Girl Scouts Service Unit #116
Baldwinsville, New York
Lockhurst Drive Elementary School
Westlake Village, California
Wesley K-12 Special Needs School
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Honorable Luis Munoz-Marin Elementary School
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Atrium Health MDA Clinic
Charlotte, North Carolina
The Arc Southern Maryland
Prince Frederick, Maryland
North Jersey Elks Developmental Disabilities Agency HS
Clifton, NJ
Bridge Program at Talbot Community Center
Portland, Maine
Roosevelt School District
Phoenix, Arizona
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Salt Lake City, Utah
Genesee Valley Rotary Camp
Avon, New York
Rutland Nursing Home
Brooklyn, New York
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Baltimore, Maryland