The L.A.U.G.H. App for iPad | The Catherine Mayer Foundation

*Youth using The L.A.U.G.H.® App through our partnership with The Boys and Girls Club.*

Children using the app exhibited much greater concentration than when using comparable entertainment apps.
—Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, Seattle Children’s Research Institute

The Catherine Mayer Foundation created The L.A.U.G.H.® App (“Let Art Unleash Great Happiness”), which is aligned with established SEL (social and emotional learning) metrics and frameworks. The app allows users to experience drawing in a multi-sensory environment, with an open canvas, and leverages evidence-based research conducted by the University of Washington College of Education and Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute. It is one of the only evidence-based apps validated through third-party research that allows users to express their creative abilities without constraints, while simultaneously soothing their brain into mindfulness. Read more about the research studies here.

Using the app, users are taken through breathing exercises, practice contour drawing that promotes focus and concentration, and are then given a blank canvas with easy-to-use tools to create their own artwork. Once the user is finished with a piece, a unique feature of the app allows users to watch a replay of their artwork being created in an animation. This animated file can be shared with anyone they choose, and can also be added to a gallery so it can be viewed alongside peer artwork, building a sense of community and sharing.

The app has demonstrated significant outcomes including enhanced mood, decreased stress, and improved focus—metrics supported by physiological data and qualitative observations. It is ideal for use in any environment – at home, in the classrooms, at the office, within hospitals, and more.

The L.A.U.G.H.® App is currently available as a free download for personal use for iPad and Android, and there are licensing options for institutions. If you are an organization or nonprofit, contact us to learn about how we license the app for institutions, and you can learn more about the app on its official website.

The L.A.U.G.H.® App Partners

Read about our most recent partnerships with The Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue and Worldreader…and there are more in the works! If you want to learn about partnering to bring The L.A.U.G.H.® App to your organization, contact us.

The L.A.U.G.H.® App Key Features

Breathing Exercises

Learn how to slow down by focusing on methodical breathing and see your distractions disappear as you become more engaged and aware of your mind and body.

Contour Drawing

Through contour drawing learn a new way of slowing down to see shapes and colors of everyday objects. Follow along through the tutorial and then take control with your own creativity in My Studio. Select inspiration from dozens of images and multiple music options to fit your mood.