San Tan Valley 7-Year-Old Wows Everyone at OdySea Aquarium Art Event

The OdySea Aquarium was buzzing with excitement on July 6, as lots of kids showed off their cool art for a good cause. One of the stars of the day was Parker Roberts, a 7-year-old from San Tan Valley, who won big at the Aquarium's Conservation Art Challenge.

Parker put his awesome art skills to work and made a super cool small-tooth sawfish using cardboard, markers, and toothpicks. The challenge was for kids 12 and under to get crafty and make art of an animal, especially endangered ones, from stuff that would otherwise be thrown away. This fun event also helps kids learn about protecting animals and the sea.

Loads of kids, 587 to be exact, from all around the Valley sent in their art. As a thank you, they all got a free ticket to the Aquarium. But Parker's sawfish art was one of the favorites, and he got to bring his family to a special party at the OdySea Aquarium's VIP Room. They all had a blast, and Parker was a star!

There was an extra awesome surprise for Parker and the other winners. They each got a painting made by a real live stingray from the Aquarium! The smart stingrays used a cool gadget to paint on canvas. It's also a fun exercise for them.

Hold on, it gets even better! The kids got to meet Sedona, a super cute African penguin. She's an animal star at OdySea. The kids got to ask questions and learn fun stuff about penguins from the animal experts. Parker and his family also snapped some photos with Sedona. What a day to remember!

The Conservation Art Challenge is great because it lets kids have fun making art and also teaches them about taking care of animals and nature. OdySea Aquarium gave a big thumbs up to all the kids for knowing how important it is to look after our planet and the animals living on it.

In San Tan Valley, we're super proud of Parker and his artsy skills. His win might just get other kids dreaming and doodling for a better, cleaner world.