Discover the Best Kids' Art Classes Near Me
Kids have been creating art for centuries, but it was only in the 18th century that art engagement’s effect on child development was understood and discussed by artists, philosophers, and pedagogues. Kids’ art was foremost appreciated for its aesthetic quality and visuals that were untainted by adult influence. Childrens’ inability to visually express subjects the same way as adults was likened to modernism, an art movement that rejects realism.
Art education for children began to spread in the late 1800s and kids' art was displayed to the masses as part of art collections. The stages of child art were defined and relegated to certain points within a child’s development. For example, scribbling is achieved around a child’s first birthday whereas kids’ art does not become realistic in style until around age nine or ten. The many benefits that art provides to children have been studied by psychologists and teachers. Aside from contributing to kids’ physical and mental development, art is also therapeutic, allowing kids to develop and connect with their emotions.
Why Should Kids Learn Art?
There are countless benefits to introducing your child to art at an early age. Creating art typically requires a child to work with both of their hands. Frequent bilateral movements will help them work on their coordination as well as their fine motor skills. Holding onto items like crayons and markers and using scissors require both dexterity and coordination. The more your child works on art projects and gains experience with the tasks, the better their physical development.
Art is also important in the development of children’s cognitive skills. Through art, kids learn about shapes, colors, and sizes. When they use permanent or semi-permanent mediums like paint, markers, and glue, they’ll learn how to plan, and problem-solve. Mixing paint and other mediums will teach them about cause and effect and all projects will give them experience with experimenting.
Art is a form of open-ended play. This type of play lets children use their imaginations without any goals in mind. Open-ended play has been shown to help children understand their emotions and promote social development as they play with others. As they use their imaginations to create their art, they’re working on creatively expressing themselves and learning how to use the materials they have.
5 Ways to Learn Kids' Art
There is no wrong way to learn art. Art is expressed in a variety of ways using a wide range of mediums. If you’re looking for ways to encourage your child to express themselves through art, consider these 5 learning methods:
- Enroll your kid in an in-person formal art class taught by an expert instructor. In-person classes will allow your child to gain hands-on experience in a variety of art styles. An instructor will be able to answer any questions your child has and can help safely guide younger children through working with art tools that may be unfamiliar to them. In-person classes will also typically provide most if not all necessary materials, so you won’t have to worry about buying any supplies beforehand.
- Sign your child up to take a live online art class. They can take this class from virtually anywhere, including your own home. These classes are taught by instructors who can provide your child with real-time feedback. If you sign your child up for an online class, be aware that you’ll be responsible for providing the necessary materials, like markers, scissors, and paint. The instructor of the class will likely post a materials list on the class page that you can reference.
- Look for self-paced, on-demand classes that your child can follow along with. These classes are posted for free to online video platforms. They are widely accessible, making it easier to fit them into your and your kid’s schedule. Because they’re on-demand videos, your child won’t have access to an instructor whom they can ask questions of or receive feedback.
- Take your child to your local library or bookstore and look for books that include instructions for art projects. There are plenty of published arts and crafts books aimed at children and teens. If your child is younger, you can use one of these books to work with them on their reading skills.
- Let your child engage in open-ended art play. There are no rules to art. By letting your child work on an art project without instructions, they’ll be working on expressing their imagination and creativity. You can do this by simply providing them with paper, markers, and crayons. If your child is younger and requires supervision, supervise them but let them create their own art. Ask them the occasional question about what they’re making, but don’t direct them.
Whether you’re looking for formal classes for your child to take or if you’re planning to encourage them to engage in open-ended art play, make sure that what they’re doing is age appropriate. Young children should be supervised when using things like scissors, paint, and glue. If you have an older child or teenager, consider looking for more advanced projects and classes or ones that appeal to their interests.
In-Person Kids' Art Classes
In-person kids’ art classes are offered across the US for children of all ages. These classes are taught by expert instructors who can answer your child’s questions and safely guide them through the lesson.
Creatively Wild Art Studio Dumbo, located in Brooklyn, offers kids’ art classes for children of all age ranges. In their class, Toddler: Art Adventure kids one to three years old will explore their creativity and self-expression as they learn how to work with professional art materials. They’ll practice color mixing, brushwork, and fun paint applications while exploring non-traditional media. This is a drop-off class, but one adult per toddler is allowed to attend if necessary.
For children ages four to eight, Creatively Wild Art Studio offers the class First Brushstrokes for Kids. This class is focused on the fundamentals of painting with a brush, like how to hold a brush. Your child will receive demonstrations on color mixing, paint applications, techniques, and painting styles. By the end of the full class course, your child will have studied an art composition or picture to create their own finished canvas.
Older children, aged nine through twelve, with an interest in drawing, can take Teens: Beginner Drawing + Illustration offered by the same studio. This class is a great introduction for kids who are serious about their art education and the visual arts. It’s recommended that your child takes the full course, as learning to draw takes a lot of practice.
In the Upper West Side, at The Paint Place, kids aged six and older are welcome to sign-up for their Kids Camp. This three-hour drop-off class will have your child working on various paint projects, mostly using acrylic paint, which is a great medium for beginners. If you’d like a fun activity to do with your child, The Paint Place also hosts a child-parent painting class. You and your child, aged four and older, can work on a project together under the supervision of an instructor.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, and your child would like to learn drawing techniques, Los Angeles City College in East Hollywood offers Drawing for Young People for kids ages seven through fourteen. They’ll learn various drawing techniques in this class while exploring their creativity. Weekly projects will introduce them to color theory, design principles, and the use of mediums like charcoal sticks. This class doesn’t supply materials, so be sure to check out the materials list before signing your child up.
A similar class offered by Los Angeles City College teaches kids how to draw comic book and cartoon characters. Kids aged eight through fifteen will learn the techniques needed to draw cartoon characters they see in television shows, movies, and comics. They’re also encouraged to draw their own cartoon characters in the class. No experience is needed, but you’ll be responsible for supplying your child with drawing and colored pencils, an eraser, and a pad of paper.
If you’re looking for a kid’s art camp in the Chicago area, The Paintbrush, located in Lincoln Park, offers a summer art camp for children ages four through ten. Your child will learn different visual arts, like drawing and painting at this camp. They’ll also work on fun projects like tie-dye and slime-making. The camp includes a lunch break and art play time that may take place outdoors, so be sure that your child is dressed appropriately.
In nearby Evanston, Illinois, the Evanston Art Center hosts a Fashion Illustration class for teenagers aged 12 through 14. Kids of all skill levels are welcome to take this class where they’ll learn how to draw fashion figures and illustrate their own fashion designs. They’ll use a variety of mediums in their work, like markers, colored pencils, and watercolors. This class is great for teens with an interest in fashion, as they’ll learn about selecting a design theme, colors, and fabrics. At the end of the class, they’ll leave with a lookbook of their finished designs.
The Evanston Art Center also offers the class Sculpture and 3D Construction for younger children. In this class, kids ages six through eight will work on creating 3D forms and sculptures out of clay, paper, and other materials. They’ll learn how to assemble pieces and explore the creation of ceramics and kinetic sculptures. This class is great for kids who love hands-on creation.
Virtual Kids' Art Classes
In-person classes are a great way for your child to receive hands-on instruction in art. These classes allow them to watch demonstrations and socialize with other kids their age. However, these classes aren’t always accessible. Luckily, you can sign your child up for a virtual art class or camp that they can attend from home or anywhere else with a stable internet connection. These virtual classes are taught by instructors from around the country and focus on different types of art that are sure to interest your child.
Some in-person classes will supply the necessary materials, but virtual classes will require you to source them yourself. This may include anything from canvas, to paint, to markers. Your child’s instructor will provide you with a materials list ahead of the class date. Most materials can be found at your local art shop or craft store. There are a few online kids’ art classes available for your child to take on CourseHorse.
Younger children, aged five through eight, are welcome to take The Art Studio NY’s online Summer Art and Creativity Camp. A live instructor will teach your child to create art along with other young remote learners. The instructor will focus on encouraging your child to express themselves and engage in art in a fun way, through different projects like painting, drawing, and journaling, while also socializing with others their age. There are several camp schedules available to choose from, including half-day camps or full-day camps.
If you have an older child between the ages of 10 and 16 with an interest in manga, the Art School of SF Bay has a Manga Art Camp that may be perfect for them. This camp is open to kids of all skill levels who are looking to work on their drawing skills. The camp is five days long and centered around freeform projects. Your child can work on creating a comic or illustration of their favorite comic or manga characters or even work on creating drawings of their own original characters. An instructor will work with them throughout the camp and is available to provide advice on proportions and anatomy, posing, perspective, composition, color choice, and the sketching process.
The Art of SF Bay offers a Digital Painting Art Camp for children between the ages of 10 and 16 with an interest in digital art. Over the course of five days, your child will use technology to create digital art. They’ll learn how to use digital tools and editing apps while learning the fundamentals of digital drawing. Be sure to check out the class supply list as several devices and software are required to take this class.
If your child would instead prefer to stick to traditional art, Creatively Wild Art Studio Dumbo offers a traditional drawing and illustration class for kids ages nine through twelve. This beginner class teaches classical drawing techniques. Your child will learn fundamental skills like achieving accurate proportions and linear perspective. Throughout the course of this class, your child will build upon their skill set as they work to improve their drawing.
Private Group Kids' Art Classes
Are you looking to schedule an art class for your child and their group of friends? CourseHorse offers private kids’ art classes that they can deliver to you remotely. These remote classes are great options for birthday parties, a fun weekend activity, or if your child and their friends are looking for something to do over the summer.
Reach out to CourseHorse through the contact form on their website to learn about the kids’ art classes they can offer you. From there, they can help you determine what type of art class would best fit your group’s needs, whether it’s a drawing, painting, or even sculpting class. CourseHorse will work to accommodate your group size, but if you’re unsure of it at the time of booking, you can always update it up to a week before your class date. All materials will be sent out ahead of the class session, so you don’t need to worry about buying any supplies.
CourseHorse doesn’t charge booking fees. They also allow you to cancel your child’s class for free up to two weeks before the session. Classes can be delivered via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meets, or WebEx, although Zoom is preferred.
What Will My Child Need to Learn Art?
The materials your child will need to learn art will vary depending on the type of art they’re creating. If they’re interested in traditional arts, like drawing and painting, they’ll need a surface, like paper or canvas, as well as pencils, pens, markers, and paints. Traditional art will typically require basic materials, but if your child focuses on a specific project, they may need other tools. For example, painting will require paint, but there are different kinds of paint like oil, acrylic, watercolors, and gouache. When you and your child know what type of art they are looking to create, the internet can help you determine what specific supplies will be necessary.
It can be overwhelming and expensive to buy art supplies, especially if your child is looking to make something that requires more than just basic materials. Enrolling them in an in-person kids’ art class will let them experiment with different forms of art and provide them with most if not all the necessary materials. By taking an in-person art class, your child will also learn about the basic materials and tools used in art.
Is It Difficult for Kids to Learn Art?
Art requires a degree of patience and creativity but is something that anyone can do, including kids. With enough encouragement and some instruction, your child can let their creativity bloom as they learn to use art as a form of self-expression. An instructor can guide them through different processes, like sketching, drawing, and painting. After a bit of practice and exploration, they’ll soon find the right type of art for them, be it painting, drawing, sculpting, or another method.
