Kids Create is an after school club for children, aged 5 to 11. With school funding being cut for creative subjects, we at Arty Farty Retreat aim to bring back creativity into children’s lives. We aim to help your children express themselves, socialise and collaborate with their peers and learn new skills with different projects each half term.
Every project will equip the children with knowledge and skills to develop their creativity building their self confidence to study art within school, at home and be able to take it even further! There’s plenty to learn in our structured workshops, with a full two years before they are repeated. Our Arty Farty SmARTys are trained professionals who are dedicated to inspiring your young ones to express themselves through the arts in our small groups! Please read further below to find out more about the individual projects they will be exploring.
Tuesday, 4pm to 5pm
DOODLEBUGS! (Beginners, aimed at ages 5 to 7)
Doodlebugs! is a playful introduction to art for our youngest creators, where curiosity leads the way. This term, children will explore drawing and mark making, discovering how lines, shapes, patterns, and textures can tell stories and express ideas.
Through fun, hands-on activities, children will experiment with different tools and materials, building confidence in their ability to make marks and trust their instincts. Sessions are designed to nurture imagination, coordination, and creative freedom—without pressure or expectation.
Winter term project: Project: Drawing & Mark Making
By the end of the term, children won’t just be drawing more confidently; they’ll be seeing the world with fresh curiosity and joy, understanding that every mark they make is a step in their creative journey.
Doodlebugs isn’t about getting it ‘right’—it’s about discovering and experimenting, your child will leave each class a little more curious, confident, and creatively free.
2026 Winter Dates:
Tuesdays, 4pm to 5pm
24th February
3rd March
10th March
17th March
24th March
31st March
£77 for this 6 workshop term!
Book Winter Term DOODLEBUGS Kids Create here.
Term 5 & 6 project: Famous Artists (over 2 half terms)
Our youngest artists begin their creative journey by exploring the work of famous artists from around the world. Over two terms, children will discover how different artists use colour, shapes, patterns, and materials to express ideas.
Through playful projects inspired by these artists and their techniques, children will experiment with drawing, painting, and mixed media while building confidence in their own creative choices. As they learn about different styles and approaches, they will begin to understand that there are many ways to make art—and that their own ideas matter.
By the end of the project, children will not only have created a wonderful collection of artwork, but also developed curiosity, confidence, and the joy of learning through creativity.
Term 5 Dates:
Tuesdays, 4pm to 5pm
21st April
28th April
5th May
12th May
19th May
£71.13 for a full Term 5 block (including Eventbrite booking fees)
Book your term 5 DOODLEBUGS Kids Create ticket via Eventbrite here.
Term 6 Dates:
Tuesdays, 4-5pm
2nd June
9th June
16th June
23rd June
30th June
7th July
14th July
£99.29 for a full Term 6 block (including Eventbrite booking fees)
Book your term 6 DOODLEBUGS Kids Create ticket via Eventbrite here.
Wednesday, 4pm to 5pm
CREATIVE EXPLORERS (Intermediate, aimed at ages 8 to 9)
Winter term Project: Sculpture
This term, Creative Explorers step into the world of 3D art and sculpture, learning how ideas can move off the page and into physical form. Using a range of materials, children will explore shape, balance, texture, and structure as they design and build their own sculptural creations.
As they work, they’ll develop problem-solving skills, patience, and an understanding of how artists think in three dimensions. Each project encourages thoughtful experimentation and personal expression.
By the end of the term, children will feel more confident working with materials, understanding how to turn imagination into something solid, expressive, and uniquely their own.
Winter 2026 Dates:
Wednesdays 4pm – 5pm
25th February
4th March
11th March
18th March
25th March
1st April
£77 for this 6 workshop term!
Book Winter term CREATIVE EXPLORERS Kids Create here.
Term 5 & 6 project: Art Careers (over 2 half terms)
This term, our Creative Explorers will step into the exciting world of creative careers. Over two terms, children will explore the many ways creativity shapes the world—from illustration and design to product creation and craft.
Along the way they will experiment with materials, develop practical making skills, and begin to think like designers and makers. The project will culminate in an exciting real-world experience: children will create their own creative products to sell at our very own market, learning about presentation, design, and the value of handmade work.
All profits from the market will be donated to charity, helping children understand how creativity can have a positive impact on their community.
Term 5 Dates:
Wednesdays 4pm – 5pm
22nd April
29th April
6th May
13th May
20th May
£71.13 for a full Term 5 block (including Eventbrite booking fees)
Book your term 5 CREATIVE EXPLORERS Kids Create ticket via Eventbrite here.
Term 6 Dates:
Wednesdays 4pm – 5pm
3rd June
10th June
17th June
24th June
1st July
8th July
15th July
£99.29 for a full Term 6 block (including Eventbrite booking fees)
Book your term 6 CREATIVE EXPLORERS Kids Create ticket via Eventbrite here.
Thursday, 4pm to 5pm
ART WIZARDS (Advanced, aimed at ages 10 to 11)
Art Wizards is a space for older children to deepen their artistic voice and work with intention.
Winter 2026 Project: Book Making
This term’s focus on book making combines storytelling, design, and fine art into one powerful project.
Children will explore how images, text, structure, and sequence work together to communicate ideas. Using drawing, mixed media, and creative binding techniques, they’ll create books that reflect their interests, identities, and creative thinking.
Through this process, they’ll develop independence, attention to detail, and confidence in expressing complex ideas visually. By the end of the term, each child will have created a meaningful, personal artwork—and taken a big step forward as a young artist.
Winter 2026 Dates:
Thursdays, 4pm – 5pm
26th February
5th March
12th March
19th March
26th March
2nd April
£77 for this 6 workshop term
Book Thursday’s ART WIZARDS Kids Create here.
Term 5 & 6 project: Art Doll project (over 2 half terms)
Our Art Wizards programme encourages older children to think deeply about the meaning and purpose of art. Over the next two terms, students will explore the fascinating world of art dolls.
Together we’ll ask questions such as: What are dolls? How have they been used in different cultures, rituals, and storytelling traditions? How do contemporary artists use dolls as a form of expression?
Through research, drawing, experimentation with materials, and exploration of modern artists’ techniques, students will develop their own creative responses. The project will culminate in the creation of a set of original art dolls, accompanied by a thoughtfully developed project sketchbook that documents their ideas, influences, and creative process.
This is a project that encourages reflection, individuality, and artistic maturity.
Term 5 Dates:
Thursdays, 4pm – 5pm
23rd April
30th April
7th May
14th May
21st May
£71.13 for a full Term 5 block (including Eventbrite booking fees)
Book your term 5 ART WIZARDS Kids Create ticket via Eventbrite here.
Term 6 Dates:
Thursdays, 4pm – 5pm
4th June
11th June
18th June
25th June
2nd July
9th July
16th July
99.29 for a full Term 6 block (including Eventbrite booking fees)
Book your term 6 ART WIZARDS Kids Create ticket via Eventbrite here.
PROJECTS
Most of our projects last a term, and we repeat the projects every 2 years, giving all our young artists a chance to take part in each one.
Tuesday, 4pm to 5pm
DOODLEBUGS! (Beginners, aimed at ages 5 to 7)
- Art Colour Theory
- Principles of Design
- Language of Art
- Drawing and Mark Making
- Famous Artists (over 2 half terms)
- Therapeutic Art
- Dizney curriculum
- Papercraft
- Design and Illustrate a Book
- Discover Arts Award (over 2 half terms)
Wednesday, 4pm to 5pm
CREATIVE EXPLORERS (Intermediate, aimed at ages 8 to 9)
- Watercolour Painting
- Music and Art
- Art around the World
- Sculpture
- Art Careers (over 2 half terms)
- Art Journaling
- Bug project
- Modern Artist Inspiration
- Arty Farty Enterprise project
- Explore Arts Award (over 2 half terms)
Thursday, 4pm to 5pm
ART WIZARDS (Advanced, aimed at ages 10 to 11)
- Identity Project
- Portraits
- Ceramics
- Book Making
- Art Doll project (over 2 half terms)
- Typography
- Oil Painting
- Printmaking
- Chalks and Oil Pastels
- Decide your own themed project (over 2 half terms)
Please see more information on the people behind Arty Farty Retreat, and our booking policy.