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.
Each of our classes are aimed at a different age group on a rolling two year programme to ensure the children get the most out of our sessions. 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! 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, ages 5 to 7)
Messy fun and fearless creativity — perfect for first-timers with big imaginations. Budding young artists discovering how pictures work while keeping the joy alive.
Next term, we’ll be exploring the Principles of Design. Through playful projects and gentle guidance, children will experiment with balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, rhythm, pattern, and unity—learning how these ideas help turn simple shapes and colours into artworks that feel exciting and alive.
At this age, children are just beginning to understand how things fit together visually. In our classes, we nurture that curiosity by helping them notice what makes an artwork harmonious, energetic, or eye-catching, and then try it for themselves. They’ll explore how arranging elements with intention can change the mood or meaning of a picture, while still leaving plenty of room for happy accidents and creative surprises.
As they create, they’ll be building focus, confidence, and a growing sense of artistic decision-making—skills that stretch far beyond the classroom. Each piece they make will be another small step in learning to see, think, and imagine like a young designer in the making.
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 Dates:
Tuesdays, 4pm to 5pm
06th January
13th January
20th January
27th January
03rd February
10th February
Wednesday, 4pm to 5pm
CREATIVE EXPLORERS (Intermediate, ages 8 to 9)
Curious young creators discovering the wonder of art across cultures and continents.
Next term, we’ll embark on an exciting journey exploring Art Around the World. Through hands-on projects inspired by global traditions, children will discover how people everywhere use colour, pattern, stories, and symbols to express who they are.
At this age, children are becoming more aware of the wider world and eager to understand it. In our classes, we nurture that expanding curiosity by introducing them to artistic styles from places such as Africa, Japan, South America, and Indigenous cultures. They’ll experiment with techniques like vibrant pattern-making, symbolic design, storytelling through imagery, and traditional craft-inspired processes.
As they create, they’ll learn to appreciate both the differences and connections between cultures. Along the way, they’ll develop confidence, creative problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of how art can communicate identity, history, and community.
2026 Dates:
Wednesdays 4pm – 5pm
07th January
14th January
21st January
28th January
04th February
11th February
Thursday, 4pm to 5pm
ART WIZARDS (Advanced, ages 10 to 11)
Emerging young artists discovering the art of seeing – and being seen.
Next term, we’ll be exploring Ceramics – from hand-building to surface decoration and glazing. Through hands-on projects and guided experimentation, students will learn essential clay techniques such as pinching, coiling, slab-building, and sculpting, all while developing their own artistic style in three dimensions.
At this age, children are becoming more capable of planning, refining, and expressing complex ideas. In our classes, we support that growing maturity by teaching them how to work patiently with clay, problem-solve as they build, and bring form and structure to their imagination. They’ll discover how texture, shape, and craftsmanship combine to create meaningful, tactile artworks.
As they work, they’ll also develop resilience, spatial awareness, and pride in creating something solid and lasting—skills that reach well beyond the studio. Each ceramic piece they complete will be a confident step in discovering who they are as young makers and designers.
2026 Dates:
Thursdays, 4pm – 5pm
8th January
15th January
22nd January
29th January
05th February
12th February
Booking
£77 for this 6 workshop term!
Book Tuesday’s DOODLEBUGS Kids Create here.
Book Wednesday’s CREATIVE EXPLORERS Kids Create here.
Book Thursday’s ART WIZARDS Kids Create 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, 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, 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, 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.