The Mamas Recommend: Art Classes for Kids in and around Amsterdam

Do you want to find out if your child is the next Rembrandt? Or does your little one simply needs to blow off some creative steam? Here are our Mamas’ recommendations for Art Classes for Kids in Amsterdam.

Centrum

Artis Ateliers

Let the inner creative beast come out at Artis Ateliers, where children can follow courses in painting (age 6/group 3+) and sculpting (age 8+). Not only does your child learn how to use different materials and techniques, they also train their observation skills while they learn about the animals. Every 6 months, works get selected and exhibited in the zoo.

Also available to book for birthday parties from the age of 3.

Ateliers Westerdok

The Kinderakademie at Ateliers Westerdok is divided into various sections, with lots of courses on offer.

The Kunstclub is for 5-10 year-olds and aims to improve visual development and stimulate children’s imagination through painting and working with materials like clay and plaster. 11-14 year-olds get promoted to the Kunstatelier, to develop more advanced creative skills.

They have also developed the more specialised Teken en Schilderclub (8-10 year-olds), art weeks during summer holidays and thematic children’s parties such as making masks and printing t-shirts.

Noord

Kris Kras Atelier

Come and draw, glue, scratch, paint and so on at Kris Kras Atelier. With an emphasis on exploration, your little one is welcome from as early as 18 months up until 6 years. With the youngest ones, the parents stay around, getting some inspiration for crafting at home.

Noordjes Kunstacademie

Noordje organises art projects for children between 6-13 years old. The kids can get creative while learning about different art techniques. They also organise trips to museums, with a workshop afterwards.

Oost

MK24

Kinderkunst! is the name of the children’s art education program at MK24. They have developed courses for children age 4 -12 years and 13-18 years that consist of multiple components. Your child can choose between various techniques such as painting, ceramics, photography and animation. This personal creative palette, so to speak, changes every 8 weeks. After 1 educational year, your child will have followed 5 different art courses in one.

MK24 also offers art courses for its buitenschoolseopvang (after school child care). 

West

CriCri

Well known for their home made candles, CriCri also organises creativity courses at their atelier. They let the children work with various original materials and techniques, such as felt making, wool wrapping and making frescoes. At the end of the school year, they organise a special exhibition of the artworks. For children age 6+.

Messy Play Amsterdam

This venture has brought a brand new concept to Amsterdam, specialising in providing “taste safe” messy play for children from 6 months to 4 years. Messy Play provides up to 4 activities for the children to explore, changing each week. You can choose to participate in one of the Messy Sessions, a Messy Party or make a Group Booking.

Palet 18

This atelier works according to the expressive painting principles of German pedagogue Arno Stern, who believes that creating is about the creative process itself, not the end result. Your children will not get assignments and their work will not be judged in terms of good or bad, beautiful or ugly. Because parents shouldn’t judge the work either, the paintings stay in the studio. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but is a liberating experience for most.

Zuid

Teekenschool

This division of the Rijksmuseum organises all sorts of creative workshops and courses for children age 6+, that all are accompanied by a guided tour through the museum. Examples of courses on offer are: Drawing with Ink, Photography or How to Draw the Human Body.

My Little Van Gogh

For the very little ones, there is also a chance to encourage creativity and imagination. My Little Van Gogh has created Art Club for babies and toddlers (12 months to 6 years old). In a one-hour session, your small creative wonder will explore, feel, create, paint and get messy with a wide variety of materials.

♦ Honourable Mentions in the categories ‘Best Class for Toddlers’, ‘Best Class for Younger Children’, ‘Best Class for Older Children’, ‘Best Party Service Provider’ and ‘Best Children’s Party Location’ in the Amsterdam Mamas Recommends Awards 2016. ♦

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum lets little artists get inspired by the art of 19th-century masters in a guided tour, after which they can immediately create their very own masterpiece. Children aged 6 to 12 can participate in one of the weekend workshops, working with a variety of materials like paint and ink. 

Amstelveen

Cobra Museum

During the summer of 2018, the Cobra museum is running a number of workshops in the Amsterdam Bos for children from 6 to 12 years old in conjunction with its Restless Matter exhibition. 

Atelier SeahorseWorks

Henny Copal organises custom-made art classes under the name of FeestKunst. You can also sign up for theme-based after-school child care ‘KinderKunst’. ‘FeestKunst’ is also available at a location of your choice.

This list has been compiled with the help of our members from the Amsterdam Mamas Facebook group.