17 Best Children's Art Classes In London
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Exposing your child to art and encouraging their own creativity from a young age is one of the best things you can do for them.
It teaches kids to self-express through colours and patterns and can even help them to translate ideas and emotions they find difficult to communicate onto canvass or paper.
Art also stimulates the development of their own likes and dislikes in terms of the materials they prefer working with, but also the artists and paintings, sculptures, illustrations and designs they feel drawn to. There are so many art classes for kids in London as well as plenty of exhibitions and workshops for the whole family to enjoy too.
Check out the seventeen best kids’ art classes near you.
Paperbirds Art With Kids
Graphic designer and art lover Barbara, founder and one-woman-team behind Paperbirds, has been working with kids of all ages for many years.
She believes that “art gives kids a chance to learn by doing instead of just being lectured to” – and we couldn’t agree more. Paperbirds hosts regular classes in various venues around Fulham including the library and Cuckoo Hibou, all geared at different age groups.
If you want to turn the entire family into artists, join in on the Creative Sunday Family Morning experience at Market Hall Fulham.
Where is it? Unit 151 Battersea Business Centre, 99-109 Lavender Hill, SW11 5QL
Recommended age: 5+
How much to budget for: £110 per term.
Mini Picassos
Led by trained teachers and artists, Mini Picassos is the kind of school every child will be more than happy to attend. Offering art courses for kids as young as fifteen months, the experienced and lovely staff tailors classes to each age group.
While the 5-8 year olds might focus on their first self-portraits à la Julian Opie, toddler groups are all about the tactile approach via finger-paints and stamping techniques using child-friendly materials.
Where is it? 8 Station Terrace, Kensal Rise, London NW10 RT
Recommended age: 15 months – 15 year olds.
How much to budget for: Toddler Classes are £14 per session; three month courses start at £245, with a trial session for £10.
Nearest Tube: Overground Station Kensal Rise.
Is it buggy friendly? Buggies can be parked outside.
The Conservatoire
A piece of London history, The Conservatoire in Blackheath has been introducing children and adults to the world of art, music and drama since the early 19th century.
Kids between nine and fourteen will get a real kick out of the Mixed Media classes which combine various materials for collage and printmaking. This is particularly interesting for pre-teens who like to journal – their newly learned skills will take their pages to the next level.
Babies and tots love The Little Art Venture Club, where they can explore different materials and art forms freely, learning new skills on a weekly basis.
Where is it? The Conservatoire, 19-21 Lee Road, London, SE3 9RQ
Recommended age: 6 months – 15 year olds.
How much to budget for: The Little Art Venture Club 12 weeks - £78 to £102; Mixed Media 12 weeks - £156.
Nearest Tube: Blackheath Station.
Is it buggy friendly? Yes.
Whitechapel Gallery
Give the kiddos a different kind of art experience by taking them to the Whitechapel Gallery – possibly one of the most child-friendly and inclusive creative spaces in London. Hosting regular exhibitions and unforgettable Family Day workshops following different themes, Whitechapel Gallery is a place you’re going to want to visit as much as possible.
This is the ideal space for your son(s) and daughter(s) to soak up modern art installations and exhibitions, participate in educational workshops and wonderful family activities.
Where is it? 77-82 Whitechapel High St, Shadwell, London E1 7QX
Recommended age: All ages welcome.
How much to budget for: Free admission.
Nearest Tube: Aldgate East.
Is it buggy friendly?: Yes.
Lavender Leonardos Children’s Art School
If you’d like to encourage your children to ditch the smartphones and tablets in favour of a paintbrush and colouring pens, look up Lavender Leonardos Children’s Art School. Founders Isabelle and Izzy know how to help kids reconnect with a hands-on approach to their art and playtime.
Sign the family up for Family & Friend workshops where you’ll get to create one large piece as a family or several individual pieces, following themes such as Forever Frida (Kahlo), Matisse Cut Outs and Picasso Portraits.
Where is it? The Conservatoire, 19-21 Lee Road, London, SE3 9RQ
Recommended age: 5+
How much to budget for: Art courses are £35+, Family & Friend Workshops are £120 for two parents and two children.
Nearest Tube: Clapham Common.
Is it buggy friendly?: No.
Mobile Art Club
Give your kids a well-deserved half-term or summer break by treating them to creative workshops led by the Mobile Art Club.
The team behind the Mobile Art Club runs after-school art classes for kids that are designed to improve their drawing and painting skills in a fun and stimulating environment. The summer camps are the best reward for children that have worked hard throughout the school year.
With each week focusing on a different theme – for example cartooning or animals – this is a fully-rounded camp experience for little artists in the making.
Where is it? Various Venues
Recommended age: 6+
How much to budget for: Summer Camps £20 per class/child.
Royal Academy of Arts
The RA has been championing art and artists for more than two centuries and is always excited to welcome young enthusiasts into a whole new – and old – world of art and creativity.
Offering free admission and all the facilities needed for a hassle-free outing with babies, toddlers and teens, the Royal Academy of Arts is a great venue for drop-in workshops and surprising new exhibitions for the whole family.
Where is it? Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD
Recommended age: All ages welcome
How much to budget for: Free admission.
Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus.
Buggy Friendly: Yes.
Tot Art
Tot Art is an award-winning, independent art school founded by Wendy Briggs, who also developed the lesson and workshop curriculum. The classes are designed to ignite toddlers’ curiosity and stimulate their communication, physical, social and emotional development through playful exploration and technique.
The art workshops are geared at older kids who want to develop the skills to become great artists much like the ones that are discussed during the two-hour sessions.
Where is it? 57 Worple Road, Wimbledon SW19 4JZ London. Venues for workshops may differ.
Recommended age: 18 months – 10 years old.
How much to budget for: Lessons for pre-schoolers are £12 per class; art workshops are £25 per two-hour session.
Nearest Tube: Wimbledon.
The Art Stables
The Art Stables in London do their slogan “inspiring creativity” justice. The place itself is inspiring with a warm, natural atmosphere, bright rooms and an abundance of greenery surrounding the building.
It hosts a range of after-school clubs such as Strictly Drawing and Comics & Cartoons as well as academic drawing and painting classes for children led by experienced artists. Kids especially love the comics and cartoon art classes where they are encouraged to create their own characters.
Where is it? The Sternberg Centre, 80 East End Road, London N3 2SY
Recommended age: 5 - 10 year olds.
How much to budget for: Clubs are £150 a month.
Nearest Tube: Finchley Central.
Art Class London
In small groups with a maximum of ten children and classes aligning with schools’ half term times, Art Class London offers art courses that fit perfectly into your family’s schedule. The teachers here encourage young artists to explore different elements and techniques such as mono and lino-printing and introduce them to mediums such as acrylics, ink, pastels and ink.
Lessons are two hours long on Sunday mornings and afternoons.
Where is it? Grenville Rd, Finsbury Park, London N19 4EQ
Recommended age: 7 – 16 year olds.
How much to budget for: £150 for 10 x 1.5 hour classes.
Nearest Tube: Crouch Hill.
Buggy Friendly: No.
Sunny Art Centre
Home to Shakespeare’s plays, the Sunny Art Centre is a staple in London’s art history and is devoted to exposing children, teens and adults to new art, as well as training them to become the artists of the future.
Offering individual tuition in small groups, the Sunny Art Centre offers the leading drawing and painting courses in London for children and teenagers eager to develop their knowledge of art and their very own style.
Where is it? 30 Gray's Inn Rd, London, WC1X 8HR
Recommended age: 7+
How much to budget for: £580 for three-month courses.
Nearest Tube: Russell Square.
Buggy Friendly: Yes.
The Tate Modern
Children might bemoan some museums – but not the Tate Modern. This is a museum that has taken on the role of exciting even the youngest visitors about the fabulous and limitless world of art.
Your kids will be delighted to participate in one of the drop-in workshops and will have a blast showing off their skills in the Bloomberg Connect Drawing Bar. The Turbine Hall is also a spacious and safe zone in which they can marvel at the impressive and regularly changing art installations.
Where is it? Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
Recommended age: 4+
How much to budget for: £5+
Nearest Tube: Southwark Station.
Buggy Friendly: Yes.
The Crafty Bunch
Looking for the craftiest art class for kids?
Then your kids are going to fit right in with The Crafty Bunch in London. Either sign them up for the weekly craft classes for two to five year olds or simply rock up to the Crafty Bunch to Brunch once a month – the perfect fusion of good food and boundless creativity, imagination and, of course, glitter.
All craft materials are provided, and kids are even given a t-shirt to stop them from turning their regular clothes into an art project.
Where is it? Yaa Centre, 1 Chippenham Mews W9 2AN London
Recommended age: 2-5-year olds.
How much to budget for: £8
Nearest Tube: Warwick Avenue Station.
Buggy Friendly: Yes.
Cartoon Museum
Does your son or daughter spend most of their time drawing cartoons and comics? Then they’ll have a blast at the Cartoon Museum in London.
Surprise them with a drop-in workshop such as No Rubbers, No Mistakes, which encourages children to do drawings using different tools via interesting exercises such as drawing with their eyes closed or using the wrong hand.
Where is it? 63 Wells Street Fitzrovia, London
Recommended age: 5+
How much to budget for: £8.50 for adults, free for children under 18.
Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus.
Buggy Friendly: Yes.
Parasol Unit
The Parasol Unit in Hoxton is only interested in one thing – bringing contemporary artists to the public by ways of incredible exhibition and educational charity. The foundation regularly hosts events for children and families to join at affordable prices.
Inviting them to spend their afternoons drawing, painting and creating in a playful manner and spacious, child-friendly environment, kids will learn how to express their ideas through creativity at the Parasol Unit.
Where is it? 14 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW
Recommended age: All ages welcome.
How much to budget for: £2 per child / £3 per parent.
Nearest Tube: Old Street Station.
Buggy Friendly: Yes.
KidsArt!
With studios all around London, KidsArt! offers the perfection locations for your children to dive into artistic projects via painting and drawing using oil pastels and other core elements.
KidsArt! has something for all types of young artists - budding collage-makers, sculptors and printers. Classes also incorporate the works of famous artists which will be discussed and often recreated by the children.
Where is it? Studios in Finchley, Hampstead, Garden Suburb, Highgate, Muswell Hill, Radlett, St. John’s Wood and Swiss Cottage.
Recommended age: 4+
How much to budget for: Varies depending on class/workshop.
Paintbox Studios
Give the kids something to look forward to after school or during the weekends by signing them up for creative art classes. Paintbox Studios invites kids to join in and explore different art mediums including painting with acrylics and oils.
These expert art classes will get your creative children closer to becoming the future pioneers of the London art scene.
Where is it? 310 King Street, W6 0RR, London
Recommended age: 7+
How much to budget for: Set of five two-hour classes - £300.
Nearest Tube: Ravenscourt Park.
Buggy Friendly: No.
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Roxanne is a writer, Yoga, and English teacher who is always covered in glue and paint stains. With a deep love for animals, she currently cares for four fur babies and often finds herself bringing home a new pet every time she goes for a walk. Roxanne's work as a teacher keeps her up to date with the latest kid lingo and trends, both in the UK and Spain, ensuring that her lessons are engaging and relevant to her students' interests.
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