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Best Kids Art Classes In Sacramento

What would your young artist like to do? The possibilities are endless around here. Children are natural artists, and the variety of media and instructions over the summer break are enough to give them giggling fits. The basics can be covered, pure exploration is in the mix and multiple media are part of the art scene too. Choose from one of these spots to get your kid's creative juices flowing in Sacramento.

KidzArt
1820 Tribute Road, Suite F
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 574-9700
www.kidzart.com

Children from five to 12 years old will enjoy the summer camps offered by KidzArt. The children are grouped by age, and all they need to bring are snacks and lunch. Of course, clothing that can stand to get a bit dirty is good too. The program runs daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The art camps start in June and are offered until early August. They are one week long, and it is art galore during that time. All of the art materials are non-toxic. Paint, sculpt, get messy and have a wonderful time making art, memories and friends all summer long.

Gallery at 48 Natoma
48 Natoma St.
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 355-7285
www.folsom.ca.us

The City of Folsom Parks and Recreation staff offers a very good selection of art experiences over the summer. Your younger children, ages five to nine, will have a full summer, as will older children. The little ones can start with acrylics, and learn from artist Courtney Tice. The center has a very good studio for painting and another for clay. Suzanne Bell runs an art camp for children, ages seven to 13, that covers quite a few art subjects and media. All in all, there is much to choose from here, and your young artist will come away smiling.

Carmichael Recreation and Parks
5325 Engle Road, Suite 100
Carmichael, CA 95608
(916) 483-7826
www.carmichaelpark.com

The City of Carmichael offers weekly summer camp opportunities for children. The Voyager group is for children five to eight years old, while the Explorer group is for children nine to 12 years old. The camps take place at the La Sierra Community Center. The difference with these camps is what the children get to do. The art portion covers art and crafts, along with dance and drama. Along with the arts, the children get to swim and go on a field trip each week. It's a full and intense schedule. The arts, crafts, dance and drama combo should light up quite a few young artists.

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Davis Arts Center
1919 F St.
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 756-4100
www.davisartcenter.org

The Davis Arts Center offers a robust series of art classes for young children, six to 12 years old. One of the requirements for its Art Scouts camp is that the young ones have to have been to Kindergarten, and are able to get along with others. If that fits your child, this may be the place for a summer full of art fun. What will they do? Design, create and paint a paper mache mask, and then launch into a clay project. Sewing, drawing, painting and singing silly songs are all part of the palette at the center. Your child could focus on an art studio camp, creative kids or an eco art mini-camp, among many others. The hard part here may be choosing which session or series of camps to attend. It will fill the summer and create lasting fun-filled memories for you and your children.

Fine Arts School In The Pines
6290 Pony Express Trail
Pollock Pines, CA 95726
(530) 366-5116
www.fineartsinthepines.com

This art school is located in the fine old Pollock Pines Elementary School. Pony Express Trail is literally the old pony express route. Doug Pearson created this school to bring the arts to children, and adults showed up too. The setting is beautiful, and the classes are offered all summer long. If your child has an interest in fun and art of any kind, do yourself a favor and book some time here. Oil, acrylic, watercolor painting, drawing, sculpting and workshops will bring out the artist in your child, and you too. Doug and Dennis are particularly good with children and adults who don't know they are artists. It's well worth your time to come to the mountains with your child and experience a canvas full of fun.

Related: Best Places To Buy Local Art For Less Than $100 In Sacramento

Charles Ferris is a freelance writer who has lived in the Sierra, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, for the last 37 years. In 2010 he retired from teaching after 36 years . He and his wife hike, kayak, cross country ski, snow shoe, ride mountain bikes and road bikes, year round. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
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