With summer right around the corner, your days to leisurely wander through Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma and Sephora are numbered. But, don’t worry—Young Art has got you covered. Bring the little ones with you the next time you head to the mall and drop them off for some creative time at Young Art while you shop. With four Bay Area locations, you just might be able to make it to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale after all!
The 411
Young Art welcomes artists as young as age 2 to their art lessons. While kids ages 2-3 need to have a grown-up with them to participate, kids 3 and up can be dropped off and mom or dad is free to grab lunch or shop while the kids create their masterpieces.
How Long Is the Drop Off?
The first step is deciding how much time you want the kids to spend at Young Art. Lessons are from 15-minutes long up to a 4-hour camp that’s offered in the summer. For the 15-minute and 30-minute programs, kids get to paint on a half-sized drawing paper. 45-minutes and up get to work on a full-sized paper. Canvases are also available for an extra fee.
Once you’ve decided on the length of the lesson, your child gets to decide what she would like to paint. Artists can bring an idea with them or choose one from the many options on the wall. Got an idea that’s not on the wall? The instructors will help the child with her vision.
What Your Kids Can Expect
An instructor will be there throughout the lesson to help guide the child as much or as little as he might need. With younger artists, the instructor might draw dotted lines to get the child started while with older kids the instructor might simply offer advice on proportion and color choice. There’s something for every level of artist with oil pastels, tempura paint and water pastels available.
Their summer camp program is super flexible and offers lots of variety. The general schedule is that the first hour is spent talking about artists and working with paints and pastels. In the second hour, artists use clay to make pinch pots, snake pots and figurines. Lunch is held during the third hour and the fourth hour is spent working on digital art. Summer campers purchase a 20-hour card and that card can be used for multiple children and also has the option to transfer to the hourly program instead of the 4-hour camp.
Photo courtesy of Young Art
But Wait…There’s More
Young Art can host your next birthday soiree, field trip or even a mom’s painting party. Drop-in lessons can be booked in advance online and they will even text you a reminder of your appointment a day in advance!
Cost: $12.95 (15-minute lesson) to $49.95 (2 hour lesson), discounted punch cards are available
Locations:
San Francisco – Stonestown Galleria, 3251 20th Avenue
San Mateo – Hillsdale Shopping Center, 336 Hillsdale Shopping Center
Santa Clara – Valley Fair Shopping Center, 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Pleasanton – Stoneridge, 1 Stoneridge Mall Road
Online: youngartusa.co
What does your little artist want to paint at Young Art? Share it below!
— Kate Loweth
Photos by the author except where noted
