What Should I Look for in a Kids Art Class Program?
Most parents evaluate art classes by looking at the artwork their child will bring home. But what if the most important outcomes can’t be hung on the refrigerator?
6/17/20265 min read
If you’re looking for an art class for your child, it’s easy to focus on the artwork.
After all, that’s often what gets marketed. You’ll see colorful paintings on social media, themed projects tied to popular characters, and galleries full of polished creations. Those things can be fun. They can also be a reflection of a positive experience.
But after years of working with young artists, we don't think the finished artwork is the most important thing to evaluate.
The artwork matters. It’s just not the whole story.
When parents are comparing programs, I think a better question is:
What is my child learning while they create?
Because the most meaningful outcomes of a great art program often have very little to do with whether a child becomes a technically skilled artist.
The Benefits of Art Extend Far Beyond Art
One of the reasons I believe so strongly in arts education is because I’ve experienced its impact personally.
I studied art, but my career has taken me far beyond the studio. I’ve worked across multiple industries, held leadership positions, built businesses, and navigated a variety of professional environments. Looking back, many of the skills that helped me succeed weren’t tied to a specific artistic technique. They were the habits of thinking I developed through art making.
The ability to observe closely, to experiment. The confidence to try something that might not work. The persistence to keep going when I didn’t have the answer. And the ability to connect ideas and see possibilities that weren’t immediately obvious.
Those skills have followed me everywhere.
Today, I see those same skills developing in the students who walk through our doors.
Understanding the Studio Habits of Mind
At artSPARK, our approach is grounded in the Studio Habits of Mind, a research-based framework developed by educators studying how artists think and learn.
The framework identifies eight habits that artists regularly use:
Develop Craft
Engage and Persist
Envision
Express
Observe
Reflect
Stretch and Explore
Understand Art Worlds
What I love about this framework is that it shifts the conversation away from whether a child is “good at art” and instead, it focuses on how they think.
A child who experiments with a new material is stretching and exploring.
A child who works through frustration is engaging and persisting.
A child who revises an idea after receiving feedback is reflecting.
A child who creates something personally meaningful is expressing.
These habits show up in the studio, but they don’t stay there. They’re the same skills that help someone navigate a difficult project, solve a complex problem, collaborate with others, or adapt when circumstances change. That’s why, while our students absolutely learn artistic skills and techniques, our larger goal is helping them become creative thinkers.
Why Creativity Matters More Than Ever
I believe that creativity is the new literacy.
That doesn’t mean reading, writing, and math aren’t important. They absolutely are. But we’re entering a world where information is increasingly accessible and technology can complete many tasks that once required specialized knowledge. What technology struggles to replicate are the distinctly human skills:
Curiosity
Imagination
Adaptability
Judgment
Creative problem solving
The ability to connect ideas in unexpected ways
The ability to ask, “What if?” and “How might we?”
I believe these are the skills that will continue to create opportunities regardless of how technology evolves. In many ways, they are what make someone a Swiss Army knife. The kind of person who can move between industries, solve new problems, and continue learning throughout their life.
That’s part of why I think arts education matters now more than ever. Not because every child will become an artist. But because every child will need creativity.
Look Beyond the Finished Project
One thing I’ve noticed is that many parents unknowingly evaluate art programs based on the finished artwork:
The level of artistry. The Pinterest-worthy project. The licensed character theme. The social media photo.
And none of those things are inherently bad. But they don’t necessarily tell you much about what happened during the learning process.
Sometimes children make beautiful artwork. Sometimes they make artwork that is awkward, unfinished, strange, or even a little ugly. Honestly, that’s often where some of the best learning happens.
If a child spends an hour experimenting with a new material, testing ideas, solving problems, and discovering possibilities, I would consider that a successful experience regardless of whether the final piece ends up hanging on the refrigerator.
The real question isn’t “What did they make?”
The real question is “What did they learn while making it?”
Pay Attention to How the Program Supports Different Learners
Over the years, we’ve worked with many students who struggle with perfectionism. We’ve also worked with many students who need more flexibility in the learning approach. What we’ve found is that agency and autonomy matter tremendously.
For perfectionists, the studio can become a place where mistakes are normalized rather than feared. For others, having opportunities to pursue interests, move at an appropriate pace, and engage with materials in ways that work for them can create a very different learning experience than they may encounter elsewhere.
We’ve also found that creativity doesn’t always happen while sitting quietly at a table. Sometimes students need sensory experiences, opportunities for movement, or a brain break before they can return to their work.
The best programs recognize that every child is unique and create space for those differences rather than trying to force every child into the same experience.
The Four Things I Would Look for in a Kids Art Program
The Instruction Team
The people leading the experience matter. Pay attention to how instructors respond when a child gets stuck.
Do they provide answers immediately, or do they help the child think through possibilities?
Do they encourage curiosity?
Do they celebrate effort and exploration?
A great instructor isn’t just teaching art techniques. They’re helping children develop confidence in their own thinking.
The Studio Environment
The physical environment communicates a lot about what is valued.
Is there room for experimentation?
Do children seem comfortable taking risks?
Is the environment welcoming to different learning styles and personalities?
A strong studio should feel like a place where ideas can grow.
The Educational Philosophy
Every program has a philosophy, whether it’s explicitly stated or not. Some programs prioritize replication and finished projects. Others prioritize exploration and creative thinking. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong, but it’s important to understand what outcomes the program is designed to create.
Agency and Autonomy
This is perhaps the factor we value most. When children are given meaningful choices, they become more invested in their work. They learn to trust their own ideas. They develop confidence in their ability to navigate challenges and make decisions. And that ownership creates deeper learning than simply following instructions.
Art Classes Aren’t Just for Kids Who Like Art
One of my favorite things about studio learning is that it serves far more than future artists. I’ve seen students interested in engineering, design, science, technology, and entrepreneurship thrive in the studio. Because at its core, creativity isn’t about art. It’s about learning to see possibilities. The artwork is simply the vehicle. The thinking is the destination.
What I Would Personally Look For
If I were choosing an art program for my own child, I would look for:
A thoughtful instructional team
A welcoming and well-equipped studio environment
A clear educational philosophy
Opportunities for agency and autonomy
Evidence that creative thinking is valued alongside artistic skill
The finished artwork would honestly be near the bottom of my list. Not because it doesn’t matter. But because the most important outcomes of an arts education aren’t always visible when a child walks out carrying a painting. They’re visible years later when that child approaches challenges with curiosity, confidence, persistence, and creativity. And those are the skills that extend far beyond the studio.
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