Upcoming Kids Classes
Every child deserves a chance to make art
The MAC offers scholarship opportunities for families who may need a little extra support getting their kiddos into classes, workshops, and creative programs. We believe art should be accessible to everyone — no matter their circumstances.
If cost has been holding your child back from creating with us, we encourage you to apply. We’d love to welcome them into the studio!
sponsored by
Support from the Dana Brown Charitable Trust helps make our youth programming more accessible to our community. Their funding allows us to offer affordable and free opportunities—like our after-school art classes—so kids can explore creativity, build confidence, and learn new skills in a welcoming, hands-on environment. This support ensures that more young artists, regardless of financial barriers, have a place to create, learn, and grow at The MAC.
Before booking a class
We utilize Zeffy, a free fundraising and registration platform for nonprofits to help keep our fees down. It’s awesome! However, At checkout, You may notice Zeffy automatically adds a suggested 17% contribution to support their platform. This support is optional and does not go to The MAC. If you’d prefer not to contribute, simply click the amount field and enter “0” before checking out.
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Kids: Mini Mushrooms
$45/1 hours
Ages: 5 and up
Hey Kiddos! Come join me to make some tiny fun clay mushrooms! Just a short class to make something fun and whimsical!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Kids: Paper Bag Books
$45/2 hours
Ages:6 and up
Hey there kiddos! Ever wanted to make a book that had little pockets and folds for you to add in your surprises!? Then come join me in making a book using paper bags! In this class we will be taking paper bags and folding and stacking them together to be bound with staples. Once our books are put together, students will then be able to decorate their books however they would like!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Kids: Mini Ghosts
$50
Ages: 5 and up
Hello little friends! Come join me in making some tiny finger sized ghosts! In this class students will be able to make upto 5 mini pinched ghosts out of clay. Once we shape our little ghosts students can draw on silly faces to make each little ghost unique for them. Once finished our little ghost will be fired and available for pick up in two weeks.
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Kids: Pinch Pot Caldron
$50/ 1 hour
Ages: 5 and up
Hello tiny witches and warlocks! Come join me for this tiny pinched pot caldron class! In this class students will take little balls of clay and learn how to pinch them into bowls. Once we have our little bowl shapes we will add little feet and handles to our bowls to make tiny caldrons! Students will be able to make up to three little caldrons. These caldron will be fired and available to be picked up in 2 weeks. After they have been fired, students will be able to paint them at home with acrylic paint!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Free After School Art
This is an open studio designed just for kids—a place to paint, draw, build, create, and let their imaginations run wild. We'll have the supplies, they'll bring the creativity!
No registration. No cost. Just an hour of making art, making friends, and having fun after school. We can't wait to create with you!
Kids: One Shot Wheel Throwing
$45/ 2 hours
Ages 7+
Our One-Shot Wheel Throwing Class for kiddos is the perfect way to get messy, Agehave fun, and learn something new. In just one session, your child will try their hand at the pottery wheel and create their very own masterpiece!
Kids: One Shot Wheel Throwing
$45/ 2 hours
Ages 7+
Our One-Shot Wheel Throwing Class for kiddos is the perfect way to get messy, Agehave fun, and learn something new. In just one session, your child will try their hand at the pottery wheel and create their very own masterpiece!
Kids: Four-Day Color Chemistry & Neon Dreams
$150 • July 28-31
ages 5-10
Day 1: The Fizzy Rainbow Color Wheel Explosions Science meets art! We’ll start the week by exploring Primary and Secondary colors through chemical reactions. Using baking soda, vinegar, and vibrant dyes, students will create "fizzy art" that bubbles and mixes right on the paper, teaching us exactly how Red and Blue make a perfect Purple.
Day 2: The Fold & The Dye Tie-Dye & Fiber Folds Get ready to get messy! Today, we explore Fiber Art. Students will learn professional folding techniques like "The Spiral" and "The Bullseye" to create intricate patterns on fabric. We’ll talk about how dye bonds to the "fibers" of the cloth, creating wearable rainbows that never fade.
Day 3: The Glow-Lab Blacklight Art & High-Vibrancy Media What happens to color when the lights go out? Today, we use neon paints and highlighters to create "Midnight Gardens." We’ll work under blacklights to see how certain colors "fluoresce" and glow. It’s an exploration of light waves and high-contrast composition that feels like pure magic.
Day 4: Swirls & Stones Shaving Cream Marbling For our final day, we’ll use a surprising tool: shaving cream! By "floating" ink on top of a fluffy cloud of foam, students will create psychedelic, marbled patterns on paper and stones. We’ll finish the week by framing our favorite "swirl" and discussing how "random chance" can create some of the most beautiful art of all.
Kids: Four-Day Wheel Throwing
$150/ 4 days
Ages 7+
This is a Four-Day Class for kids, Tuesday-Friday • July 28-31
In this class, we will learn some basic techniques on the potter's wheel! Students will get familiar with the materials while learning the vocabulary and skills necessary to make functional or sculptural ceramic pieces.
Kids: Four-Day Wheel Throwing
$150/ 4 days
Ages 7+
This is a Four-Day Class for kids, Tuesday-Friday • July 28-31
In this class, we will learn some basic techniques on the potter's wheel! Students will get familiar with the materials while learning the vocabulary and skills necessary to make functional or sculptural ceramic pieces.
Kids: Four-Day Puppet Theater Mashup
$150 • July 28-31
ages 5-10
Storytelling through movable art!
Day 1: The Shadow Realm Jointed Silhouette Puppets We kick off the week in the world of light and shadow. Students will design intricate silhouette characters and learn how to use brass fasteners to create moving arms, legs, and wings. We’ll practice "acting" behind a backlit screen to see how our puppets come to life through movement alone.
Day 2: The "Handy" Muppet Sock Transformation & Personality Today is all about character! Using colorful socks and felt, students will build "Moving Mouth" puppets. We’ll focus on facial expression—where do you put the eyes to make them look silly? How does a wig change their personality? By the end of the day, our puppets will have names, voices, and favorite hobbies.
Day 3: Master of Strings Rod & String Marionettes Let’s get those puppets walking! Using recycled tubes and wooden dowels, students will construct "Marionette-style" puppets. We’ll explore the physics of string-tension, learning how a simple flick of the wrist can make a puppet dance, sit, or wave hello to the audience.
Day 4: The Grand Performance Shoebox Theaters & Short Plays Showtime! In our final session, we’ll build mini "Shoebox Stages" for our characters to inhabit. Students will work in small groups to write a 1-minute "Puppet Play," focusing on narrative structure(Beginning, Middle, and End). We’ll end the week with a "Festival of Stories" for the whole class to enjoy.
Kids: One Shot Wheel Throwing
$45/ 2 hours
Ages 7+
Our One-Shot Wheel Throwing Class for kiddos is the perfect way to get messy, Agehave fun, and learn something new. In just one session, your child will try their hand at the pottery wheel and create their very own masterpiece!
Kids: Four-Day Dream Structures
$150 • July 21-24
ages 5-10
Day 1: The Blueprint Brainstorm Dream Room Dioramas Every building starts with a plan! Today, students become Interior Designers. We’ll learn about Floor Plans and "Bird’s Eye View" sketching before diving into our 3D dioramas. Using "room-in-a-box" techniques, we’ll build tiny furniture and decor to create the ultimate dream space.
Day 2: The Cardboard City Engineering without Tape How do you build a skyscraper that doesn't wobble? Today, we put our engineering hats on! Students will learn slotted construction and "tab-and-fold" techniques to build a massive, collaborative Cardboard City. The challenge: build as high as you can without using a single roll of tape!
Day 3: Treehouse Tech Elevated Forms & Weight-Bearing It’s time to go vertical! Using popsicle sticks, dowels, and string, students will design "Treehouses" or elevated structures. We will explore triangulation—the secret shape that makes bridges and towers strong—and test our structures to see how much "weight" (in pebbles or coins) they can hold.
Day 4: Lighting & Landscape The Glow-up & Final Neighborhood A house isn't a home without a yard and some lights! In our final session, we’ll add "landscape architecture" using moss, sand, and pebbles. To finish the week, we’ll install LED tea lights in our structures, turning off the classroom lights for a magical tour of our glowing, tiny neighborhood.
Kids: Four-Day Nature’s Studio - Art from the Earth
$150 • July 21-24
ages 5-10
Over four creative days, kids will use clay, leaves, stones, and other natural materials to build their own “nature studio.”
Day 1: Captured by the Sun Sun-Prints & Leaf Shadows We start our week by partnering with the sun! Using light-sensitive Cyanotype paper, students will "photograph" the silhouettes of local leaves, flowers, and feathers. We’ll explore how UV light creates a chemical reaction, leaving us with beautiful, Prussian-blue masterpieces of the natural world.
Day 2: The Artist’s Garden Natural Pigments & Botanical Painting Where does paint come from? Today, we become "Art Chemists." We will crush berries, charcoal, and flower petals to extract their natural pigments, creating our own eco-friendly paint. Students will use these "earth-tones" to illustrate a Botanical Field Guide, documenting the plants found right outside our door.
Day 3: Hidden Spirits Garden Guardians & Earth Sculpting Today, we create art for the earth! Using mud, air-dry clay, sticks, and stones, students will sculpt "Tree Spirits" or "Garden Guardians." We’ll focus on ephemeral art—art that is meant to change over time as the wind and rain interact with it. It’s a lesson in letting go and celebrating the "now."
Day 4: The Giant Loom Nature Weaving & Collaborative Mandalas In our final session, we’ll work together to build a "Community Mandala" on the ground using hundreds of colorful stones and petals. Then, each student will build their own branch-frame loom, weaving together grasses, vines, and yarn to create a textured hanging that brings the beauty of the outdoors inside.
Tiny Art Explorers: Big Mark Making with Chalk & Wash
$25
ages 2-4
Tiny Art Explorers is a playful, hands-on art time designed for little creators. Kids experiment with color, texture, and simple materials while grown-ups relax nearby and enjoy The MAC’s welcoming studio space.
Big Mark Making with Chalk & Wash includes outdoor chalk drawings + water wash with brushes! Children make bold marks and watch water change the colors. We will be working outside for this class, we will be working in the back area of The MAC.
Tiny Art Explorers: Sensory Clay Play
$25
ages 2-4
Tiny Art Explorers is a playful, hands-on art time designed for little creators. Kids experiment with color, texture, and simple materials while grown-ups relax nearby and enjoy The MAC’s welcoming studio space.
Sensory Clay Play includes making soft clay pinch pots and sensory clay shapes with tools and stamps. Open-ended exploration of texture and form. We will be working with low fire earthenware clay, polymer clay and also fun ooblek clay
Tiny Art Explorers: Nature Prints & Stamps
$25
Ages 2-4
Tiny Art Explorers is a playful, hands-on art time designed for little creators. Kids experiment with color, texture, and simple materials while grown-ups relax nearby and enjoy The MAC’s welcoming studio space.
Nature Prints & Stamps includes using leaves and found natural materials to stamp shapes and track patterns.
Tiny Art Explorers: Sticker & Collage World
$25
ages 2-4
Tiny Art Explorers is a playful, hands-on art time designed for little creators. Kids experiment with color, texture, and simple materials while grown-ups relax nearby and enjoy The MAC’s welcoming studio space.
Sticker & Collage World includes using big sticker sheets, paper scraps, felt, and foam shapes, kids create textured collage scenes — strengthening fine motor skills and visual play.
Kids: Four-Day Sculpture Explorers: The 3D Lab
$150 • July 14-17
Ages 5-10
Day 1: The Secret Skeleton Wire Armatures & Dynamic Figures Every great statue has a secret! Today, we learn about the armature—the "skeleton" that holds a sculpture up. Using bendable wire and foil, students will build a poseable frame of a person, animal, or imaginary creature. We’ll focus on balance and "center of gravity" to make sure our figures can stand, jump, or dance without falling over.
Day 2: Building the "Skin" Paper Clay & Form-Making Now that our skeletons are built, it’s time to add the "muscles" and "skin." We will introduce Paper Clay, a lightweight and magical material that is easy for small hands to mold. Students will learn how to "bulk out" their wire frames and use sculpting tools to add fine details like fur, scales, or facial expressions. We’ll focus on texture and how to make a 3D surface look interesting from every single angle.
Day 3: The "Found Object" Challenge Assemblage & Creative Upcycling Can a bottle cap become a robot's eye? Can a cardboard tube become a castle tower? Today is all about Assemblage—the art of making sculptures from "found objects." Students will dive into a treasure trove of recycled materials to build a complex 3D composition. We’ll practice using different "joining" techniques (like tabs, slots, and safe adhesives) to connect mismatched parts into one cohesive masterpiece.
Day 4: Color, Character, & Composition Final Details & The Sculpture Garden In our final session, we bring our sculptures to life with color! We’ll use acrylics or metallic paints to give our clay and found-object pieces a professional finish. Once the "paint is dry," we will arrange our work into a Pop-Up Sculpture Garden. Students will practice "curating" their art, deciding how to display their pieces so they tell a story to anyone who walks by.
Kids: Four-Day Wheel Throwing
$150/ 4 days
Ages 7+
This is a Four-Day Class for kids, Tuesday-Friday • July 14-17
In this class, we will learn some basic techniques on the potter's wheel! Students will get familiar with the materials while learning the vocabulary and skills necessary to make functional or sculptural ceramic pieces.
Tiny Art Explorers: Bubble Wrap Painting Party
$25
ages 2-4
Tiny Art Explorers is a playful, hands-on art time designed for little creators. Kids experiment with color, texture, and simple materials while grown-ups relax nearby and enjoy The MAC’s welcoming studio space.
Bubble Wrap Painting Party includes pressing, rolling, and popping textured prints with bubble wrap and paint — lots of color and sensory delight.
Tiny Art Explorers: Play with Color & Shape
$25
ages 2-4
Tiny Art Explorers is a playful, hands-on art time designed for little creators. Kids experiment with color, texture, and simple materials while grown-ups relax nearby and enjoy The MAC’s welcoming studio space.
Play with Color & Shape includes simple explorations with tempera paint and big brushes. Kids learn primary colors, how to mix them, and make big shapes. Great for giggles, bold marks, and messy fun.
Kids: Four-Day Wheel Throwing
$150/ 4 days
Ages 7+
This is a Four-Day Class for kids, Tuesday-Friday • July 14-17
In this class, we will learn some basic techniques on the potter's wheel! Students will get familiar with the materials while learning the vocabulary and skills necessary to make functional or sculptural ceramic pieces.
Kids: One Shot Wheel Throwing
$45/ 2 hours
Ages 7+
Our One-Shot Wheel Throwing Class for kiddos is the perfect way to get messy, Agehave fun, and learn something new. In just one session, your child will try their hand at the pottery wheel and create their very own masterpiece!
Charm Jewelry
$45/2 hours
Ages 7+
Ever wanted to make custom pieces of jewelry? This one-shot class will show you how to make charms from various craft materials and attach them onto chain to make a bracelet or necklace. Join us in making beautiful personalized pieces to wear or gift.
Note for parents:
We encourage parents to hang out in the studio to keep an eye on their kiddos and offer encouragement during classes. We love to see you engaged in your kids' growth and development through art! However, we feel it necessary to share our educational philosophy to avoid stepping on any toes and hurting parents' feelings.
We believe that kids should be allowed to explore the materials and processes involved with making arts and crafts, and we want every project that our young friends take home to be uniquely theirs. To that end, we ask that parents try their best to refrain from doing any of the work for their kids.
If you want to be involved, you can remind them how to use the tools and materials properly, or help them remember the steps of a project, or encourage them to stay on track and pay attention to the instructor. But they should make all the decisions about where that paintbrush lands on the canvas, or where that sparkly bead should be glued on the sculpture, or what color glitter goes best with their collage. It's their art!
Don't be afraid to let them get messy and mess up. That is where some real learning takes place, in seeing what works and what doesn't.
Remember.. art is not always about taking home a perfect finished product. It's about playing with new tools and materials, and socializing with friends. It's about autonomy and free-thinking and making something of your very own. Let your kids make their own projects, and if you want to make something, you can take a class of your own!
free after-school art classes for every tuesday!
Join us every Tuesday for free, fun-filled after-school art designed just for school aged kiddos! It’s the perfect way for your little artists to explore their creativity and make new friends.
free After school art runs from 5-6pm
The last class of the year will be Tuesday, April 28, 2026
THE DREAM OF FREE ART...
Here at the Macoupin Art Collective, we believe that access to quality art instruction is crucial to every person's intellectual, emotional, and social development, regardless of financial situation or demographic.
with that in mind, we offer free after-school activities to introduce kids to crafts and fine arts. Kids can come to The MAC to socialize with their peers and learn valuable skills that allow them to express their creativity.
Our free after-school art is all about exploration! Friends will be offered a few materials then kiddos are offered to explore! We will be there to help with questions and tips or tricks- but this is a self-directed class.