Top Pottery Painting Classes For Kids In South Florida

South Florida has a small array of art classes that let children paint their own pottery and even learn basic wheel throwing. Some classes are more serious while others allow the casual artist to just have fun creating their own artwork. Parents interested in wheel throwing should be cautioned that wheel throwing is not recommended for children under 12 because most lack the upper-body strength to throw the pottery and the practice also requires a potter's wheel that they can reach the center of easily. Parents should be aware of their child's strengths and weaknesses before making the decision to put them in such a class. Hand building is another alternative for children who want to create their artwork before they paint it.

MIY Ceramics
723 S. 21st Ave.
Hollywood, FL 33020
(954) 927-7300
www.miyceramics.com

MIY Ceramics stands for Make It Yourself Ceramics. While the term ceramics is broad and covers porcelain and pottery classes, its kids courses include pottery painting and hand clay modeling. The clay hand building class is $150 for 24 hours of classes in three-hour sessions. The cost covers all materials and studio time and features a comprehensive class that teaches the basics of hand clay modeling from formation to firing. It's the best best for your money for the serious student, but if your child is looking for a bit of fun, they can also try the pottery painting classes that lets them decorate pre-sculpted pieces for $5 per piece.

Ceramic League of Miami
8873 S.W. 129th St.
Miami, FL 33176
(305) 233-2404
www.ceramicleaguemiami.org

As mentioned previously, the pottery wheel can be challenging for younger potters. However, the Ceramic League of Miami offers careful supervision on the potter's wheel for children as young as seven years old. The course runs for six weeks with one session per week and only costs $125 per student. Hand building will be taught as well so children get the full spectrum of what is possible with pottery. At the end of each project, children will paint their work of art, which they made with their own two hands.

Joe Picasso's
1495 N. Federal Highway
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
(954) 462-2551
www.joepicassos.org

Joe Picasso's is Fort Lauderdale's hip art studio that offers adults a fun activity and kids the opportunity to make a mess in the name of art. The are no reservations necessary and the studio fee is free. Patrons are charged by the individual art pieces, which are displayed on several bookcases spanning the studio. Children can paint cups, bowls, vases and on holidays, Joe's has special spring, winter and summer camps where children can learn hand building, pottery painting and more. It's a great place with a great vibe that educates in the name of fun.

Related: Top Ceramics Classes For Adults In South Florida

Art Thyme
8813 S.W. 132nd St.
Miami, FL 33176
(305) 992-8222
www.artthyme.com

Art Thyme Studio offers classes on hand clay modeling and pottery painting classes in studio or on location at your school. Palmetto Elementary is already part of its After School Clay program that offers an eight- to 16-week session for students only. Non-students can check Art Thyme's website for additional pottery and painting class schedules or just stop by the studio for an open session. Prices for open sessions are dependent upon the piece, not the studio time, so your child can play to their heart's content. There is also no age range and deals for children with siblings, making this an affordable art stop shop.

The Art Shack
9831 N.W. 58th St., Suite 145
Doral, FL 33178
(305) 331-2297
www.theartshackmiami.com

The Art Shack offers art preparation for all ages and for all disciplines. For children, it offers courses that feature a variety of mediums including clay to give your child an introduction to all things art. Teens are more focused, so The Art Shack offers classes that strictly focus on clay and hand building to deepen your teen's skill and get them prepared for a future career. The Art Shack does offer magnet school preparation but it mostly focuses on painting and drawing with a few pottery sculptures so it would not be beneficial for your teen to sign up for this program. Parents should check the website for class schedule and prices.

Related: Top Arts & Crafts Classes And Activities For Kids In Miami

Niema Hulin was born in Newark, NJ but raised in Lexington, South Carolina for the bulk of her formative years. In 2002, she moved to Miami after graduating from the University of Florida. Since then, Niema has worked in film, television and commercials as a Production Assistant and Production Coordinator. Some of her films have included Bad Boys II and I Am Number IV. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.