6 Best Summer Art Classes For Elementary Students That Build Real Skills

Summer is on the horizon, and you’re scrolling through websites for local camps and classes, looking for something to fill those long, sunny days. You see "Kids Art Class" and wonder if it’s just an hour of glitter and glue sticks or something more. The right art class can be more than a fun diversion; it’s a place where your child builds a foundation of skills that will serve them for a lifetime, both in and out of the studio.

Finding Classes That Build Foundational Art Skills

When you’re looking at a class description, it’s easy to get drawn in by promises of a beautiful finished project. But for elementary-aged kids, the most valuable classes focus on the process, not just the product. For the younger crowd (ages 5-7), this means exploring materials without pressure. A great class will let them learn how a brush feels, how colors mix into a delightful mud, and how to snip and glue with growing confidence.

As they get a bit older (ages 8-10), the focus can start to shift toward foundational techniques. Look for classes that introduce core concepts like the elements of art—line, shape, color, and texture—in a playful way. The goal isn’t to create a photorealistic masterpiece. It’s to give them a visual language and the confidence to experiment, make mistakes, and try again.

Think of it like learning an instrument. You have to learn the notes and scales before you can play a symphony. A foundational art class teaches the "scales" of seeing, thinking, and creating. This approach builds resilience and a love for the creative journey itself.

Drawing with Faber-Castell Graphite Pencils

Does your child’s notebook have more doodles than notes? That’s a fantastic sign they’re ready to move beyond a standard school pencil. A class focused on foundational drawing skills is one of the best investments you can make in their artistic development, as it teaches them the most crucial skill of all: how to truly see.

A good drawing class isn’t about copying cartoons. It’s about observing the world—the way light hits a ball, the simple shapes that make up a complex object, the texture of a leaf. Using a simple set of quality graphite pencils, like a starter pack from Faber-Castell, introduces the concept of value. Suddenly, they have tools to create not just lines, but lightness, darkness, and shadow.

This is a huge developmental leap. It builds fine motor control, patience, and the critical ability to translate a three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional page. The confidence a child gains from learning to draw what they see is immense, and it forms the bedrock for painting, sculpture, and even digital design later on.

Watercolor Painting with Crayola Washable Sets

Many parents hesitate at the thought of painting classes, picturing stained clothes and expensive supplies. But learning to paint, especially with watercolors, teaches kids incredible lessons about color, control, and happy accidents. It’s a medium that requires them to think ahead and embrace unpredictability.

You don’t need to invest in professional-grade tube paints for a beginner. A quality student set, like a Crayola Washable Watercolor pan set, provides vibrant, true colors and is incredibly forgiving on clothes and tables. The key is that the class teaches real technique with these simple tools. Kids will learn about wet-on-wet blending, creating gradients, and layering transparent colors to create new ones.

This is the perfect example of matching the tool to the student’s stage. They get to learn the essential properties of the medium—how water moves pigment, how to control a brush—without the pressure or cost of precious materials. They’re learning a skill, not creating an archival piece for a museum.

3D Sculpture Using Sculpey Polymer Clay Kits

If you have a child who prefers building with LEGOs or making mud pies over drawing, a sculpture class can be the perfect fit. These classes engage kinesthetic learners, teaching them to think and solve problems in three dimensions. It’s a powerful way for them to understand form, balance, and structure.

Polymer clay is a fantastic entry point into the world of sculpture. Kits from a brand like Sculpey are affordable, easy to work with, and come in a rainbow of colors that can be mixed and blended. Best of all, their creations can be baked in a standard home oven to become permanent, durable keepsakes. This tangible result provides a huge sense of accomplishment.

A summer class focused on polymer clay will teach them fundamental techniques: rolling coils, making pinch pots, joining pieces securely, and adding texture. They are learning engineering principles on a small scale. How do I make the legs strong enough to hold the body? How do I create a facial expression? It’s a hands-on art form that builds spatial reasoning and serious problem-solving skills.

Digital Art Basics on a Wacom Intuos Tablet

Is your child captivated by video game art, animation, and the digital world? Channel that screen time into a powerful creative skill with an introductory digital art class. This isn’t a replacement for traditional art; it’s a modern medium with its own unique toolset and a direct link to many creative careers.

The essential tool here is a beginner drawing tablet. A small Wacom Intuos tablet is a durable, industry-respected choice that can last for years. It connects to your home computer and, paired with free or low-cost software, becomes an endless canvas. A good class will guide your child through the initial learning curve of software basics—layers, brushes, and the all-important "undo" button.

Learning to use a stylus develops a different kind of hand-eye coordination. It’s a skill that bridges the gap between traditional drawing and the technology that shapes their world. This is a smart investment for a child showing sustained interest, as the skills are directly applicable to graphic design, animation, and game development.

Mixed Media Fun with a Crayola Art Supply Case

For the child who has a dozen interests and can’t pick just one, a mixed media class is the perfect playground. These classes are all about experimentation and breaking the "rules." They teach kids to think like an artist, solving visual problems by combining different materials to achieve a desired effect.

The best supply kit for this type of class is often an all-in-one art case. A big Crayola case filled with markers, colored pencils, crayons, and a small paint set is a treasure chest of possibilities. It gives them a wide palette of textures and materials to explore without you having to purchase 20 separate items.

A well-structured mixed media class will move beyond simply gluing things to paper. It will challenge students to think about composition and layering. What happens when you draw with a crayon and then paint over it with watercolor? How can you use torn paper to create texture? This kind of creative thinking builds flexibility and innovation, skills that are valuable far beyond the art room.

Intro to Printmaking with a Speedball Starter Kit

For an older elementary student (ages 9-11) who enjoys detailed, process-driven work, an introduction to printmaking can be a transformative experience. There is a unique magic in carving a block, rolling it with ink, and pulling that first print. It’s a process that feels both ancient and incredibly cool.

Printmaking teaches sophisticated concepts in a very hands-on way. Students learn about mirror images, positive and negative space, and the power of creating multiples. It requires planning, precision, and patience, making it a fantastic challenge for a developing mind.

A Speedball Block Printing Starter Kit is the perfect, affordable entry point. The water-based inks are safe and easy to clean, and the soft carving blocks are much easier for young hands to work with than traditional linoleum. A class using these kits gives kids a taste of a "real" printmaking studio experience, building their confidence and showing them that they are capable of complex, multi-step artistic processes.

Supporting Your Artist Beyond the Summer Class

The summer class will end, but your child’s creative journey doesn’t have to. The single most important thing you can do is to create a low-stress environment for art at home. This doesn’t mean a dedicated studio; a simple bin with paper, pencils, and some of their favorite supplies from class kept in an accessible spot is all it takes. The goal is to make creativity a normal, easy choice.

When they show you their work, focus your praise on their effort and choices, not just the final result. Instead of "That’s a beautiful drawing," try asking, "I love the colors you chose here, can you tell me about them?" or "That looks like it took a lot of focus. What was the trickiest part?" This validates their process and encourages them to keep experimenting without fear of failure.

Finally, remember that interests evolve. If the passion for painting fades after a summer, that’s okay. The foundational skills they built—fine motor control, visual observation, creative problem-solving, and the patience to see a project through—are completely transferable. You didn’t just invest in an art class; you invested in building a more observant, resilient, and creative kid.

Ultimately, the best summer art class is one that sparks curiosity and builds your child’s confidence to bring their ideas to life. By focusing on foundational skills over fridge-worthy crafts, you give them a toolkit they can use forever. Trust their interests, provide the right tools for their stage, and enjoy watching them discover the world through an artist’s eyes.