Art and Creative Classes or Camp

Winner: Roaring Mouse Creative Arts Studio
If you think of art for kids as stringing noodle necklaces, finger painting and digging through buckets of crayons, think again. Roaring Mouse Creative Arts Studio in Ravenna brings creative exploration and play together to allow students to “follow their ideas into other forms of expression, and to experiment with combining ideas in new ways.” Their classes go way beyond the basics — kids make puppets then put on a show for parents, build motors and cars,  launch rockets,  create dioramas, and make costumes to show off at their own fashion show. The studio offers evening and weekend classes, camps and workshops, after-school programs and preschool classes. “The teachers are very experienced and obviously love their jobs. They always amaze me with their creative ideas. The parents are also all amazing people. My children have blossomed in this school,” enthuses one voter.

Finalists:
If it can be painted, Patty Makatura can create a one-of-a-kind work of art on any surface — she specializes in murals for children and custom furniture for your home. She also teaches art to children and ParentMap voters love her. She encourages your “child's inner creativity and self-expression through art,” and “guides with a gentle and kind awareness of the individuality of each child.”

A nonprofit with a small budget, Northwest Arts Center in Duvall gets big love from readers. They “really love the arts and teaching — it shows through every student!” They “are dedicated to enriching each child’s life and helping them find their creative spirit.  It feels very much like family — they care about the whole child not just the artist.”  

Tacoma’s Open Arts Studio gets high marks for variety, offering a wide range of art and music programs for kids and adults — drawing, painting, watercolors, clay and pottery, sculpture, sewing, photography, beading, piano, guitar, violin, viola, drums, flute, clarinet, cello, tuba, trombone, trumpet, and saxophone.

Thrive Art School, located in the Ravenna and Madison Valley neighborhoods, has a “great concept, good teachers,” providing a “great experience for the kids to grow in art.” Their curriculum is aligned with Washington State Learning Standards and the Elements of Art and includes academic information in subject areas such as math, science, social studies and geography.

A multi-faceted art enterprise run by graphic designer Kelly Affleck, Tomato-Tomato Creative Space (a 2011 Golden Teddy Award darling) offers Creative Kids classes that help “kids take art projects to the next level.” Parents praise “Ms. Kelly”  for being “the most creative and patient individual.”