By Georgina Goodlander, IFAC Visual Arts Director
Summer with kids feels both ridiculously long and far too short! Twelve weeks might seem like forever, but once you factor in camping trips, summer sports, family get-togethers, and community events, then it suddenly doesn’t seem like enough time at all. Keeping kids’ minds and bodies busy during the long break from school is important though, and art activities can be a great option for some creative fun.
By participating in art, kids can improve their communication, problem-solving, and social skills as well as learn how to express themselves visually. It’s a great way to keep their brains engaged in a meaningful way so that they don’t forget everything they learned at school, without feeling like they are still in school. Summer also provides the opportunity to spend a bit more time with art than is usually possible during the school year, allowing kids to really dive into different mediums and topics.
At the Idaho Falls Arts Council, we have developed a broad range of summer offerings that we hope can work with a wide variety of schedules, age groups, budgets, and interest levels!
Our longest running event is the Roaring Youth Jam, which will take place on the Idaho Falls River Walk Aug. 10-12. This includes art activities, live performances and vendor booths from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day and is completely free for the community. The theme this year is “Carnival” and projects will include puffy paint cotton candy, watercolor popcorn, cupcake liner balloons, and paper plate Ferris wheels. Youth Jam is designed primarily for kids ages 0-12 and we recommend that you dress for mess!
At the Willard Arts Center you can drop your 5-9 year-old kids off every Wednesday at noon for Planet Arts, an hour-long art class that focuses on different mediums and techniques. The theme this year is Wild West Art and you can attend as many or as few weeks as your schedule allows! Classes run from June 14 through August 9 and are just $4 each. New this year we have added Planet Glee on Tuesdays at noon. Also for ages 5-9, this class will explore singing and movement with a different theme each week.
Over at ARTitorium on Broadway we have a lot of different summer options available. Our 4-session art classes condense down into just 2-week blocks, with classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Themes this summer include nature art, abstract art, mixed media, and a “What If?” class. We also offer a week-long art camp every month. These run 1-5 p.m. each day for four days and provide an amazing opportunity for kids to really explore different mediums and to work on some adventurous collaborative projects.
We have expanded our theater offerings for kids this year, with three week-long theater camps over the summer, too! These will run 2-5 p.m. each day for four days and culminate in a short performance for friends and family. Designed for kids ages 6-12 (different camps have different age requirements), these experiences will truly allow kids to explore their theatrical side while learning skills in storytelling, self expression, and movement.
Outside of classes and camps, ARTitorium is open for drop-in experiences seven days a week and the theme changes every month. If you want to explore all of the great local educational opportunities for kids, you might consider an Idaho Falls Adventure Pass, which includes one free family or individual entry into the Museum of Idaho, the Idaho Falls Zoo, the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, and ARTitorium on Broadway. It’s a great way to check all four locations off your summer bucket list and to save some money in the process!
Whatever your summer looks like, we hope you can spend some time with us.
Youth Jam: www.artitoriumonbroadway.org
Planet Arts: www.idahofallsarts.org
Summer at ARTitorium: www.artitoriumonbroadway.org
Idaho Falls Adventure Pass: www.ifadventure.wpengine.com