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Where to Find Hands-On Art Classes for Kids in Garbutt
Updated: Sep 30
Wondering where to find hands-on art classes for kids in Garbutt? Head down Bayswater Road, look for the purple, and follow the sound of very happy (and very paint-covered) kids. That's us — Creativity Hood 🎨💜
We're a kids' art studio at 1/363 Bayswater Road, Garbutt, running weekly art classes for ages 5–16, plus school holiday programs, workshops and NDIS arts sessions. And when we say hands-on... we mean HANDS. ON. Paint up to the elbows, clay under the fingernails, charcoal smudges on noses. The good stuff.
What "hands-on" actually looks like in our studio
A lot of kids' activities are sit-down, colour-in-the-lines, take-home-a-worksheet kind of thing. Ours isn't that.
Every class kicks off with a warm-up that's all about play — no pressure, just getting the hands moving and the brain switched into creative mode. Then we get stuck into real materials and real techniques:
Watercolour washes and wild, loose brush strokes
Acrylic painting on actual canvas
Charcoal and pencil drawing (including learning to draw in 3D — the kids LOVE this one)
Clay sculpting — pinch pots, faces, little creatures, cups
Collage, printmaking, mixed media and texture play
Kids get choices in their projects — subject, colours, composition — so what they make actually feels like theirs. And yes, sometimes it gets messy. More mess = more learning = more fun. Happy little Bob Ross accidents welcome here :)
Art classes for every age group
We've split our weekly classes into three groups, because a 5-year-old and a 15-year-old create in totally different ways (and that's the whole point).
Rainbow Rebels (ages 5–8)
Play-based and experimental. Lots of colour mixing, squishing, smooshing and exploring what materials can do. Projects are short and varied to keep up with all that little-legend energy. This is where confidence starts ✨
Brush Buddies (ages 9–11)
Bigger, deeper projects that run over 2–4 weeks. Kids start building real technique — layering colour, working through multi-step processes, and seeing their skills grow week to week. Still guided, but with more room to go their own way.
Vibe Creators (ages 12–16)
Our teens get long-form, self-paced projects over 6–8 weeks, with loads of freedom to explore their own style. Honestly, the art is only half of it — Vibe Creators is where teens find their likeminded crew and a space where they can just be themselves.
Why Garbutt families keep coming back
It's not a one-and-done. Our classes run weekly on a subscription, so your kid gets to dig into a huge range of materials over time — not just a single session and done. You join, you stay as long as you like, and you watch your kid grow. No term-by-term re-enrolment stress.
Kindness is non-negotiable. Our Kindness Policy means no one criticises anyone else's work. Ever. Mistakes are part of the process, and "I can't" becomes "I can't yet."
Everyone belongs here. We're proudly inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly, and we're big on supporting neurodivergent kids — autism, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety. Clear step-by-step instructions, visual aids, flexible ways to learn and a whole lot of patience. Kids get to show up as they are.
Taught by art teachers and artists. Creativity Hood was started by me, Kellie — a visual arts teacher with over a decade in education. It started in my backyard and grew into our studio on Bayswater Road, and our team brings the same heart to every class.
The extras. Kids can exhibit their artwork, get involved in community art projects and even sell their creations in our little shop (hello, tiny entrepreneurs 💰). Oh, and there are two studio cats, Teddy and Smockles, who are very much part of the vibe 🐈
School holidays and special workshops
Not ready to join weekly classes yet? Holiday programs are a great way to try us out. We run themed challenges, guest artists and one-off creative experiences every school holiday — they fill up fast, so keep an eye on our socials.
We also run workshops outside the regular program. This Term Four we've got a 6-week pottery masterclass with our guest master clay teacher Stella — four weeks of proper clay foundations with Stella, then two weeks with me and Sim painting and finishing the pieces. It's open to non-subscription students too, so if your kid's been itching to get their hands in some clay, this is the one 🏺
NDIS arts sessions
We run NDIS arts sessions too, so participants can build creative skills, confidence and connection in a supportive, low-pressure space. Get in touch and we'll chat through what would work best.
FAQs: Hands-On Art Classes for Kids in Garbutt
Where can I find hands-on art classes for kids in Garbutt? Creativity Hood is at 1/363 Bayswater Road, Garbutt, Townsville. We run weekly hands-on art classes for kids aged 5–16, plus holiday programs and workshops.
Does my kid need any art experience? Nope! Total beginners are so welcome. We meet every kid where they're at.
What should they wear? Clothes you don't mind getting paint on. We mean it 😅
Is it OK for neurodivergent kids? Absolutely. Supporting neurodivergent kids is a big part of how we teach — flexible, patient, and step-by-step.
How does enrolment work? It's a subscription — your kid joins their class and stays enrolled until you cancel. Classes follow the school terms with term-long projects.
Come get messy with us
So if you've been searching for where to find hands-on art classes for kids in Garbutt — you've found us 💜 Book ya kid in, come say hi to Teddy and Smockles, and let's make some magic.
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