FAQs
Here’s a few of the most frequently asked questions about our ARTventurers classes……
How old does my child have to be to attend one of your sessions?
Our usual term time weekly sessions are designed for children who are aged 6 months and over and who are ideally sitting unaided, up to school age. Some of our branches run classes for even smaller artists too – ARTventuremums (and dads!), Tiny ARTventurers and My First ARTventure – just ask your local branch for details!
At weekends and during the holidays we run classes, workshops and events for older children too – and birthday parties for all ages!
Why are your ARTventurers classes divided into different age groups?
The majority of our classes are separated into different age groups and this is for two main reasons. Firstly, there are huge differences (obviously!) between a 10 month old and a 4 year old and we want to make sure when you bring your little one along to our classes that everything in that class is suitable for that age group and your child can get maximum benefit out of ALL of the activities on offer. So in the Baby ARTventurers class ALL of the activities are specifically designed for babies age 6 months to 18 months, all designed to stimulate and aid their development – as well as heaps of messy fun! And in the Little ARTventurers we often focus on developing specific skills, explore different mediums and techniques that our Baby ARTventurers wouldn’t quite be ready for and often use small parts that aren’t suitable for mouthing babies. So the second reason follows on from this – it’s for health and safety reasons too! However we understand that you want to bring the whole family along to our classes which is why many of our branches run our Family ARTventurers mixed age classes too. In these classes we “zone” our activities to make sure everyone can have lots of colourful, creative messy fun safely together!
Can I bring more than one child along to the classes?
Yes of course! For those with 2 or more ARTventurers attending the same term time class some of our branches may offer a sibling discount for the second/subsequent child. If you have a little sibling who is younger than the recommended starting age for that particular class then you’re more than welcome to bring them along free of charge!
Do I need to bring anything along to the sessions?
As part of our infection control policy following the pandemic, we encourage our mini artists to bring their own painting tools along to class which helps to limit the sharing of equipment. You can buy one of our special ARTventurers “My Painting Tools” packs to bring along to class each week from our website shop HERE and it will be delivered direct to your door OR you can bring some painting tools along from home (paintbrushes, rollers etc) – whichever you prefer! (Note – this is not for one off/holiday sessions)
Clothing wise, for the baby classes, babies will be fine in a vest or T shirt and nappy and an old pair of trousers or leggings if you want to cover up their little legs. In the older class, please dress your child in something you don’t mind getting painty or messy. Please ensure your child’s torso is covered at all times. We try our very best to ensure that we use materials that won’t stain however we can’t promise that some staining won’t occur so old clothes only please! We do sell ARTventurers T shirts and baby vests for wearing at classes – these aren’t compulsory but many parents do purchase them for wearing at the classes. They are ideal for messy play at home too! Just ask your local branch who can let you know how to buy one.
In all of our classes for the under 5s we ask you to bring a towel, some wipes and whatever else you need to clean your child during/after the session, and a spare pair of clothes! Please also bring along some nappy sacks or a carrier bag to take your rubbish home in so that you can safely dispose of it there.
It’s also a great idea to bring a carrier or other bag along with you is a good idea to help you to carry all of the masterpieces home in – or you can purchase one of our fabulous ARTventurers art bags and scrapbooks, or one of our tote bags and washcloth sets!
Since the pandemic, we no longer provide a drink/snack in class but feel free to bring along your own from home – all that ARTventur-ing can be thirsty work!
Do I need to pre book a session or can I just turn up?
All of our sessions do work on a pre booking basis. This is because, for the safety and enjoyment of everyone, places are limited and we need to know how many children are coming to the session each week to be able to plan and offer high quality activities – and to make sure we have enough materials and resources for everyone! It is also particularly important now in light of the coronavirus pandemic as all customers now have to complete a health declaration on booking.
Our experience also shows that children benefit much more from attending the classes on a weekly basis – it’s through attending regularly that they develop confidence, skills and friendships. It’s easy to book a place – just visit our Find A Class page!
What if my little one doesn’t want to take part in all of the activities?
That’s fine – our sessions for the Under 5s are child led and based on free flow activities. Your little one is free to explore and do as much as he/she wants to and you are both comfortable with. As with all new experiences some babies and young children may be a little overwhelmed during their first visit and want to stick to doing one or two activities. Experience shows that after a couple of visits they will become familiar with the environment and routine and will happily and confidently explore the wide range of creative activities. Similarly, some children who first come to the session just want to run around the room! Again experience shows that they will quickly become familiar with the routine of the sessions and their concentration span and ability to focus on activities will rapidly increase! Children learn by observation and imitation of the other children already engaged in the activities.
How do I pay for the sessions?
Payment can be made by card when booking on our website – some branches may also accept Paypal. You can find our more information on booking a class and our full booking terms and conditions here
Do you do Parties?
Yes we do! Check out our Parties page for more info!
Is there anything else I need to know?
ARTventurers is a Gold Accredited Member of the Children’s Activities Assocation and meets or exceeds their standards in all operational aspects. Our franchisees are of course DBS enhanced checked, first aid trained and have full public liability insurance for your peace of mind. We’re more than happy to answer any other questions you might have about our classes, parties and events – just ask!
I am worried about attending a class with my baby or child following the coronavirus pandemic
It’s natural to have concerns in light of the very worrying and difficult coronavirus situation we have all experienced. You can be assured that at ARTventurers our team have worked hard to ensure that we have put everything that we can in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone who attends our classes. You can read more about this and the measures in place by reading through our ARTventurers Coronavirus Policy
I have something that I wish to feed back or am unhappy about?
We always welcome and value feedback and input from our ARTventurers grown ups! If you have a concern, complaint or query then we would encourage you to contact your local branch leader in the first instance. You can find their contact details here.
If you are unhappy with the response received from your local branch OR if you would prefer to discuss your concern or query with Head Office then please contact us using the contact details here
I love the idea of running my own ARTventurers classes – how can I do that?
Our classes are delivered by our fabulous team of franchisees. We’re always on the look out for ambitious, creative people to join our team and open more branches of ARTventurers – people who love working with children and would like to work flexibly around family life. We provide all training and support to help our franchisees build colourful, creative businesses in their own local areas. For more information on being part of the ARTventurers team click HERE