Raising a Little Artist: The Art Classes That Grew With My Daughter

Some kids are drawn to a ball. Mine has always been drawn to a paintbrush.

And honestly? Right about now, I'm grateful for it. We're at the peak of the summer heat — the kind of Texas afternoon where "go play outside" lasts about four minutes. This is exactly when indoor art camps become a parent's best friend: a cool, air-conditioned room where kids stay busy, engaged, and creating something they're proud of, while the sun does its worst outside. Beat the heat and come home with a painting — that's a good trade.

For as long as I can remember, my daughter has wanted to make things — and over the past few years we've tried a lot of art classes around Katy, looking for the ones that don't just hand her a craft kit, but actually teach her. Real technique. Real growth. The kind of place she leaves talking a mile a minute about what she learned that day.

So let me share the studios that did exactly that for us. And a little brag, if you'll allow me: every single painting you'll see in this post is hers.

Cordovan Art School — where she learned real technique

Cordovan Art School – Katy has been such a gift for her. This is the place that taught her how to paint — not just that she could. Here are a few examples of the art she's made there:

Honestly, I was amazed by the work she brought home. I wasn't there watching over her shoulder — but I didn't need to be. The paintings and drawings she walked out with told me everything: that she'd had a wonderful, productive day, and that she was genuinely getting to practice and grow her skill.

A couple of things I love about how they run it:

• Schedules that actually fit your day. They offer full-day camps as well as morning and afternoon sessions — so you can go all-in, or ease a younger kid in with just a half day and see how it feels.
• Real animals come to visit! Some weeks they bring in live animals for the kids to observe, draw, and interact with. If you've got an animal-obsessed little one like mine, that's pure magic — and it shows up in the work.

You can see their upcoming sessions right on their Campella page.

Katy Art School — our other summer favorite

This year she also spent time at Katy Art School, and it was lovely — a warm, encouraging space that kept her creating all summer long. (One quick note about booking it at the very bottom of this post.)

It's never too late to plan the next one

Here's the thing about art kids: the classes don't stop when summer does. And I just spotted a brand-new studio on Campella that already has its fall and holiday sessions posted — Jennellepee Art School in Sugar Land. They've got a Thanksgiving Art Camp, two Winter Art Camps over the December break, and even a Spring Break camp already on the calendar.

I love that. It means you don't have to wait for the summer scramble — you can plan a whole year of art now, while there's plenty of room. And planning on Campella is genuinely simple: save the camps you like, drop them onto a schedule for each kid, and you're done.

The best part: plan it with your friends

Art is more fun with a buddy — and so is planning it. When you invite your friends to Campella and share a schedule, they can see what you've booked. And the moment you mark a camp Registered, your friends get a little nudge that you're in.

So if your kids love painting together, one of you can plan it and the rest just follow along. Pick a session, tap register, and your whole art crew ends up in the same room. 🎨

Sharing is coordinating.

Browse art camps near you →

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A quick note on Katy Art School: their summer camps aren't schedulable directly through Campella just yet, so to grab a spot you'll want to book right on their own site: katyartschool.com. We loved our time there — I just didn't want you clicking "schedule" and wondering where the dates went. 💛