Clay Camps in Ann Arbor: Pottery for Kids

Clay Camps | Ages 9-12

Our Clay Camp curriculum is designed to teach pottery skills and to encourage the exploration of clay as a material for design, sculpture, and expression. Each week, campers learn to throw on the wheel in the mornings. Campers learn various hand-building techniques to create stunning sculptures, tiles, or functional items in the afternoons.

All students in Clay Camp will be in the same group.
Drop-off Time | 8:40am - 9:00am
Pick-up Time | 4:00pm - 4:20pm

Tuition: $465/week

Please note:

We do not make exceptions to the minimum age required to be in a given group.

Week 1 is a 4-Day camp due to the Juneteenth Holiday. | Tuition for this camp is $405.

Registration Opens: Friday, January 23, 7am

The buttons below will take you to the registration portal, which will go live at 7am on Friday, January 23.

REGISTER FOR SPRING CLAY CAMP

REGISTER FOR SUMMER CLAY CAMP

You must be the parent or guardian to register a child for camp.

READ: IMPORTANT CAMP INFO | NEW Refund Policies

READ: IMPORTANT CAMP INFO | Waitlist Policies

READ: IMPORTANT CAMP INFO | Registration System

SPRING BREAK: WHEEL THROWING & ECO ART EXPLORERS

MARCH 30 - APRIL 3

Celebrate the art that Earth has to offer through sustainable supplies! Campers will explore using natural materials and our very own recycled clay to create beautiful, meaningful art. Campers will learn where our clay comes from and adorn their projects with nature's palette.

Campers will:

Create leaf impression tile wall hangings using leaves collected from nature!
Craft a mug that resembles a tree trunk.
Sculpt a trinket shelf for found objects.

WEEK 1: WHEEL THROWING & COLOR SPLASH

JUNE 15 - JUNE 18

In this 4-day camp, explore the vibrant beauty of color in clay! Campers will explore how color and clay can interact to create visual contrast, harmony, and evoke emotions.

Sculpt a mug and paint it with slips in either a cool tone or warm tone palette.
Create an artist's palette and add colors to each of the palette divots.
Use handbuilding methods to sculpt a colorful creature in a colorful world.

*THIS IS A FOUR-DAY CAMP WEEK. THERE WILL BE NO CAMP ON FRIDAY.

WEEK 2: WHEEL THROWING & AROUND THE WORLD ADVENTURE

JUNE 22 - JUNE 26

Go around the world in five days as campers embark on a journey that spans continents! Each day, young artists will “travel” to a new corner of the world–exploring different clay techniques from different countries! Let’s set off to:

Create a large vase to decorate inspired by Greek pottery.
Sculpt a Native American mug and learn about the indigenous people of Washtenaw County.
Create a bowl inspired by Japanese pottery utilizing different techniques.

WEEK 3: WHEEL THROWING & SUMMERWEEN!

JUNE 29 - JULY 3

Join us for a delightfully spook-tacular camp week as we combine all things Halloween with Summer! Explore how mixing seasons boosts imagination as campers think creatively, craft their out-of-the-box ideas, and create lasting memories. Campers will:

Sculpt a monster candy dish.
Build ghosts doing a summery activity using handbuilding techniques.
Create a batty bowl–a winged bowl with wings for handles!

WEEK 4: WHEEL THROWING & SUPERHERO STUDIO

JULY 6 - JULY 10

Get ready to unleash your inner hero! Discover the power of creativity as campers transform into artists and heroes. Discover what makes artists truly extraordinary by:

Sculpt your own superhero!
Create a comic book out of clay slabs and form it into a mug.
Create a super-lidded vessel using an original superhero emblem.

WEEK 5: WHEEL THROWING & WELCOME TO THE RENAISSANCE

JULY 13 - JULY 17

Step back in time to explore the masterpieces of the Renaissance era! Experiment with classical techniques, dream up mythical creatures, and explore a world where history and magic come together. This week, we’ll:

Sculpt a hatching dragon egg.
Build a castle fit for a renaissance royal.
Create a Mona Lisa template to make a wall hanging.

WEEK 6: WHEEL THROWING & MINI MAKERS

JULY 20 - JULY 24

Dive into the magical world of miniatures to learn all about scale and proportion by shrinking every day objects! From crafting tiny treasures to building whole worlds that fit in the palm of their hand, campers explore detail, imagination, and creativity on a whole new tinier scale. Campers will:

Craft a tiny fairy house to place somewhere for people to discover.
Create a tiny creature to live in the tiny house!
Build tiny food and accessories for your tiny creature.

WEEK 7: WHEEL THROWING & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

JULY 27 - JULY 31

Creativity is on the menu this week! Campers will explore the delicious world of food-inspired art! Tasty treats for the eye will be the main course, such as:

Crafting a realistic plate of clay food!
Building a slice of cake that doubles as a box with a lid!
Creating stackable coasters in the shape of food.

WEEK 8: WHEEL THROWING & MONSTER MAKERS

AUGUST 3 - AUGUST 7

This week, campers will dive into the world of wild and whimsical creature creation! From quirky, goofy goblins to fearsome fuzzballs, we’ll explore what it takes to design and bring to life a world of unique monsters. Campers will unleash their imaginations and become Monster Makers as they:

Create a unique monster using handbuilding techniques.
Craft a monster mug with monstrous features!
Sculpt a pinch pot monster votive.

WEEK 9: WHEEL THROWING & UNDER THE SEA

AUGUST 10 - AUGUST 14

Young artists will explore an ocean of imagination as they create vibrant sea-inspired artwork each day. Campers will dive deep into their imaginations to create their own sea creatures and bring ideas to life up here on land! Campers will:

Make themselves as a unique mer-creature.
Create an underwater diorama on a mug!
Design and create a unique sea creature

WEEK 10: WHEEL THROWING & MOVIE MAKERS

AUGUST 17 - AUGUST 21

Lights, camera, creativity! Step into the world of film and bring stories to life! Campers will explore their favorite movies to get inspired and they will even collaborate on a camp-wide stop-motion project! Movie makers will: