Art Explorium

I wish I had a place like this when I was a kid. It’s seriously a gold mine! I brought my niece here on a Saturday afternoon and she totally loved it. Only $ 5 provides a copious amount of supplies and knick-​knacks for the kids to utilize. There were only a few other kids in the shop that day so my niece was able to go to each station without a wait. I am definitely coming back, with probably both of my nieces next time!

Great way to spend an afternoon. Kids loved spending 3hrs there, and great for us big kids too! They have open time where you can just freestyle create, as well as tutorial sessions.
Friendly staff and great value $ 5/​child. We will definitely be back.

Neat little place to let your little ones get creative. Plenty of materials to create one of a kind pieces. My 3 kids ages 3 – 11 all enjoyed themselves for an 1 and a half and probably would’ve lasted longer but my 3 year old had enough. For $ 5 a kid, it was well worth the money.

My girlfriend Lisa and I are part of the «Three Plus Club.» In order to be a part of this club you have to accomplish a feat few others would dare and endure pain which would leave most grown men crying. No, I’m not talking about running an ultra marathon or Kung Fu Panda style martial arts training, those things are much easier in comparison. You have to have THREE or more kids! Yes, you have to push a human being out of your body and breast feed and change diapers and become a shell of a person from sleep deprivation, not once, not twice, but three times… Are we crazy? Maybe. Do we have mental health issues and a deep seeded fear of dying alone? Possibly. Are we super human and extra fertile? Most definitely.
As official members of the unofficial «Three Plus Club,» we often get together to talk about parenting, complain to one another about our husbands, problem solve working mom issues and basically congratulate one another surviving another day with three kids. We wanted to get together one day and after hearing about the Art Explorium from so many different Unilocalers we excitedly planned a playdate with six kids in tow (three from me and three from her)! As a very experienced parent who’s had her share of playdates, I’ll tell you the Art Explorium is my new favorite spot on Earth! Tables of art projects, chalk walls, wooden block stations, and so many art supplies that it feels like Oscar the Grouch decided to go Martha Stewart and etsy his face off!
Our six little ones range from ages two to eleven and there was something for everyone! My little Isabel colored and decorated a toilet paper roll, while my daughter Mimi made a kitty cat with found objects and my son made giant towers out of wooden blocks. All the kids happily kept themselves busy, explored the space and made a controlled mess while Lisa and I had our «Three Plus Club» therapy session. I’m not a craft project planning type of Mom so this entire situation made me feel like a multi-​tasking parent of the year!
The Art Explorium is a non-​profit and it’s dedicated to being a place for kids to create and exercise the most powerful tool they have: their imaginations! On this particular day we dropped in during their open play time which is $ 5 per kid for three hours of art! A super deal especially when you multiply that by three! They also have art and sewing classes, but the open play is my favorite because it’s a very low commitment level and you come in when you can fit it into your schedule. All they need to make this space pure perfection is an espresso machine! Heck, they do that and I might just move in…

My daughter and I LOVE this place! We signed up for a shapes and colors class and the teacher was very engaging. She had the kids singing and dancing in no time. Then it was time for Some arts and crafts — it was very well organized (hard to do with 15 toddlers running around). Hooray for the Art Explorium and Harmsastar!

$ 5 open studio is probably one of the best deals you can get to entertain your kid. We went at 1PM on a Saturday and there were only a few other kids with parents in there, all at different stations so there was plenty of space. The location is great because of all the food options you can enjoy before and after. Definitely will return again.

This place is a total delight for adults and keiki alike.
A small hole in the wall tucked in between Jose’s restaurant in Kaimuki and a flurry of yoga studios, this place is a total gem of a find!
I found out about it through Honolulu Magazine and decided to check it out.
They have open studio on certain days and it only cost five dollars per child. Adults are free — wait, what!!! Really?! LOVE that deal!
So the place is a hodgepodge of artwork strewn all over the place, with recyclable materials, glue, pens, pencils, river rocks, cardboard, paint, yarn and etc — it’s an artist dream!
And not just for the children, but the adults as well.
I was able to get my creative juices flowing and also create some incredible memories with my kids. It’s a safe place that allows children to create, make friends and simply have fun!
We are definitely putting this on our hot spot of places to go on weekends!

Art Explorium is just the kind of place that I wanted to have in my neighborhood: safe, fun, and educational. The friendly, laid-​back staff provides guidance, encouragement, and – most of all – freedom for studio visitors to tap into their creativity. Open studio sessions (offered from 9 AM to 12 PM on Mondays and Thursdays, 2 PM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, and 1 PM to 4 PM on Saturdays) are a great deal: for just $ 5 per participant, visitors can craft make-​and-​take projects at themed centers or the «Trash-​or-​Treasure» station, which contains a large selection of reusable materials. Reasonably-​priced workshops (usually held on Sundays) give participants a chance to meet and learn from local artists. Special events are also offered by the organization, including field trips and birthday parties. My children have both celebrated their birthdays at Art Explorium, which they (and their friends) loved. I would highly recommend their party packages. Not only are the prices extremely reasonable ($ 150 for 2 hours and up to 10 guests), but the coordinator will work with you to create activities that center around your child’s interests, and provide patient and flexible hosting services during the event. Parties aren’t just limited to kids; grown-​ups can also hold special events at the studio! Art Explorium also offers extended hours (6 PM to 9 PM) during Third Fridays – Kaimuki’s monthly community showcase – and regularly participates in events with other art and environmental organizations. Its dual emphasis on arts education and environmental sustainability is what sets it apart from other organizations. Those who are interested in giving reusable materials (like cereal boxes, paper shopping bags, and plastic bottle caps) to Art Explorium can check out the donation guide at

What a brilliant idea and just what Honolulu needed for art exploration for children, open studio time and workshops dedicated to art, AND a unique birthday party venue!
I love that they focus on recycling. The whole studio is just super cool and artfully decorated. It’s the perfect afterschool activity on a free afternoon during the week.

WHY have I not brought my kids here earlier?!? Art Explorium is wonderful! For only $ 5, your child can spend the entire morning creating, making and exercising her imagination in a clean, bright and creative space! This is a very simple place, with a few tables, a ton of glue, scissors, tape and paper, and best of all, «trash» that your child can create into treasure! Nothing fancy, but these days, our kids are overloaded with «fancy» electronics, gadgets, toys, etc. that it’s refreshing to get back to basics and have a little simplicity. It’s in this uncluttered space that they can really create and be resourceful. What I think is even cooler is that this is a NON-​PROFIT organization that was created by a few parents, due to the fact that art programs were being cut in the schools. They wanted to create space where children could be immersed in the creation of art. I just LOVE that this place exists just so that kids can create! And that is exactly what happens here.
How it works: $ 5 per child, for unlimited use of materials, and time (as long as they are open, which is usually for 3 hours at a time, once in the morning and once in the afternoon). If you want to make the most of your money, you can go at 9 when they are open and stay all the way till 12 noon. It’s nice to not have to be rushed. We stayed for about 2 hours and my kids went home with about 4 projects each.
Projects: There are 3 main tables. On the day we went, they were 1) Trash to treasure, 2) Building, 3) Collage. The lady working that morning told us that Trash to Treasure is always available, but the other two tables change from day to day. You could come every day and have a different project to do, how wonderful! At the building table that day, the kids were building instruments. My daughters made drums and shakers, using mostly recycled materials like yogurt containers, wine corks, popsicle sticks and old buttons. My older daughter’s FAVORITE table was the trash to treasure table. Against the wall there were bins of what would have been «trash» and «tools» such as tape, scissors, glue and hole punchers on the table. There were no rules, no instructions, just freedom to make anything their little hearts desired! It’s amazing to sit back and watch your child turn an idea into something tangible out of the materials that are available to her. My younger daughter (2.5 years old) even decided to make a «monkey» and though her end product looked nothing like a monkey, the process of choosing materials, using glue and tape and arranging her stuff to make her «monkey» made her really proud! This place is great for all ages, even I was tempted to make my own project! (I forgot my phone at home this day, so unfortunately I was unable to take any pictures, but maybe, just maybe, it was better that I was «free» from my phone that morning!)
Art Explorium is a couple doors down from Bead It, and there are metered stalls right in front ($ 0.75 for 1 hour, 1 hour limit) or you can park in the lot on 12^th Ave where there is also metered stalls. Check their website for hours and for special workshops. This is a great non-​profit organization that exists solely for your kids’ creative, artistic spirit, so why not make good use of it? This is a wonderful place and your kids, as well as you I’m sure, will enjoy it!

I am a FAN … this place is wonderful :’)
For $ 5 your child has up to three hours of «open studio» time to get creative ! They do a quick introductory walk through of the stations offered that day and are always nearby if you need assistance. It is very comfortable for the adults (air con and clean restroom on the premises). Check out their FB page for updates on different workshops offered … plus keep in mind that the studio is also available for private parties as well ;-)
They are a non profit organization that is a huge asset to Kaimuki … Love it!

Checked out this place today during their open studio hours, 9 – 12. It’s a nice space for kids of all ages to create. Today, there were three different stations… watercolor, self portrait (for their wall) and trash to treasure. The lady said they change the stations weekly. There was also a bottle cap magnet wall, whiteboard and chalkboard that the kids really enjoyed. You probably have some, or all, of the things at home but it’s just a fun place and you don’t have to worry about the mess!
The cost is reasonable, $ 5 per person creating art. It got a little crowded at one point so you may want to go as soon as the studio opens. We stayed for about 2 hours and was able to spend time doing a little of everything. There is a lot of metered parking in the back so bring quarters.