KidsArt

From martial ARTS roundhouse kicks to FINE ARTS! I can’t believe my kids drew, outlined, and shaded their own art work! Their teacher’s method of instruction was impressive and I’m still amazed that my 5, 6, and 8 year old followed directions so closely. Not bad for their first day of class. The art studio sold me with their free introductory class.
My husband and I grew up outdoors playing sports all day and playing sports year round. Physical activity is a priority for our kids so we engage them in martial arts, soccer, baseball, and swim lessons but we also believe in FINE ARTS. Although my husband and I do not play musical instruments, we plan on putting our kids in piano lessons this upcoming fall but luckily for us, we discovered an art class catering to kids near our home about 6 months ago.
Before I write a novel about why we love this place and why we continue to sign up each month, I’ll just make it simple and list a few reasons that comes to mind why Kids Art is perfect for my 3 kids.
1. Environment:
–cute little art studio
–well lit
–kids are more focused in a studio environment (at home, they are easily distracted by pets, neighborhood kids visiting, electronics, munchies in pantry, sibling fighting over nonsense, etc)
–art materials are organized (unlike the art supplies scattered throughout the rooms in my house, some colors missing or incomplete or lost under their bunk beds)
2. Teachers:
–awesome facilitators
–experience and knowledgeable
–patient with kids (my 8 year old did not want to do it initially. He thought it was boring, yawned, looked at the clock, asked when class will be over, didn’t really try the first few sessions, and 6 months later he is loving his class and became a little bit of a perfectionist with his work)
–Never seen them touching my kids art work (I’ve seen them explain something by using the eraser side of the pencil but never drew on my kids work)
–6 students to 1 teacher
3. Class times:
–open availability
–easy to schedule make-​up classes for when we miss our selected date and time
–love our Friday evening class because it’s usually just my kids so they get
more attention with facilitators
4. Customer Care:
–all questions are answered immediately
–My son came home after class last week and was upset about something that I
thought was minor and I didn’t take his situation seriously, but his teacher was
aware of his feelings and reported it to the studio manager. Both the studio
manager and district manager called me to resolve my son’s issue, which I was
impressed with, because I, as the parent did not push the issue or complain, but
they were attentive to my son’s concern and addressed it to the top! (my son was
not happy with the line he drew for his crocodile mouth and he made a mistake
that was not corrected) Not a big issue for me, but it was for him and Kids Art
addressed it.
5. Education:
–engages kids in visual art
–teaches them to draw, identify proportion, see and fill in shading
–they come home speaking in drawing terms
–they are introduced to watercolors, pastels and oil pastels instead of what we
only know at home which is Crayola crayons.
WE LOVE KIDS ART BECAUSE OUR KIDS LOVE KIDS ART AND THEY CREATE AMAZING VISUAL ART THROUGH KIDS ART!!!

My daughter has only been here for a few months but she loves it. She’s been doing dance for the last year and a half and prefers her art classes. The size of the class is good, there are not too many kids per adult. They give them instruction, and the kids do the rest. The picture quality from home and here are different, but if I sit down with my daughter and have her do everything step by step the difference really isn’t that different. She draws significantly better at home than she did before her classes, but she needs to be sat with to have the same outcome. If I tell her to just draw it won’t look the same. That is not because they do all the drawings for the kids which I read in a review and is not true.

My kids went for 2 months. The instructors are very young, nice people. They help out, show how exactly the picture needs to be drawn. I was in shock when I saw the final drawings of my kids at the end of the class. Unbelievable! Looked like the professionals did them! I mean I was so impressed! But when I asked to draw exactly the same pictures at home, the drawings were lame. :) Which gives the idea that instructors help out too much. I was looking for a studio where my kids would learn how to draw, how to choose the colors etc. Instead they make such perfect drawings at the studio, but have no idea how to draw again at home. The studio is pretty small, nicely organized, but overpriced, I would say. Unfortunately we have no other kids art studios around to compare. :(So for the whole customer service I would give 5 stars, but for the classes — 3.

My granddaughter goes to KidsArt in Rancho Cucamonga. She looks forward to the weekly sessions and has for over three years. She has learned a lot about various mediums and techniques. Her art work is improving each and every time. She started with the 60 minute class and has graduated to the 90 minute class.
I worried a bit as well about «teacher interference» but their hands on is minimal and they talk to the children about what and why they are doing the edits. Each time, my granddaughter does more and the teacher does even less. As for class size, there is no overcrowding, the benches are spaced well apart for children and they are not «hunched over» as one reviewer said. In fact, my granddaughter likes the benches and wants one for home. It positions her just right and lessens the stress on her shoulders and wrists.
The teachers are professional. They observe and only step in when needed. If you carefully read the brochures, the lessons are in the style of the old masters when apprentices would paint the base work and the «Master» would come in and finish the work. It is how we all learn, we do what we can and someone shows us the rest of the way. The annual art show is a great reinforcement for the children, and I think that there is great value for the price that we pay.
The space is small if you are looking for a waiting room but there is plenty to do in the immediate area to pass the time. I don’t know of any other program in t he IE that delivers quality art time for this price.

wast of money. cost too much my kid didn’t learn anything.

First & formost: This place is a ripoff. $ 133 for 4 group classes?! (You get 5 group classes IF that particular month has an extra day)
The breakdown: you pay $ 33.25 for EACH 90 minute class that is full of about 12 kids and NOT personally instructed (meaning – many kids are at different levels copying a diagram out of a binder; there are no structured lessons, the staff just moseys around checking on what the kids are doing & offering advice, some instruction, and… sometimes just doing it themselves.
I’ve had my eye on Kids Art for a while. I knew it was going to be pricey but I was not expecting the whopping $ 133/​month for a weekly class. ($ 15 registration fee not included)
Love:
+ It’s a good concept, right?
+ free trial class offer (which this review is based on)
Loathe:
— The price is steep for what you get.
— This is far from one-​on one; On this day, the class was not full and there was about 10 kids packed in there and ranging in age from 7−14-years-old!
— The place is small, squishy – and hot! For all the money they charge, you’d think they would turn on the AC for hot muggy days.
— I came in hoping for a breakdown of what I could expect. Didn’t get it. A formal introduction of the staff would have been nice – had to ask them what each of their names were, and I didn’t get eye contact. Lack of direct eye contact does not quell the worries of parents about to leave their children in your care. I am putting my trust in you!
— Parents are expected to either leave and come back, or wait outside where they have placed a few metal chairs. I watched them through the glass windows-​The age gap and skill levels variation bothered me.
They all sat hunched over their art benches copying the «start by drawing a circle like this» type binder of step-​by-​step pictures to draw from (many of them were cartoon and video game characters).
— The company boasts parents wont believe the amazing drawings their children will create from taking the classes BUT I noticed that the instructor would pick up his drawing board and scribble something here and there. That bummed me out the most – the very idea that they would alter a child’s drawing just to make it look more realistically impressive. Toward the end, she took his drawing board, turned around and outlined the entire drawing with a black sharpie (!)
Show them how to do it – never do it for them!
— — — — — –
Overall: MEH! I was disappointed by just about everything. I would rather just go to Michaels & buy a «how-​to» book and teach him myself – at least I know it would be HIS authentic work.