Teach Your Kids to Craft: 5 Amazing Family Crafting Getaways Across North America

While some people spend most of the year longing for summer, for parents across the country, the thought of having to keep the ‘I’m Bored Brigade’ busy is enough for them to yearn for September to come early. So here’s a clever little life hack that can turn those brutal six weeks into a fun, practical skill-building mini vacation for them – and a kid-free escape for mom and dad.  

If you’re looking to relieve the strain of entertaining the kids all summer, how about a cleverly disguised session of covert learning on a family vacation away instead? With dedicated creative kids’ camps and workshops springing up all over the country, here’s our handpicked shortlist of five top crafting getaways that will keep the children entertained, while you parents explore, 100% guilt-free. 

Glass Blowing with Blind Bird Designs in Amarillo, Texas 

Our first top creative outlet for your kids to enjoy this summer has to be the fascinating pursuit of glass blowing with the brilliant crew at Blind Bird Designs in Amarillo, Texas. Designed for curious and creative minds, why not introduce the kids to the colorful world of glassmaking, where they’ll learn how to create stunning pieces of art using glassblowing and glass-fusing techniques. 

Guided and supervised by professional glassblowing experts, your kids can enjoy an immersive adventure safely playing and shaping glass into a memorable keepsake they can treasure forever. It’s fair to say both parties will benefit from this fun-filled excursion, as the kids will undoubtedly be entertained – and you’ll inherit a colorful new glass-blown feature to hang up back home. 

Send the kids off every day for a glass blowing workshop and take in the sights of Amarillo, Texas, before gathering together each evening for a great night’s sleep at the Best Western Plus Medical Center Hotel. 

Learn to Animate with SheepDog Animation in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada 

We head north of the border to Chatham-Kent, Ontario, in Canada, next to meet the fabulous team at SheepDog Animation. Perfect for kids whose favorite pastimes include watching television and gaming, here they can gain hands-on experience learning how to do 2D/ 3D modeling, digital painting, and innovative game design. 

Purposely created to enhance skills tied to high-quality animation, they’ll also pick up on blended storytelling and learn about the history of the industry itself. If you’re a parent who would prefer your child was creating original content rather than just consuming it – it’s fair to say a summer spent at SheepDog Animation could be the answer to all your prayers. 

Get the kids learning about the creative skills needed in animation while you head off to enjoy life on the banks of Lake Erie and Lake Huron, before returning back to base every night at the cozy Best Western Plus Guildwood Inn in nearby Sarnia, Ontario. 

Woodworking at the Sculpture School in Waitsfield, Vermont 

Our next top tip for the best creative outlets for your kids to visit this summer sees us heading to the one-of-its-kind Sculpture School in Waitsfield, Vermont. Here, your kids don’t just get to put ideas down on paper – they get to build them into working creations using real tools and materials.  

With huge outdoor and indoor spaces specifically designed to let children explore the realms of engineering possibilities, the Sculpture School gives the youngsters the freedom to try out woodworking and sculpting. Not only that, but kids are also taught about teamwork and problem solving, which they’ll take with them when they leave – no doubt a handy new attribute for next time the dishwasher needs emptying.  

Help your child foster a new can-do attitude while you spend your summer sightseeing around the Green Mountain State by booking your stay at the Best Western Plus Waterbury – Stowe in Waterbury, Vermont. 

Get Artistic at Hello Heart Creative Studio in Brea, California 

Next up, we head to the sunny climes of Brea, California, and the Hello Heart Creative Studio that makes artistic endeavors fun for your budding young creators. With dedicated workshops and summer camps, kids can dive into painting, clay sculpting, and collaging activities that will inspire a lasting passion for creativity long after the course has ended. 

Even if you’re not artistic yourself, you’ll be surprised at just how resourceful your little terrors can be after attending a Hello Heart Creative Studio workshop. Not only will the kids benefit from real-world social skill development, such as collaborating and sharing ideas, but you’ll also come away with an assortment of new paintings to revive that tired old fridge door. 

Enjoy packing the kids off each day as mom and dad both enjoy North Orange County’s favorite dining and shopping destination by booking your stay at the Best Western Plus Executive Inn nearby in Rowland Heights, California. 

Quilt Making at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky 

Keeping with the creative theme on our shortlist of the best art-inspired kid summer activities sees us heading to the National Quilt Museum in Quilt City, Paducah, Kentucky. Ideal for strengthening children’s attention spans and spatial reasoning, with a variety of courses that explore different quilting styles and techniques, you might just discover you have some very skilled junior quilters on your hands. 

Covering everything from basic machine piecing and ironing to more advanced rotary cutting and binding, the National Quilt Museum’s fascinating courses develop a number of practical life skills too. With countless exhibits for them to explore, including the National Quilt Museum itself, who knows, perhaps this unique venue’s offering could be the perfect setting to ignite your child’s imagination and ingenuity. 

Let the kids get creative while you explore this famous UNESCO Creative City and enjoy several cozy nights’ sleep at the Best Western University Inn in nearby Murray, Kentucky.