Takara Bullock
[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ave you checked out the Art Explorium in Kaimuki yet? Whether this is your first time hearing about it, or it’s been on your island keiki bucket list for some time, me and my girls recently visited and I’ve written detailed review for you to judge for yourself whether or not it’s a good fit for your keiki.
Before I begin, this review is NOT a sponsored review of the Art Explorium. Aside for having recently visited I have no affiliation with, nor will I profit monetarily from writing this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my very own.
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What is it?
The Art Explorium is a non-profit art studio for children located in Honolulu. Their mission is to provide a community art studio to nurture creative potential in children.
Who is it for?
It’s for kids of all ages who want to create.
What does it involve?
The Art Explorium is an open store-front space located in the Kaimuki shop district. The creative space consists of four large tables or creative stations, a reading corner, chalk wall, padded floor area for playing with blocks, a magnet board, dry-erase board, and felt board, among much more.
The Art Explorium is eco-friendly and they offer walk-in open studio time, weekly creative workshops, and special events like birthday parties.
How Much Is it?
We checked out their Open Studio Time, which is $5 per participant (kid and adults).
Here’s What I like About it
It’s very simple. Not complicated. You go, and let your kids create. That’s it. There are no complicated fees, no wait lists, no long registration forms. It’s so simple. I LOVE it! We stayed for an hour and a half.
It’s a quiet place. The Art Explorium is the perfect afternoon quiet-time spot. There’s no running around. There are no adults trying to keep the kids entertained. It’s a quiet and open creative spot for your kids to wonder around and create stuff. I personally think that it’s a great spot for curling up with books and reading to your kids, (a task that is seemingly impossible to do at a public libraries on Oahu, the security guards harass moms with children!)
They have a tiny toilet for the little kiddos!!! MAJOR POINTS!
Here’s What I Don’t Like About It
When I asked my girls what they thought about it, they both said they enjoyed it, but asked about paint, as they both would have liked to have painted while there. This really isn’t too big of a deal to me, as I think we caught them on a no paint day.
Here’s What You Should Know Before Your Go
The Open Studio time is awesome! Very low-key, perfect place to go to get out of the house and not spend a lot of money. Open Studio Time is M-F 2-5PM.
They offer art classes for kids ages 7 and up.
Street parking is metered. So bring coins.
Link to their website: http://artexplorium.org/
My Overall Impression
The Art Explorium is a hidden jewel in our community, a great and low-cost resource for families looking for fun and interactive things to do with kids. This is definitely something we could do on a weekly basis. I love that they are a non-profit and their mission is simple and so purposeful.
I also think the Art Explorium is a great resource for homeschoolers. I plan to incorporate the Art Explorium into my homeschooling plans, as I think we could use the space for a lot of unit study creative projects there.
Takara Bullock
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