South Jersey Baby and Toddler Creative Classes (Art, Theater, & More!)

*THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED & CHECKED FOR ACCURACY IN JANUARY 2025. ALWAYS CALL/CHECK WEBSITES IN ADVANCE PRIOR TO VISIT IN CASE DETAILS HAVE CHANGED.

BURLINGTON COUNTY

Kids Messy Art Play Class at Leaping Dog Art Studios: This is a casual meetup for mommies/caretakers of young children. The goals of this class is to 1.) provide adults with small children an opportunity to get out of the house and connect with other adults and to 2.) introduce their children to developmentally appropriate creative activities. Each Messy Art Class will offer at least 3 Art Activities including an 'Invitation to Create' with a focus on an artistic Process (i.e. Painting, Gluing, etc.) and a cute Craft Activity.

Ages: 2-5 years old
When? Fridays from 10-11am
Where? 325 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown, NJ 08505
Cost? $20 per drop in or $144 for the whole 8-week session
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: Not yet attended

Make Slime at the Slime Bar: The Slime Bar is a DIY slime laboratory that offers interactive workshops and educational experiments. Get ready for a gooey and slimy experience!

Ages: 3 and up
When? M-W: Closed, Th-F: 3-8pm, Sat: 12p-8pm, and Sun: 12-6pm
Where? Located inside of the Moorestown Mall: 400 Route 38, Moorestown, NJ 08057
Cost? $20 per kid includes smocks, slime kit, and DIY experience, additional add-ons available
Website: Learn more on their Instagram page
Thoughts: Not yet attended

CAMDEN COUNTY

Philly Arts Center (Cherry Hill) Creative Playgroup & Storytime: Drop-in sensory play and story time with rotating themes to keep the fun and learning fresh! This is a come-when-you-want program, just drop by (no registration required).

Ages: 0-30 months
When? Every Thursday, 10:30-11:45am. Excluding major holidays, check their website for updates. Note, story time starts at 11am
Where? 1930 Marlton Pike E #M64, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Cost? $10 at the door, cash or Venmo. *Attend with a friend who’s new to Art Center and you’re both free that day!
Website: Learn more here
Thoughts: We really enjoyed this drop-in playgroup as they had several sensory areas available for the kids as well as opportunities to play with paint. I thought it was very age-appropriate.

Philly Arts Center (Cherry Hill) Art Start: Studio classes alight a love for creativity! This brilliantly designed and child-centered class builds a foundation for learning while fostering self expression, social skills, motor coordination and out of the box thinking. Age appropriate art experiences emphasize discovery with flexibility for varying attention spans that grow over time! Art starters are introduced to a vast array of materials that you'll delight in together! Foster fundamental skills along with self confidence and intrinsic learning! Enjoy this class in multiple sessions throughout the year, as programming is always dynamic from session to session!

Ages: 2-3 year olds
When? Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:30-11:30am, and Saturdays 9:15-10:15am
Where? 1930 Marlton Pike E #M64, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Cost? $242 for a 8 week series - $8 for a trial class
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: Never attended as my son isn’t old enough.

Philly Arts Center (Cherry Hill) FUNdamentals: Foster your child's love for creativity and delight in studio time together! This thoughtful class builds on foundational skills learned in our beloved Art Start classes, while diving deep into specially geared experiences designed for older toddlers. Draw, build, cut, sculpt, paint, and print through an ever-expanding array of materials and concepts. We’ll follow the creative process while kiddos explore their world with confidence and joyous studio exploration. This class can be taken multiple sessions throughout the year, as programming is always dynamic from session to session!

Ages: 3-5 year olds
When? Tuesdays from 10:30-11:30am, and Saturdays 9:15-10:15am
Where? 1930 Marlton Pike E #M64, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Cost? $242 for a 8 week series - $8 for a trial class
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: Never attended as my son isn’t old enough.

Baby and Me Classes at the Artist Academy: This class is for 1.5-3 year olds accompanied by their favorite adult. This is process based and a memorable way to bond creatively with a child you love. All supplies are included.

Ages:1.5-3 year olds
When? Every Wednesday at 10:30am and 5:30pm
Where? 203 W Atlantic Ave, Haddon Heights, NJ 08035
Cost? $35 per class
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: We really enjoyed this class! They taught the kids several different techniques to try out and actually felt like they were “teaching” them art.

Create & Play @ Mixed Media Arts: In the Create & Play class, children and their adult will embark on an creative journey to discover a array of art concepts, materials, techniques, and processes. The teacher will lead the class in an engaging group lesson inspired by a captivating art concept, season, a famous artist, music or a specific art genre. We will dive into the exploration of these concepts and through enjoyable, process-oriented, creative, and playful art activities.

Ages:2-6 years old
When? Every Sunday, Monday, and Friday from 10-11am
Where? 1900 Greentree Rd Suite 4, Cherry Hill Township, NJ 08003
Cost? $25 per class
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: Not yet attended

Itty Bitty Book & Art Club: Join us for our book club where we read a book aloud while your child participates by interacting with a themed sensory bin. Ww will have a short discussion about the story. We will ask questions and ask parents and children to share their thoughts and feelings about the book. After which we will make a engaging art project together that follows the theme of the book. The teacher provides materials and guidance, encouraging creativity. We will have a have a mini show-and-tell where everyone can share their artwork and talk about their process where we celebrate each creation and discuss how it connects to the book. You can even suggest your favorite books for next class!

Ages:2-6 years old
When? Mondays from 12:30-1:30pm
Where? 1900 Greentree Rd Suite 4, Cherry Hill Township, NJ 08003
Cost? $25 per class
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: Not yet attended

Play at Art Toddler Time: Toddlers need creative, get-messy, play-time, especially little ones! Your toddlers and preschoolers will love the time to interact with other kids while having one-on-one fun-time with their favorite grown-up, making art, playing games, and winding down with story-time.

Ages: 18 months-4 years old
When? Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10-11am
Where? Play at Art, 13 South Haddon Ave, Haddonfield, NJ
Cost? $24 per drop-in ($20 for siblings) or a 10 pack card for $216
Website: Learn more and register here.
Thoughts: We really enjoyed this class because they offered play time in their play area first, then introduced the art project, and later Storytime. The craft project was a little advanced for my son who was 20 months at the time.

Play at Art EdSTART: Keep your little one on-track for school readiness. EdStART classes focus on concept comprehension and reinforcement of skills needed for entering kindergarten. In the studio, the environment is always happy, fun, safe, encouraging and caring. Children feel a greater sense of empowerment and self-confidence through learning and exercising how to express themselves both verbally and visually, while learning all types of real-world lessons.

Ages: 3-5 years old
When? Fridays from 9:30am-12pm
Where? Play at Art, 13 South Haddon Ave, Haddonfield, NJ
Cost? 12 classes for $768, this is a drop off program - must register for the whole session
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: Never attended

Caregiver & Me Playdate with Arts Play Theatre: Caregiver and Me Play Dates: Professional theatre artists use dramatic techniques to guide children and their caregivers to play together using creativity and imagination. There is no performance component, just fun! Each session stands alone - you can choose to attend just once or make this your weekly activity. Sessions are pay what you decide - we suggest a contribution of $10 per child but we welcome everyone at any level you choose to pay.

Ages: 18 months-4 yrs
When? Wednesdays from 10-10:45am
Where? ZZ Dance: 2091 Springdale Rd Suite 5, Cherry Hill Township, NJ 08003
Cost? $10 donation per child
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: We've attended a few of these playdates and really appreciate the work and creativity that goes into executing each one. They always have a fun theme with lots of various types of fun activities to connect the theme. Highly recommend!

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Kids Sensory Art Play Groups at Paintground Pitman: Explore primary colors and shapes, getting paint on our hands, incorporate sponges, bubble wrap, brushes, surprise items... They have a glow experience and non glow experience class. Parent involvement is encouraged and everyone leaves with art they made, and each week is different.

Ages: There is a class for kids 3 and under, and one for kids 6 and under
When? Offerings are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10am for kids 3 and under, or W, Th, F at 11am for kids 6 and under. Art After School program on Thursdays at 5pm for all ages. Check the website for full details.
Where? PaintGround; 57 South Broadway, Pitman, New Jersey
Cost? $15 per drop-in
Website: Learn more and register here
Thoughts: I attended this class when my son was 16 months and he LOVED it. He loved splashing the paint everywhere, painting on the walls, and just running around making a mess. It was a totally stress-free environment for me as his parent as well.