Youth Summer Camps!
2025 enrollment
date TBA!
Every year, the Clay Studio of Missoula offers a number of summer camps for youth in the age brackets of: Little Kids (5-8), Big Kids (8-12+), and Teens (12-18). These brackets help provide the best learning experience for youth by pairing them with others who will learn and create at similar pace, so instruction can be targeted appropriately. If older students are comfortable working alongside younger children, they are welcome to join younger age brackets. Students may not join an older bracket unless they are within 3 months of the minimum age requirement.
Camps run based on enrollment, which is limited! Please do not delay if you would like to sign up your child! If camps are cancelled due to low enrollment, or other circumstances on our part, a full refund will be issued.
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For registration and cancellation policies, see HERE.
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PICK-UP Days for Camps
June camp work will be ready to pick up on July 22.
July camp work will be ready to pick up on August 22.
August camp work will be ready to pick up on September 23.
2024 Camp Descriptions
Little Kids Camps, for ages 5-8 will explore fun and exciting subjects, with projects that are easily accessible by young people still developing their fine motor skills.
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Clay ALIVE ($185 per student)
June 24-28 OR July 22-26 | 12PM - 3PM
Come sculpt parts of the amazing living world! Especially animals, but also things like plants, insects, and fungi! This class will include a special visit with amazing animal guests from another nonprofit like Animal Wonders!
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Art and Clay ($175 per student)
August 19-23 | 10AM - 1PM
Look at historical and modern-age artists of all kinds, and make clay works inspired by art both weird and wonderful! No art knowledge needed, the whole idea is to see cool, inspiring artists that will give kids neat
ideas of their own!
Big Kids Camps for ages 9-12 will still go over clay basics, so no prerequisite skills are required, but learning will move at a faster pace for older students, and classes may explore more complex projects!
Clay Brains ($175 per student)
July 8-12 | 10AM - 1PM
This explorative camp encourages students to view the world like a clever clay artist! We'll learn things about the science of clay and the rocks and minerals related to it, and use clay art as a jumping off point to explore things like fossils, ancient peoples, earth science, diverse culture, and even how clay and music relate!
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Building Beasts ($175 per student)
August 5-9 | 10AM - 1PM
A clay camp for lovers of sci-fi and fantasy! Kids will learn hand building skills to create awesome sculptures from their imaginations, or their favorite media! This camp will teach basic skills and help kids hone in their visualizing and creating skills!
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Vibrant Vessels ($175 per student)
June 10-14 | 10AM - 1PM
This hand building class focuses on learning to build unique, functional vessels! There is a whole world of fun and useful objects to explore that are best created with methods like slab, coil, pinch, and more! We'll look at today's coolest pottery hand-builders to help inspire vessels kids may not have even thought of making before, like baskets, sculptural mugs and bowls, and more! (Please note this is NOT a wheel class).
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Teen Camps approach subjects and skills too complex for younger students. Foundational skills will be reviewed for accessibility, then teens will explore the world of ceramics in challenging and interesting ways!
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Wheel Pottery for Teens ($200 per student)
June 17-21 OR July 15-19 | 10AM - 1PM
The basics of wheel pottery in a week-long format! Learn to create forms like mugs, tumblers, and bowls, how to trim, and possibly beyond, depending on student skill progression! A unique experience with a traditional method that can be an unforgettable experience!
By Clay Studio of Missoula Policy, This camp is limited to students age 12 and up. Full-size pottery wheels are very challenging to use and clean properly, and historically have not been accessible to students at younger growth milestones. We want to give kids the best chance to succeed at this challenging method so they don't give up on developing this unique set of skills, so we do not make exceptions to this rule.
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Camps Available
When camps open for enrollment, you'll find them here, or on the "Youth and Family Programming" Page
Additional Information
WAIVERS
All participants must have a waiver on file or in-hand on the first day of class in order to participate. Waivers are valid for the calendar year they are signed, and must be updated each year starting after January 31.
Waivers can be accessed via web form or downloadable PDF below. If you cannot access these online versions, or need a copy emailed or physically mailed to you, please call the office to request one or email Kelly at fire@theclaystudioofmissoula.org
SCHOLARSHIPS
At the Clay Studio of Missoula, we do everything we can to provide opportunities for kids to get their hands in clay. If financial means present a barrier, there are scholarships available for students under 18 to participate in youth programming, available by application.
If you are interested in a scholarship, email Education and Outreach Coordinator Kelly Seitz at fire@theclaystudioofmissoula.org to be sent an application form.
We ask that scholarships please be turned in by at least two weeks before the class/camp in question is set to run if possible. Last minute submissions are not guaranteed to be processed in time.
