Cultivating creativity in young kids can have amazing rewards, but for the busy parent planning opportunities for artistic expression can be a challenge. You need the time, inspiration, materials…and the willingness to clean up afterwards! Such obstacles can seem daunting to parents trying to juggle many other commitments. 4Cats Arts Studios might be the very thing to keep your child’s creative side nourished and your kitchen clean. They have all the necessary materials on hand and they do the clean up afterward; with many locations throughout the Lower Mainland, there is likely one close to your neighbourhood. For the interest of Laetare students, we’ve decided to highlight the offerings of the 4Cats Studios in North Vancouver, Port Moody and the new 4Cats location in Clayton Heights Surrey opening January 21^st, 2012. The enthusiasm of Carlen Huppert, owner of  4Cats Clayton Heights, can hardly be contained, as she listed the many activities kids can do at her studio, I couldn’t wait to roll up my sleeves and start painting…good thing  4Cats Clayton Heights also has classes for adults and corporate clients. The litany of activities offered by Carlen and her crew includes ones where kids get to explore the wonders of puppet making, paper mache, painting and clay.  Planning a birthday party? A 4Cats theme birthday can’t be beat. Adult “splatter” parties can also be arranged and might just prove to be the fun stress buster / team building activity for your parents’ group. Unleash your inner Jackson Pollock and maybe a whole new creative side of you will emerge along with it. 

If you are looking for some ongoing art classes for your children, you might want to consider The Artist of the Month program. They will learn age appropriate facts about artists such as Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, and others; all the while they are learning to paint pictures in styles that mimic these great artists. Parents of 4Cats kids must have the most amazing refrigerator art around! There are also programs that appeal to kids who are interested in space ships, drawing and stop motion, pirates and knights…too many to list in this short article. Visit your local 4Cats studio for updates and check back to The Lunch Kit News for future articles on this outstanding organization. Remember to work hard and play hard; please share this link with anyone wanting a bit more creativity in their lives, and link to Laetare Consulting  with anyone in need of a bit of extra help with their studies. Celebrate great grades with a 4Cats party and be sure your kids get those grades by signing up for tutoring today!