Utilizing fun classes, imaginative teachers, and creative materials, Abrakadoodle inspires the artist in every child. The program meets both the National and State Standards for visual arts education. Classes are developmentally appropriate and introduce kids to color, texture, shape, and creativity.

Classes are held at various locations throughout greater Ann Arbor - in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, South Lyon, and Whitmore Lake. Call for current pricing and class locations.

Birthday Party packages are available, and include a visit from Splat, the Abrakadoodle stuffed toy mascot, arty gift bags for all the children, a special arty gift for the birthday child, and a Remarkable Art Activity Abrakadoodle-style that lasts about one hour. At the end, artwork is framed for each child to take home as a treasured keepsake.

Utilizing fun classes, imaginative teachers, and creative materials, Abrakadoodle inspires the artist in every child. The program meets both the National and State Standards for visual arts education. Classes are developmentally appropriate and introduce kids to color, texture, shape, and creativity.

Classes are held at various locations throughout Wayne County - in Canton, Northville, Plymouth, Wayne, Westland, Garden City, Livonia, Belleville, and Van Buren Township. Call for current pricing and class locations.

Birthday Party packages are available, and include a visit from Splat, the Abrakadoodle stuffed toy mascot, arty gift bags for all the children, a special arty gift for the birthday child, and a Remarkable Art Activity Abrakadoodle-style that lasts about one hour. At the end, artwork is framed for each child to take home as a treasured keepsake.

The Ann Arbor Art Center offers year-round opportunities for hands-on art instruction and appreciation classes, lectures and workshops, monthly exhibitions, gallery tours, and special events.

An exhibition gallery showcases the talents of different Michigan artists each month in individual and group exhibits and themed competitions.

Youth classes for ages two to 17 run year-round in six-week-long sessions meant to introduce art media, build skills, and awaken the young artist within.

Creativity Camp is a fun-filled art camp for kids from four to 12.

Have fun and get creative at this pottery painting and bead studio. Artfully Yours offers workshops and classes, kids camps, and special programs for scouts.

The studio welcomes birthday parties, field trips, and bridal showers.

The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center offers more than 500 classes to children ages three and up and adults. The center has four exhibition galleries and a gallery gift shop. Art camps are offered every spring and summer.

Let your children's imaginations run wild this summer at Camp Invention, a weeklong day camp offered in elementary schools across the country. Check online for a location near you.

Kids in the first through sixth grades participate in fun, hands-on activities that enhance their understanding of the arts, sciences, history, and math.

Created by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Camp Jam is a summer program that brings together young musicians and teaches them band dynamics, secrets of the trade, performance skills, and rock history, and provides them with the opportunity to interact with industry professionals.

Camp Jam Rock 'n' Roll Summer Day Camp, for kids ages 11 to 17, provides a place for teens to convene with other aspiring musicians, bands, and vocalists. Participants can hone their musical chops by learning from - and performing with - professional musicians with experience in the music industry, in an environment that promotes skills such as teamwork and communication. The five-day camp offers instruction in guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and vocal performance, as well as a songwriting clinic, an open mic showcase, a class on performance skills, and a course in audio engineering and production.

Camp Jam Kidz is for pint-sized rockers ages seven to 10. This unique program offers a fun, interactive musical experience for younger kids, giving them the chance to play the instrument of their choice under the watchful eyes of the camp counselors. Camp Jam Kidz offers an experience that's similar to that of older campers, but with a more hands-on focus from instructors. Participants play their very first gig at the end of the week, performing on stage with a real rock band.

After-camp care is available until 5:30pm for an additional $20 per week. Advance registration is required and discounts are available for early registration and multiple session enrollment. Registration forms are available online.

The northern Oakland County Kingsbury School offers traditional summer camps, those involving athletics like basketball and soccer, and those involving more unique topics like model rocketry and Shakespeare.

Casa de Unidad is an Hispanic/Latino cultural and arts education center located in southwest Detroit.

Offers art exhibits, films, dance classes, and workshops. Holds a summer Latino arts program for children ages eight to 11.

This is a paint-your-own-pottery studio on the far east side of metro Detroit. Let your creative juices run wild and select from more than 500 ceramic items and some 100 colors of paint. Your pieces will be fired and ready to be picked up 7-10 days later.

Classes: Colors in Clay offers kids under the age of five and their parents a special "Paint a Story Time" class every Tue 1:30pm-2:30pm and Thu 10:30am-11:30am. Advance registration and a $5 deposit is required.

Parties: For $6/person plus the cost of ceramic piece ($6 and up), have a birthday party, scout gathering, shower, or other group celebration at Colors in Clay. Cakes, beverages, and paper products may be brought in. Minimum 10 people. $50 nonrefundable deposit required. The facility's private party room holds 20-25 people; the entire studio, which fits up to 60 people, can be rented.

There are numerous opportunities for scouts as well. Call or check the web site for class info and prices.

Each summer, the Community House Theatre Camp offers the beginning or advanced student an opportunity to sing, dance, act, and be part of a musical theater show performed on the last Thursday of each camp. Ensemble work is emphasized.

All campers have lines in the show, and there are advanced opportunities for older or returning students. Participants learn about the theater, play games, and specifically learn skills needed to be successful in auditions, rehearsals, and productions.

There is a junior division for grades three through seven and a senior division for grades seven through 12. Before and after care are available at an additional cost. Ten percent discount early bird discount is available.

Confidence Camp for Tweens and Teens is a six month, interactive, energetic series that focuses on self esteem enhancement, personal grooming, fitness, nutrition, manners, and social skills, culminating in a talent and runway modeling showcase.

Workshops include poise, posture, modeling technique, etiquette, on-camera acting, and photo posing activities.

The school, which has been in operation for twenty-five years, offers classes in creative movement, pre-ballet, and tap for children ages three to six. Older students can choose from classes in ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop.

Instruction focuses on self-esteem, good health, the overall joy of movement, and the sense of achievement that comes from working in a nurturing environment. Seminars in nutrition and injury prevention are also offered to developing dancers.

Grades: PreK-12

Enrollment: 1,620

Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:9


Cranbrook is an independent day and boarding school that has programs for pre-kindergarten through high school students. The institution is known for its challenging academic, arts, and athletics programs - and for its beautiful 315-acre campus, which in 1989 was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

On the grounds are the Cranbrook Art Museum, the Cranbrook Institute of Science, and the Cranbrook House and Gardens.

Cranbrook offers a good number of summer opportunities, including a baseball camp, lacrosse camp, soccer academy, theatre school, art studio camp, volleyball camp, and young authors camp.

On campus is an indoor swimming facility used by the competitive Speedsters swim team and also open to the public (purchase a membership or pay a daily fee). Swim camps, leagues, and lessons are offered, as are aqua aerobics and S.C.U.B.A. classes. Rent the facility for birthday parties or other gatherings.

The school's Wallace Ice Arena is open to the public as well as for use by Cranbrook's students and faculty. The cost for public skating is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Open skate times vary by season.

The Creative Arts Studio is a do-it-yourself art workshop where families can paint pottery or glass, create clay items (it has state-of-the-art potter's wheels), build a beautiful piece with mosaics or beading, or stuff animals with Create a Bear. It's great fun for kids of all ages, even the littlest ones, who can make handprints and footprints on plates. All of the paints are lead-free and nontoxic.

No experience is necessary - the studio offers instruction and has many tools. Original artwork, accessories, and art kits are also for sale in the front of the store.

Parties: This is a unique place to celebrate any occasion, from birthdays to bridal showers. The studio has a 300-square-foot party room. There is an eight-person minimum, and special arrangements can be made for groups larger than 30. Food can be brought in, and there is a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave on site. All art supplies and paper products are supplied, and a party hostess helps out for one hour. A personalized handprint birthday plate for kids' parties is provided.

Classes: Programs are available for kids of all ages - "Mommy (or Daddy) and Me," painting pottery, making mosaics, beading, wheel throwing, and glass fusing. The studio also customizes classes for Scout groups. Jump on the website for full details.

Art Camps for kids ages six to 14 are offered during school breaks. Check the website or call for an upcoming schedule.

New moms are invited to come in and make a print of their newborn's feet on a complimentary 4-inch tile.

DayJams is a rock music day camp program for beginners and experienced musicians ages nine to 15. Participants write an original song and perform it live; record a CD; design a poster, t-shirt, and CD cover for their band; make a music video; and, yes, spend a little time pursuing outdoor activities as well.

The materials fee per week is $35 and includes books, CDs, art supplies, and, in some cases, access to classroom instruments.

Applications should be sent to the main office (not the host schools):

DayJams

P.O. Box 222

Lakeside, CT 06758

The Detroit Repertory Theatre is a nonprofit neighborhood-based professional theater that produces four major productions each year.

The Repertory Arts in Education Program offers afterschool and summer programs for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Purchase tickets online through Ticketmaster.

Ever After Productions provides dramatic opportunities for community kids throughout southeastern Michigan. In each theatrical production and workshop, kids work with professional Michigan artists to build self-confidence and develop new skills.

The group offers theatrical summer camps and a summer stock program. Events are held at both Northville's Recreation Center at Hillside and Canton's Village Theater at Cherry Hill.

In 2003, the Farmington Hills Cultural Arts Division formed the Farmington Hills Youth Theatre in cooperation with Sky's the Limit Productions to offer children the opportunity to take part in theatrical performances, classes, and summer camps.

Provides training in the hip-hop style of dance for elementary students through adults. The studio also has a five-week summer program in hip-hop, jazz, modern, and tap for those ages 6-18. Classes run September-April.

The building is the former home of the Russell Alger family. Built in 1910 in the Italian Renaissance style, it was called "The Moorings." In the 1930s, the building was used as a branch of the Detroit Institute of Arts. In 1949, it was donated to the community to serve as a perpetual memorial to veterans and as a continuing center for educational and charitable activities of the Grosse Pointe community.

Today the Grosse Pointe War Memorial is home to enrichment classes, cultural festivals, and dozens of weddings and banquets each year. Children's offerings include summer theater and science camps, babysitter courses, ballet workshops, and much more. The venue houses a large ballroom, auditorium, arts and communication center, and has absolutely spectacular views of Lake St. Clair.

iD Tech Camp is a week-long, day and overnight program for kids ages seven to 17. Campers build robots, create video games, design websites with Flash, film digital movies, and learn programming. Special teen programs include iD Gaming Academy, iD Film Academy, and a Study Abroad program in Spain.

The Macomb Center, located at Macomb County Community College's Center Campus, is an intimate theater that pulls in some big names in the arts and entertainment community.

The center offers summer workshops in dance, drama, percussion, flute, show choir, and technical theater for kids and adults.

Middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students can learn techniques and interpretations from professionals in the center's Young Concert Artists Master Classes.

Macomb's C4K: College for Kids provides educational classes for kids ages three and up. Classes are offered at the college's south and center campuses.

Topics include cartooning, choir, dance, fashion, lego engineering, and writing. Visit the website for a full class list and schedule. Classes can be customized for scout, afterschool, or homeschool groups.

The historic Marquis Theatre, located in quaint downtown Northville, is a Victorian-style theater that primarily hosts kids' theater programs.

Birthday parties: For $100 plus the price of admission, your group will have use of the theater for one hour after the show. You'll also be supplied with balloons, beverages, tables, chairs, and a signed program for the birthday child. You bring the cake and supplies.

The theater also holds theatrical summer camps for children ages six and up. Two-week sessions run $375; a $75 nonrefundable deposit is required.

Cool facts: The theater was originally built as an opera house. Today, the Great Lakes Lyric Opera Company performs biannually on the Marquis stage. During the theater's vaudeville period, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford were among the many stars who appeared at the Marquis.

Begun in 1992, Matrix Theatre Company uses the transformative power of original theatre to change lives, build community, and foster social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults, and elders, especially those in isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers, and audience members of original theater.

Matrix Theatre Company offers acting classes for children ages five to 18, playwriting for children ages 10 to 18, and puppetry classes for children ages eight to 18.

Young artists can learn improvisation, acting, movement and writing through intensive summer camps that end with an original play written by the participants themselves and performed at the theater.

Motor City Youth Theatre, founded in 1990, specializes in offering acting and musical theater training to children throughout the year. The company also hosts special children's and family events, such as karaoke afternoons, and provides opportunities to perform in talent shows and for senior groups.

Workshops are offered in dance, improv, and character development, and diction.

The group's summer day camp, which runs in July, explores all areas of the arts, with an emphasis on performance. Each camp concludes with an evening production.

The Orion Art Center hosts artists' exhibitions throughout the year, as well as summer day camps for kids.

P.O.W.E.R. stands for Presenting Opportunities Winning Effectual Results, and the organization accomplishes these results by promoting math literacy and critical thinking skills through its programs. Summer youth camps and year-round workshops for students, families, and parents are offered.

Founded by Mary Chase Stratton in 1903 during the Arts and Crafts Movement, Pewabic Pottery is nationally known for its use of unique glazes on its tile and pottery.

Pewabic pieces have become very collectible, and they adorn fine homes, churches, schools, and museums throughout the Midwest. See Pewabic installations at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, Comerica Park, and at many People Mover stations.

Pewabic Pottery has a gallery and gift shop and gives tours by appointment ($5/person). The center also offers youth classes, workshops, and summer camps for children ages six and up. Week-long camps run from 9am-12n and cost $95 (includes instruction, materials, and firings).

Plowshares is an award-winning professional African American performance theater located in downtown Detroit.

The company offers adult and young adult workshops in acting, playwriting, and production. Private lessons in acting, voice, and movement are also available.

Charge performance tickets by phone at 313.872.0279 or email the theater at boxoffice@plowshares.org.

The Plymouth Community Arts Council was founded in 1969 to provide quality fine and performing arts to the greater Western Wayne County community. The organization utilizes more than 300 volunteers to provide the Art Volunteer Program (AVP) to supplement and enrich the education provided at Plymouth-Canton schools.

The group's children's theater program, Plymouth Uptown Players (PUPs), offers school-aged children an opportunity for theater, rehearsal, and performance experiences. A full schedule of summer art workshops are also offered, exposing youngsters to a variety of art disciplines.

Every Wednesday for 10 weeks each summer, Music in the Park has taken live quality entertainers to Kellogg Park in the center of downtown Plymouth.

Located in an historic building in downtown Pontiac, the Creative Arts Center holds art exhibits and offers year-round classes.

Classes: The center offers a class in creative movement for children ages three and up. Older children can sign up for a wide variety of arts classes, including acting, arts and crafts, ballet, ceramics, drawing, tap, tumbling, and watercolor and acrylic painting. Sholarships are avaliable to Pontiac residents based on financial need.

The center also offers a multicultural program for low-income youth called Confetti Camp. Call for details.

Founded by actor Jeff Daniels, the Purple Rose produces high-quality, live theatre at affordable prices. The PRTC also offers acting classes for all ages, including several youth classes.

Started in 1974 by professional football player Reggie McKenzie, the foundation provides year-round academic programs, life skills classes, and sports clinics to metro Detroit's inner-city youth.

The Great Adventures After School Program offers academic tutoring and computer training. A Saturday tutoring program, for children in kindergarten through grade 12, allows for individualized instruction by teachers and college students.

Sports clinics in football, basketball, golf, tennis, and track and field are offered to those eight to 18 years of age.

Transportation is provided to Highland Park students.

Rising Stars Youththeatre, a part of Shoe-String Theatre, provides a foundation for kids interested in theater arts. Classes develop their skills in pantomime, improvisation, and storytelling, and students get to prepare and perform in a production. Rehearsals are held at the Himawari Preschool (inside McKinely School) in Livonia, while the group's performs at the Livonia Civic Center Library.