Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Each engaging, educational Abrakadoodle art workshop, camp, or party highlights a different artist - from Old Masters to Pop icons - and introduces children to different materials and art-making techniques.

Lessons never repeat, and each child leaves each one with a new piece of framed art. Classes are held at locations throughout the metro area, and for different age groups. Get contact information for your closest franchisee from the corporate website.

Birthday parties: Abrakadoodle books parties at its Maple Grove studio and kiddywampus in Edina, for children ages three through 12...and can also bring the party to the site of your choice. Select an art activity; materials and a teacher are provided. Face painting and party favors are available for an additional fee.

Summer camps: Full-day and half-day art camps are offered throughout the metro area for ages three through 12, in partnership with Crayola. Children are grouped by age and introduced to a wide variety of materials and techniques, including digital photography, mosaics, collage, and paint.

Ellen Ferrari, proprietor of Art with Ellen, offers preschoolers a chance to get their hands messy in a variety of media. Her ongoing classes - presented in 10-week sessions (with a six-week summer session) - are fast-paced, fun, and educational, teaching kids about art materials and concepts. Kids as young as one can join the fun accompanied by parents or caregivers; kids entering kindergarten and up are dropped off to work independently.

Adults and kids - even babies! - can explore and make art in innovative programs for all levels of experience. Create with drawing and painting materials, metal, fabric, clay, and more. ArtiCulture's new site also features retail space, with a store selling art supplies and the work of local artists.

Classes: ArtiCulture offers a wide array of classes for all ages, including the unique parent/child Art Sprouts program for tots as young as 12 months, themed family workshops throughout the year, and special school release day offerings that even cover that hard-to-fill remainder of the week after the last day of school in June!

Summer Camps: Themed half-day and full-day offerings for kids ages four and up, some of which incorporate drama, movement, or foreign culture and history. Camps priced about $100/half-day; $225/full-day.
Extended-day care is available for an additional fee.

Parties: Customized offerings for birthdays, scout and youth group meetings, and other events. Call for more information.

Membership: $40/Household. Benefits include a 15% discount on class and camp fees.

Donations: As a non-profit, ArtiCulture welcomes donations of time, skills, money, and materials. Check out the wish list to see if you can help.

Bead Monkey - with locations in family-friendly neighborhoods in both Minneapolis and St. Paul - offers a seemingly infinite variety of beads in many materials from all over the world, hundreds of small charms, craft books, an extensive selection of tools and supplies, and an array of finished jewelry pieces.

Parties: Suitable for ages eight and up, parties here cost $90 for six guests, and $15 each additional guest, to a maximum of ten. Each guest makes a beaded necklace and bracelet during the 90-minute party, and the fee includes supplies and guidance from an instructor. Parents are welcome, but not required, to be on-site.

Classes: A quarterly newsletter, available online, lists offerings for beginners as well as advanced beaders.

Bead Monkey - with locations in family-friendly neighborhoods in both Minneapolis and St. Paul - offers a seemingly infinite variety of beads in many materials from all over the world, hundreds of small charms, craft books, an extensive selection of tools and supplies, and an array of finished jewelry pieces.

Parties: Suitable for ages eight and up, parties here cost $90 for six guests, and $15 each additional guest, to a maximum of ten. Each guest makes a beaded necklace and bracelet during the 90-minute party, and the fee includes supplies and guidance from an instructor. Parents are welcome, but not required, to be on-site.

Classes: A quarterly newsletter, available online, lists offerings for beginners as well as advanced beaders.

This small, friendly shop, located around the corner from Auntie Em's Books, offers a wide array of beads, charms, findings, and beading supplies, including unique beads from around the world in a variety of materials.

Classes: Kids ages 15 and up are welcome to attend classes at Beadhive throughout the year. Other offerings are for younger children, or parent-child pairs. Beaders who sign up for three classes in a six-month period get their fourth class free. Register in advance in person or by phone.

Birthday parties: Two-hours of beading fun are offered in Beadhive's basement party room for kids ages seven to 15. An instructor guides the guests through two projects, typically a bracelet and necklace fashioned from memory wire and beads. Time is also alloted for opening presents, socializing, and refreshments. Parents are welcome to bring in cake and beverages; there's a small fridge on-site. Cost: $12/child; six-guest minimum; project supplies and two hours in party room included.

The Bloomington Art Center celebrates art in everyday life and offers summer camps and art instruction for adults and children.

The Nine Mile Creek Theater for youth presents an ensemble production each spring and instruction throughout the year. The Gallery Theater Company presents several productions a year in the center's Black Box Theater, with participation opportunities for all ages.

Color Me Mine - an internationally franchised chain of glaze-it-yourself studios - provides all the materials needed to paint and decorate ceramic gifts and housewares.

Color Me Mine charges a materials-usage fee for the day, in addition to the cost of the pieces selected for painting. The quantity and variety of materials it provides are impressive, including dozens of lead-free and food-safe underglazes and special effects paints, such as glitter glaze, and speckled and puffy paints. There are hundreds of bisque pieces to choose from, and timid painters can transfer a computerized design onto a piece for guidance. Stamps, sponges, technique charts, and an experienced staff help, too.

Customers are welcome to drop in anytime during store hours, though reservations are suggested for groups of five or more. Ceramic pieces are usually available for pick-up within 10 days.

Classes: Themed one-day family and kids workshops are offered throughout the year, many focusing on seasonal projects. Advance registration is required. Check the website for current offerings.

Parties: Best suited for ages five and up, with several options available. On-site parties typically include a staff host, time in a special party room, a decorated chair for the birthday child to use, invitations, a keepsake plate all the guests can sign, one piece per guest from a selection of items to decorate, and decorating supplies. Parents can bring cake and treats, or have Color Me Mine provide them for an additional fee. Teens and adults can also just rent the party room ($20/hour) and pay a per painter fee for studio time and ceramic pieces. Painting parties-to-go are available, too.

Color Me Mine - an internationally franchised chain of glaze-it-yourself studios - provides all the materials needed to paint and decorate ceramic gifts and housewares.

Color Me Mine charges a materials-usage fee for the day, in addition to the cost of the pieces selected for painting. The quantity and variety of materials it provides are impressive, including dozens of lead-free and food-safe underglazes and special effects paints, such as glitter glaze, and speckled and puffy paints. There are hundreds of bisque pieces to choose from, and timid painters can transfer a computerized design onto a piece for guidance. Stamps, sponges, technique charts, and an experienced staff help, too.

Customers are welcome to drop in anytime during store hours, though reservations are suggested for groups of five or more. Ceramic pieces are usually available for pick-up within 10 days.

Classes: Themed one-day family and kids workshops are offered throughout the year, many focusing on seasonal projects. Advance registration is required. Check the website for current offerings.

Parties: Best suited for ages five and up, with several options available. On-site parties typically include a staff host, time in a special party room, a decorated chair for the birthday child to use, invitations, a keepsake plate all the guests can sign, one piece per guest from a selection of items to decorate, and decorating supplies. Parents can bring cake and treats, or have Color Me Mine provide them for an additional fee. Teens and adults can also just rent the party room ($20/hour) and pay a per painter fee for studio time and ceramic pieces. Painting parties-to-go are available, too.

Corcoran is one of the smaller parks in Minneapolis, but still manages to offer a wide range of activities, including annual festivals, sports, a playground with wading pool, ballfields, and a recreation center with games, a fireplace, computers, a piano, and rooms that can be rented for parties.

Crafty Planet, located in artsy Northeast, stocks yarns, notions, patterns . . . and some of the coolest fabrics around, with retro, campy, and modern sensibilities all well-represented. There's also a fine selection of handmade gift items - think jewelry, scarves, purses, and the like. On-site sewing machines can be rented by the hour.

Classes: Choose from the schedule or design your own - a good option for homeschoolers and youth groups. Custom classes run about $20/person for two or three hours if they're in the store, $25/person if Crafty Planet comes to you.

Parties: Can be in-store or at the location of your choice, with craft activities tailored to most ages.

The city-run Eagan Art House offers classes, summer camps, and family workshops exploring drawing, cartooning, jewelry-making, pottery, and other arts and crafts. The center also offers birthday parties and programs for homeschoolers. Online registration is available for most programs.

The city-run Eagan Art House offers classes, summer camps, and family workshops exploring drawing, cartooning, jewelry-making, pottery, and other arts and crafts. The center also offers birthday parties and programs for homeschoolers. Online registration is available for most programs.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

For 30 years, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre (HOBT) has been using water, flour, newspaper, paint, and a hefty dollop of glorious imagination, to tell stories that explore and celebrate the human experience, and the world's cultural richness and natural wonders. The productions are a feast for the eyes, but simple - no lavish budget for materials here - and as a result, often truly heart-warming.

HOBT is best known for its annual MayDay Parade & Festival, a joyous, community-building extravaganza of art, theatre, pageantry...and really, really big puppets. HOBT's artists, and countless volunteers, spend months preparing for this eagerly-awaited spring ritual that takes place the first Sunday in May. Each year's festival centers around a different theme, building up to a somber presentation in Powderhorn Park which culminates in an uplifting affirmation of life, love, and community. It's a unique must-see experience, with plenty of opportunities for families and children to get involved before and during the event.

In addition to MayDay, HOBT hosts low-cost Saturday puppet shows from October through March in the theater lobby; produces a season of original, company-generated plays; and offers youth and adult classes in puppetry, pageantry, performing arts, and more - including workshops parents and kids can take together. Some programming takes place at Celebration Hall, HOBT's studio space on the third floor of Plaza Verde, just up the street from the theater.

Summer camps: HOBT's unique and creative themed week-long camps give kids ages five to 14 a chance to build puppets, create toy theaters, and learn skills such as taiko drumming and stilt-walking. Full-day ($245) and half-day ($140) options are offered.

Ingebretsen's, one of the oldest retail establishments in the Twin Cities, has been selling Scandinavian foods and products for 85 years.

The family-owned store is a local institution, staying true to its roots while the Midtown neighborhood around it has changed much over the years, and is now enjoying a resurgence. The store is also keeping up with the times: it maintains a comprehensive and informative website.

Visitors will find needlework and crafts, clothing for babies to adults, home decor, cookware and tableware, jewelry, and toys (expect lots of Pippi Longstocking), in addition to Scandinavian meats, cheeses, baked goods, and packaged specialty foods.

The store offers classes in Scandinavian cooking and crafts, including some family classes, and hosts public events throughout the year, such as book and CD signings, performances, demonstrations, and celebrations.

Intermedia Arts is a multicultural, multidisciplinary arts center that hosts exhibits, performances, workshops, and special events throughout the year.

The center's youth programs give older children and teens a chance to express themselves through spoken word, digital media, creative writing, and performance art.

Intermedia Arts is a multicultural, multidisciplinary arts center that hosts exhibits, performances, workshops, and special events throughout the year.

The center's youth programs give older children and teens a chance to express themselves through spoken word, digital media, creative writing, and performance art.

There's plenty to keep any crafty family occupied at Jo-Ann, where the supplies for just about any project - crafts, scrapbooking, calligraphy, framing, sewing, knitting, woodwork, and more - are shelved inside enormous, well-organized emporiums.

The basics are all here - pipe cleaners, artificial flowers, paints, markers, glue - but so are more specialized items like sewing machines, sticker-makers, and a full line of cake-decorating and candy-making supplies. Specialty books and magazines offer tips and ideas.

The selection here lends itself well to gift-making too, whether for grandparents, friends, or teachers. Kits and materials provide everything - except the time! - to make candles, soap, dolls, purses, photo albums, and other handmade treasures, or to embellish and personalize mass-produced items. Many projects can be simplified for younger kids, while teens and parents can get as elaborate as interest and budget allow.

Wander the aisles for inspiration for homemade Halloween costumes, or buy a manufactured one from the seasonal selection. Make invitations and birth announcements using the stamps, ribbon, tools, papers, and stickers on offer. The selection of room decor items, both ready-made and do-it-yourself, is also extensive, and includes pillows, lampshades, hook rugs, and wall art.

Jo-Ann Superstores offer free kid's craft projects in-store the third Saturday of the month, and single- and multi-session classes for kids, adults, and families throughout the year.

Birthday parties: A two-hour party, for ages five and up, includes an instructor-led craft activity in a private room. Parties can be scheduled any day; $12.50/child; six to 12 guests allowed. Refreshments must be brought in, and at least one adult must remain in the room during the party.

There's plenty to keep any crafty family occupied at Jo-Ann, where the supplies for just about any project - crafts, scrapbooking, calligraphy, framing, sewing, knitting, woodwork, and more - are shelved inside enormous, well-organized emporiums.

The basics are all here - pipe cleaners, artificial flowers, paints, markers, glue - but so are more specialized items like sewing machines, sticker-makers, and a full line of cake-decorating and candy-making supplies. Specialty books and magazines offer tips and ideas.

The selection here lends itself well to gift-making too, whether for grandparents, friends, or teachers. Kits and materials provide everything - except the time! - to make candles, soap, dolls, purses, photo albums, and other handmade treasures, or to embellish and personalize mass-produced items. Many projects can be simplified for younger kids, while teens and parents can get as elaborate as interest and budget allow.

Wander the aisles for inspiration for homemade Halloween costumes, or buy a manufactured one from the seasonal selection. Make invitations and birth announcements using the stamps, ribbon, tools, papers, and stickers on offer. The selection of room decor items, both ready-made and do-it-yourself, is also extensive, and includes pillows, lampshades, hook rugs, and wall art.

Jo-Ann Superstores offer free kid's craft projects in-store the third Saturday of the month, and single- and multi-session classes for kids, adults, and families throughout the year.

Birthday parties: A two-hour part