Where Creativity Comes After School
Monday–Thursday| 2:30–4:30 PM Kindergarten–5th Grade
School may be over for the day, but creativity is just getting started.
The Creative Clubhouse is an after-school visual arts enrichment program where children have the freedom to explore, make, build, invent, play, and discover, while also developing new artistic skills and ways of working with materials.
Each afternoon includes a balance of guided studio experiences, creative invitations, and open studio time. Children might be introduced to a new material, technique, artist, or process and then have time to experiment, practice, and take their ideas in their own direction.
Creative Clubhouse takes place in our Color Wheel Studio, an environment specifically prepared for children's creativity and exploration in the visual arts. Children have access to thoughtfully chosen materials and dedicated spaces for painting, drawing, clay, collage, printmaking, sculpture, construction, light and shadow, and other forms of creative expression.
Some days a child may become absorbed in a new technique introduced by a teacher. Other days, they may return to a project they've been developing over time or spend an hour following an idea entirely their own.
We provide the environment, materials, skills, inspiration, and support, and plenty of room for children to discover what they want to create.
Inspired by Montessori principles and the Reggio Emilia approach, we believe children thrive when they have beautiful materials, meaningful choices, caring adults, and enough uninterrupted time to follow their own ideas.
The Creative Clubhouse is intentionally small, calm, and welcoming. Children are supported each afternoon by Katie Yancey, a local teacher and artist, whose consistent presence allows her to truly get to know each child—their interests, strengths, friendships, and creative process. She is there to offer inspiration, introduce new possibilities, and provide support when needed, while also knowing when to step back and give children the space to follow their own ideas.
Whether your child joins us one afternoon a week or all five, they become part of a creative community where imagination is celebrated, relationships grow, and everyone belongs.
Come create with us!
The Creative Clubhouse isn't a traditional after-school class, so there isn't one project everyone completes each day.
Instead, children have access to a changing environment filled with possibilities.
Throughout the year, experiences may include:
Painting, drawing and printmaking
Clay, sculpture and three-dimensional work
Collage, fiber arts and mixed media
Building, tinkering and loose parts
Music and sound
Theater, storytelling and imaginative play
Movement and outdoor play
Collaborative projects
Long-term projects children can return to again and again
Plenty of time to simply create, play and be with friends
We believe creativity isn't something children need to be taught, it's something they need the opportunity to practice.
Children are naturally curious. They experiment, imagine, build, take things apart, tell stories, move, make connections, solve problems, and wonder.
Our job is to create an environment worthy of that curiosity.
By surrounding children with interesting materials, meaningful choices, thoughtful adults, and uninterrupted time, we give them space to develop their own ideas and discover what they are capable of.
Choose the schedule that works best for your family. Pricing is based on the number of afternoons your child attends each week.
Hourly drop-in care — $20/hour
Drop-in hours are available as space allows.
Children are welcome to bring their own afternoon snack, or families can add The Creative Clubhouse snack for $3/day.
Our snacks are simple and nourishing and include foods from at least two food groups, such as vegetables and hummus, cheese and crackers, fruit and yogurt, or smoothies paired with a whole-grain snack.
To enroll your child in the Creative Clubhouse for the 2026–2027 school year, click the button below to be redirected to our interest form:
Small by design — limited to 15 children each afternoon
Screen-free afternoons
A consistent teacher and artist who gets to know your child
Process over product — creativity without cookie-cutter crafts
Beautiful materials and inspiring spaces
Choice and independence
Time for friendship, play and connection
Flexible enrollment from one to five afternoons each week
Pick-up available from James John Elementary School
Ages: Kindergarten–5th Grade
Days: Monday–Thursday
Hours: 2:30–4:30 PM
First Day: August 31, 2026
Capacity: 15 children
School Pick-Up: Available from James John Elementary School
Welcome to The Creative Clubhouse.
To enroll your child in The Creative Clubhouse for the 2026–2027 school year, click the button below to be redirected to our interest form:
she/her
Katie Yancey is an artist and educator who believes there’s no one right way to make art. Growing up in a small city in the Midwest, Katie loved making things and wished she’d had a creative space like The Creative Clubhouse, a place where curiosity was encouraged, experimentation was celebrated, and there was always permission to try something new.
With a BFA in Sculpture and an MFA in Contemporary Studio Art Practice, Katie has spent her life working with her hands. She loves getting curious about materials, experimenting with new techniques, and turning an idea into something tangible.
Katie believes art is about much more than making something that looks good. Art gives children a way to think, communicate, solve problems, take risks, and make sense of the world around them. At The Creative Clubhouse, she brings together her studio art practice, hands-on making skills, and experience working with children to create a playful, thoughtfully prepared space where kids can explore their ideas and discover what they’re capable of.
In her free time, Katie is usually diving into a new creative project (most recently, learning to crochet amigurumi creatures!), spending time in nature, taking care of foster kittens, or having a dance party with her daughter.