Art

Youth Art

Winter

under the sea steam splash

7-11 Yr Olds

Embark on a splashtacular, science-filled underwater escapade! Inspired by your favorite ocean explorers, this STEAM-powered event is packed with hands-on activities, quirky challenges, and oceanic surprises.Kids will craft their own Under the Sea Slime, blending colors and textures to create a squishy ocean masterpiece. They'll engineer a seaworthy Pirate Ship, testing buoyancy and design in a fun STEM challenge. Additionally, they'll race in the Plankton’s Slow Race, designing and testing their own plankton models to see who can sink the slowest. Dive into this ocean of fun, where learning meets laughter beneath the waves!

glow crazy steam night

7-11 Yr Olds

Get ready to ignite your imagination with an electrifying glow-in-the-dark adventure! This hands-on program delves into the fascinating science behind luminescence, offering a series of engaging activities that combine creativity, learning, and fun. Participants will have the opportunity to design and race their own glowing Glow Coaster, construct a blinking, bouncing Alien Arcade Game, and concoct their very own stretchy, shimmering Glow Slime. Each challenge is crafted to encourage exploration and laughter, ensuring that everything glows—and everything goes—in this illuminating experience.


Spring & Summer

wonderland slime lab

7-13 Yr Olds

Fall down the rabbit hole into a wacky world of slime, surprises, and STEAM! In this topsy‑turvy adventure, kids will craft an “Unbirthday Surprise” gift to kick things off, whip up whimsical Unbirthday Cake Slime, engineer a spinning Mad Hatter’s Tea Party experiment, and mix magical Queen of Hearts Slime — fit for royalty (or rebels!). Each twist and turn promises to get curiouser, goopier, and more imaginative than the last as they explore, build, and play in unexpected ways.

  • Register Here
  • Registration Deadline: Wed, Apr 1 (or when full)
  • Cost: $54r/$69nr
  • Instructors: Rachel Franklin & Challenge Island Staff
  • Date: Tue, Apr 7
  • Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

  • Location: Cityside MS - Cafeteria

sewing workshop - market tote bag

16 Yr Olds-Adults

Learn to sew your very own Market Tote Bag in this workshop! Perfect for those ready to move beyond basic sewing skills, this class guides you through constructing a roomy, durable tote—ideal for groceries, farmers’ market finds, or beach essentials. You’ll receive helpful guidance from start to finish, making one for yourself and one for gifts. Sewing machines and all materials are provided—just bring your curiosity! This workshop is for "Level 2" sewers (see "Sewing Level Guide" below). 

  • Register Here
  • Registration Deadline: Fri, Apr 10
  • Cost: $60r/$75nr 
  • Instructor: Julie Blakely 
  • Date: Tue, Apr 14
  • Time: 5:30-8:00 PM
  • Location: City on a Hill - 100 Pine St - STE 123 | After arriving at City on a Hill, drive around the building until you reach the entrance off of Taft Street. Enter the building through door G. Take elevator to 2nd floor, then follow the yellow signs leading you to the classroom. 
  • Sewing Level Guide:
    • Level 1: I have very little knowledge of sewing machines
    • Level 2: I know how to use a sewing machine and I can sew a straight line, thread a sewing machine and wind a bobbin
    • Level 3: I have confidence with a sewing machine and I can do small projects with very little assistance

    • Level 4: I am an intermediate sewer who knows how to sew various fabrics and read a pattern

art exploration

5 Yr Olds-5th Gr (2026-27 Grade Level)

Join us to explore a variety of art media like painting, drawing, paper mache, mask making and more! We can't wait for a week of art and fun! Participants will be provided paint shirts, but participants should still wear clothes that they don’t mind getting dirty.

  • Register Here
  • Cost: $79r/$94nr
  • Instructor: Jane Butler (ZPS Art Teacher)
  • 5 Yr Olds-1st Gr: June 8-12 | 8:00-9:30 AM
  • 2nd-3rd Gr: June 8-12 | 9:30-11:00 AM
  • 4th-5th Gr: June 8-12 | 11:30 AM-1:00 PM

  • Location: Lincoln Elementary - Art Room

pets, parachutes & slime - a family steam adventure

All Ages

Families will team up for a heartwarming, hands-on adventure filled with creativity, collaboration, and slime-tastic fun! Together you’ll engineer the perfect parachute to protect your adopted pet egg, design and build a dream room for your adopted pet, and celebrate your new family with sweet, swirly ice-cream slime. It’s an evening of imagination, teamwork, and unforgettable memories on Adoption Island!

  • Register Here
  • Registration Deadline: Tue, June 2 (or when full)
  • Cost: $79r/$94nr
  • Instructors: Rachel Franklin & Challenge Island Staff
  • Date: Tue, June 9
  • Time: 5:30-8:30 PM

  • Location: Cityside MS - ELA Room

slimetopia - diners, drive thrus & dives

7-13 Yr Olds

You and your STEAM Team have been selected to host the new Slimetopia Diners, Drive-Thrus and Dives reality TV show! Prepare to embark on a cross-country culinary road trip to the slimiest eating establishments in the USA! With such instant Slimetopia classics as In and Out Burger Slime, Tex Mex Slime, King Cake Slime, Clam Chowder Slime and Peach Cobbler Ala Mode Slime, you’ll get an unforgettable “taste” of ooey, gooey local flavors from coast to coast.

  • Register Here
  • Registration Deadline: Mon, June 16 (or when full)
  • Cost: $240r/$255nr
  • Instructors: Rachel Franklin & Challenge Island Staff
  • Dates: June 22-25
  • Time: 8:30 AM-12:00 PM

  • Location: Cityside MS - Cafeteria

drawing in nature series

14 Yr Olds-Adults

Immerse yourself in the beauty of the natural world through our Drawing in Nature series! Perfect for amateurs, artists, and nature enthusiasts alike, this program combines field exploration with hands-on drawing. Participants will learn to capture the intricate details of the natural world using close observation, curiosity, and a few fundamental sketching techniques. Whether you want to enhance your art skills or simply enjoy a peaceful outdoor activity, this program is for you! Please bring drawing supplies (paper, clipboard, journal, pencil, pen, coloring tools, etc.) and an easy-to-carry folding chair. The path is accessible for wheelchairs and participants will have the option to sit in one place or meander. All experience levels are welcome. 

  • Register Here
  • Cost: $25r/$40nr
  • Instructor: Ria VanderKlok
  • Field Sketching: Thur, June 25 | 5:30-7:30 PM
  • Botanical Drawing: Thur, July 16 | 5:30-7:30 PM
  • Little Landscapes: Thur, July 30 | 5:30-7:30 PM
  • Location: Upper Macatawa Natural Area (1300 84th Ave, Zeeland, MI 49464  - 84th Ave Entrance - Meadow Path)

watercolor in nature - beginners

14 Yr Olds-Adults

Join us to explore nature’s beauty while learning the techniques of watercolor painting! Participants will learn a few field sketching and watercolor techniques to help get what you notice onto your paper as we look closely, ask questions, and develop our skill of observing the world around us. All supplies will be provided and participants will go home with a watercolor journal, watercolor field kit, and water brush. The path is accessible for wheelchairs and participants will have the option to sit in one place or meander. 

  • Register Here
  • Cost: $75r/$90nr
  • Instructor: Ria VanderKlok
  • Date: Fri, July 17
  • Time: 5:30-7:30 PM

  • Location: Upper Macatawa Natural Area (1300 84th Ave, Zeeland - Meadow Path)

watercolor in nature - intermediate

14 Yr Olds-Adults

Build on your watercolor experience and enjoy the community of other watercolor enthusiasts as we look closely, ask questions, share ideas and techniques, and develop our skill of observing the world around us through painting what we see. Bring your own preferred watercolor supplies and a comfortable, easy-to-carry folding chair. The path is accessible for wheelchairs and participants will have the option to sit in one place or meander. 

  • Register Here
  • Cost: $25r/$40nr
  • Instructor: Ria VanderKlok
  • Date: Sat, July 18
  • Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

  • Location: Upper Macatawa Natural Area (1300 84th Ave, Zeeland - Meadow Path)

art club

3rd-8th Gr (2026-27 Grade Level)

Join our Art Club to continue growing your artistic skills over the summer! Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting, this 4-day program will help you explore different art mediums, learn new art techniques and fall more in love with art! Each day we will focus on a new art medium while we create a new project to take home. All skill levels are welcome! 

  • Register Here
  • Cost: $60r/$75nr
  • Instructor: Taelia Spencer (Art Education Major at GVSU)
  • 3rd-5th Gr: July 20-23 | 4:00-5:00 PM 
  • 6th-8th Gr: July 20-23 | 5:30-6:30 PM 

  • Location: Cityside Middle School – Art Room

settlers camp

7-10 Yr Olds

Step back in time with the Zeeland Historical Society for a fun, hands‑on experience that brings the life of early settlers to you! You’ll get to try your hand at bread baking and hand‑sewing a pillow — just like folks living in the mid‑1800s did — while learning what daily life was really like back then. Through these activities, you’ll gain a richer understanding of pioneer life and appreciate the skills, challenges, and traditions of Zeeland’s earliest residents.

  • Register Here
  • Registration Deadline: Wed, July 15 (or when full)
  • Cost: $40r/$55nr
  • Instructors: Zeeland Historical Society Staff
  • Dates: July 27-28
  • Time: 9:30-11:30 AM

  • Location: 1881 New Groningen Schoolhouse (10537 Paw Paw Dr, Zeeland)