Youth and family class topics mirror adult programming with subjects such as arts, cooking, nature, gardening, skill-building, and more. Classes are taught by community educators and 577 staff. Class sizes are small and may take place in the Cottage, House, and outdoors around the beautiful gardens and grounds of 577.
Upcoming Classes
Kids Explore Nature: Bats are Back!
Saturday, April 27 ~ 10am to 11:30am
Young explorers will learn all about the importance of bats in the environment. Designed for kids ages 4 to 7 with an adult guardian, families will meet at 577’s Outdoor Stage for fun and games and then move to our Garage Studio to build a bat house for home in this indoor and outdoor class. Completed bat houses will be approximately 15″ by 24″.
*Cost is per child~ please register each child attending. Adults are free and do not need to register. Caregivers should attend class with their child. Please dress for the weather as part of the class will be outside.
Community Instructors: Nancy & John Salerno
Preschool: Fun with Flowers
Tuesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 ~ 10am to 10:45am
Designed for preschoolers and their adult caregivers, children will have fun learning all about flowers while enjoying games, crafts, stories, and a walk around 577. Students should wear old clothes. Smocks will be provided but you may bring your own.
*Cost is per child~ please register each child attending. Adults are free and caregivers MUST attend class with their child. Any missed classes within this series cannot be prorated.
Community Instructor: Elaine Sneider
Youth Art Adventures: Nature Explorers
Saturday, May 18 ~ 10am to 11am
Explore nature through story and art in this class designed for preschoolers and their adult guardian. We will read “We’re Going on a Nature Hunt” by Steve Metzger and listen and dance to some nature and garden-themed preschool tunes. We will end the fun morning by making an upcycled nature treasure box and then walk the 577 gardens and grounds on our very own nature hunt.
The class is designed for 2 to 6-year-olds with an adult guardian. Homeschool kiddos are welcome.
*Cost is per child~ please register each child attending. Adults are free and caregivers MUST attend class with their child.
577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman
Kids Explore Nature: Scarecrows for the Garden
Saturday, May 25 ~ 10am to 11:30am
Young explorers will learn all about the history and importance of using scarecrows and how they can protect our gardens. Designed for kids ages 4 to 7 with an adult guardian, families will meet at 577’s Outdoor Stage for fun and games and then move to our Garage Studio to build their very own dancing scarecrow to use at home.
Completed scarecrows will be approximately 36″ tall. Please bring an old hat to use on your scarecrow.
*Cost is per child~ please register each child attending. Adults are free and do not need to register. Caregivers should attend class with their child. Please dress for the weather as part of the class will be outside.
Community Instructors: Nancy & John Salerno
Youth Art Adventures: Fun with Seeds
Friday, June 7 ~ 10am to 11am
Designed for 2- to 6-year-olds, this class will explore the wonders of seeds through story and art! We will read “How a Seed Grows” by Helene J. Jordan, create a seed craft on recycled cardboard canvases, and even plant our own seeds together. If time and weather permit, we will also go outside to look for seeds and flowers around the grounds at the end of class.
*Cost is per child~ please register each child attending. Adults are free and do not need to register. Caregivers should attend class with their child.
577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman
Little Chefs: Taco Tuesday Tango
Tuesday, June 11 ~ 5pm to 6:30pm
We’re celebrating summertime with a fiesta in Virginia’s Kitchen. Join us for these kid-approved recipes that will have your little chef dancing for more. Designed for kids ages 7 to 12.
We’re making tacos two different ways. First, we’ll assemble a savory walking taco with plenty of fixings. Next, we’ll make a sweet dessert taco piled high with berries and bananas, plus their choice of toppings like Nutella, marshmallows, or chocolate chips. We’ll finish the class with a fizzy and refreshing Sunrise Cooler made with a pomegranate syrup base and topped with orange juice and sparkling water.
Why should Tuesdays have all the fun? Here’s to taco night, every night!
577 Staff Instructor: Kelly Rose Hirsh
Fairy Garden with Herbs • Youth Gardening
Saturday, June 15 ~ 10am to 11am
Young gardeners with their adult partners will have fun digging in the dirt to make their very own fairy herb garden! Together, we will plant basil, thyme, rosemary, and chives in a take-home planter. Everyone will finish their pot by decorating it with fairy trinkets. All supplies included.
This class is designed for kids ages 7 to 15 with an adult guardian. *Please note: Cost is per child ~ please register each child attending. Adults are free and caregivers MUST attend class with their child.
Community Instructor: Danielle Garcia
Summer Fun: Art & Snacks for Kids
Wednesday, June 19 ~ 9:30am to 11:30am
This class is designed as a drop-off class for 5- to 9-year-olds to enjoy a fun morning creating paper crafts & scrap art, making dough, and cooking up their own simple snack. Let’s get creative together!
Please note: Snacks will include milk, eggs, and wheat. Food allergies will be accommodated by the instructor if possible– please indicate any food allergies at registration or email cstose@577foundation with any questions.
Community Instructor: Elaine Sneider
Create Your Own Shoe ~ Youth Pottery for Ages 8 to 17
Monday, May 13 ~ 4:30pm to 6pm
This class is open to children ages 8 to 17. No prerequisite or experience is required.
Join us in May for a clay class perfect for your kiddo who loves shoes! Each child should pick out their favorite shoes and bring them to class. Then, with guidance from Emily, your pottery class instructor, each child will build one shoe drawing inspiration from the real thing.
Class time will be spent constructing their shoe and then using underglazes to paint their completed sculpture. After a bisque fire, Emily will dip each in a clear glaze creating a shiny finish and durability. Once completed, your child will love all the ways it can be used: admire it on a bookshelf or mantle, plant it with a house plant or flowers, or it will definitely make a stylish pen/pencil holder.
Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each child will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
Please note: Adults are not required to attend youth pottery classes. Students may be dropped off at the beginning of class and picked up at the scheduled end time. Please remember to be on time.
No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
Hot Air Balloons ~ Youth Pottery for Ages 7 to 13
Thursday, June 27 ~ 10am to 11:30am
This class is open to children ages 7 to 13. No prerequisite or experience is required.
Let your kiddo have their head in the clouds for this creative class where they will create their a hot air balloon. Your child will learn to roll out slabs, cut out shapes, and paint on a design of their choice. These pieces will be made to hang indoors or outdoors (in non-freezing temperatures) with a small hanging clay basket attached with twine/wire provided by 577.
Once completed your child’s design will be fired and either dipped in clear glaze or left matte, depending on your child’s preference.
Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each child will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
Please note: Adults are not required to attend youth pottery classes. Students may be dropped off at the beginning of class and picked up at the scheduled end time. Please remember to be on time.
No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
Slab of Summer ~ Youth Pottery Camp
5 Sessions ~ Monday, July 8 to Friday, July 12
~ Youth Ages 7 to 11: 9:30am to 11:30am
~ Youth Ages 12 to 17: 1:30pm to 3:30pm
This five-session camp is open to children ages 7 to 17. No prerequisite or experience is required.
Camps are back! Your kiddo will spend an exciting week with the 577 Pottery Staff Julie Beutler and Emily Horst exploring clay. Using nature and the beautiful 577 grounds as our inspiration, we will create a new project each day.
Together, we will explore hand building techniques including pinch, slab and coils. Plus! As a special summer camp bonus, we will make a wheel-thrown pot! All supplies and firings included.
Please note: Adults are not required to attend youth pottery classes. Students may be dropped off at the beginning of class and picked up at the scheduled end time. Please remember to be on time.
No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
May Family Pottery: For Ages 6 to 17 w/ Adult
Friday, May 31 ~ 9am to 11am
This family pottery class is open to children 7 to 17 with an adult over 18, no prerequisite or experience is required.
Did you know there are over 100 different games you can play with Dominos?! This month’s family pottery class is the perfect chance to make family game night even better. Come in and have a blast with your little one making your own set of Dominos. Each Domino set has 28 pieces, so you’re welcome to split the work or tag team on each piece.
Pottery Coordinator Emily Horst will show everyone how you can decorate your pieces to really make this set your own. Examples will include using to stamps to add the family name to each domino, painting with favorite colors, or even creating a simple puzzle by painting an image on the backside of your set.
Emily will fire your domino sets with pickup scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each pair will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
Class Registration Requirments:
• Each registration is for one (1) youth between the ages of 6 to 17, with an accompanying adult 18 years old and older. Due to the small class size, only one adult may accompany the youth registered.
• If an adult would like to accompany multiple youth participants, please sign up each youth participant individually and list the adult’s name for each registration.
June Family Pottery: For Ages 7 to 17 w/ Adult
Friday, June 7 ~ 9:30am to 11:30am
This family pottery class is open to children 7 to 17 with an adult over 18, no prerequisite or experience is required.
Create your very own pet dish and tag/ornament in this fun family pottery class. Together we will make medium dishes, 6 to 8 inches in diameter, which are the perfect size water bowl for your dog or cat (or snake, bird, or anything in between). You will have a ball decorating and personalizing your dish for your favorite pet.
Pottery Coordinator Emily Horst will then show everyone how to create a little tag for the collar of your pet, or a small ornament for your wall or Christmas tree. Each pair will make one pet dish and 2 tags/ornaments.
Emily will fire your pieces with pickup scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each pair will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!
Class Registration Requirments:
• Each registration is for one (1) youth between the ages of 7 to 17, with an accompanying adult 18 years old and older. Due to the small class size, only one adult may accompany the youth registered.
• If an adult would like to accompany multiple youth participants, please sign up each youth participant individually and list the adult’s name for each registration.
Class Locations & Parking Map
Signed up for a class and need help finding your classroom location and parking? Each class description lists its location. Click the button below to view a full map of the grounds and buildings with two lots available for easy and convenient parking.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Because space is limited, we rely on you to register for classes thoughtfully. Please help us continue to offer these wonderful classes as affordably as possible by adhering to the following registration, cancellation, and refund policies.
Photo & Video Release
Photos and videos may be taken during 577 classes and events for use on our website and other relevant media outlets and your attendance constitutes consent. View the full policy below including how you can opt-out of this release.