Art Start


Preschool Art Program

A woman and a toddler doing a craft with colorful pipe cleaners.

Art Start is a free program for children ages 3 to 5 to learn, imagine, and engage with art. The theme changes each month, so come back once a month for a fresh take on the museum! Advance registration is required and space is limited.

  • Wednesday sessions are for preschools, homeschools, and daycare centers (at least two adult chaperones are required, but more are welcome!)

We Offer Bus Reimbursement!
Is the cost of the bus for a field trip a problem? No longer! WAM provides 100% bus reimbursement to all schools within reasonable driving distance of the museum.

Find the form here (scroll down to “Helpful Hints Before Your Visit”)


  • Thursday sessions are for individuals and families (children accompanied by an adult) at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm.
    Space is limited, and advance registration is required.

Monthly Class Themes

Shot of little girl with a craft made out of colorful pipe cleaners. The little girl is out of focus, while the art is in focus.

January 2024: Gizmos and Gadgets
Join your little one to engineer some creativity! Explore a world of building possibilities and create a work of art made with found objects.

February 2024: February is for Friends
Warm your heart with the power of friendship. Engage in fun-filled social and emotional activities based on the story of Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett. Create gingerbread friends to play with at home. 

March 2024: Twisty, Topsy, Turvy
Step right up and activate your imagination by exploring the wonders of the circus! See art inspired by the magic of the Big Top, move your body like a circus performer, and delight in a spectacular artmaking experience.  

April 2024: A Windy Day
Get ready for spring with the windiest month of the year! Discover the power of wind and use it to let your creativity take shape. What shapes and lines will you make?  

May 2024: Roll and Coil
Follow along with the story of Snake’s Big Mistake and embrace the lesson of bouncing back from a mistake in art class. Play with clay and explore art full of movement and wonder. 

 

[“Art Start” is generously supported by the Walser Foundation]



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Group of children sitting with their back to the viewer, looking at a woman seated in front of them holding a picture book. She is sitting in an orange colored nook on a bright blue wall.

Art Start Goes to Camp – Summer 2022

Click here to be added to WAM’s enewsletter list and to receive updates on Spring 2023 Art Start registration.

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General admission to the museum is free to everyone.

Youth Education programs are supported by the Lynne Ruffin-Smith Charitable Foundation

2024 StoryTime and Art Start programs are supported by Walser Foundation

Free Saturday Featured Events and Library Passes* are sponsored by Colby Sandlian, Sandlian Realty

2024 exhibitions and public programs are generously supported by the Downing Foundation

◆ The Wichita Art Museum’s education programs are supported in part by the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives funding from Kansas Department of Commerce and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.


* Thanks to the generous support of Colby Sandlian, Sandlian Realty, more than 40 public libraries in the metro area and across the state offer access to check out passes to all temporary exhibitions at WAM for FREE! Visit your library and check out your pass today!