Summer vacation offers children more than just a time to rest and play; it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills and gain knowledge. Workshops can help kids expand their imaginations, improve their manual skills, and discover new interests. For instance, art workshops can enhance creativity and self-expression, while science workshops can provide them with answers to satisfy their young and curious minds. These activities not only entertain but also encourage learning, contribute to their education, improve social skills, help them make new friends, and boost their confidence. Let’s explore a variety of fun and educational workshops for kids, hosted by cultural and art institutions and led by expert instructors.

Arter Children’s Workshops

Arter is hosting two different workshop programs for children aged 6-9. These are “With My Face in My Hands,” scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024, under the guidance of Atölye + founder Merve Çakmakçı, and “Kite in a Bottle,” organized by Arter Learning Programme, starting on Saturday, July 27, 2024.

“With My Face in My Hands” invites children to create a collage using their portrait photos, learning more about concepts like composition and everyday objects in the process. The workshop begins with a tour of Şakir Gökçebağ’s ongoing exhibition at Arter titled “As It Seems,” where children will explore photos transformed by the artist using techniques such as reduction, multiplication, fragmentation, and reassembly, which they will then apply to their own photographs. Using everyday objects and colored papers, they will redesign their photos using collage techniques in Arter’s backyard.

The second workshop, “Kite in a Bottle” invites participants to explore Jackie Matisse’s artwork, “Bottled Dreams” (1981), featured in the ongoing “Kite Time” exhibit at Arter. Children will first examine the artist’s sketches of kites submerged in water and surrounded by shapes and objects cut from colored paper, and then create their own design of an underwater kite floating in a bottle.

For more information and registration, visit Arter’s website.

Istanbul Modern Summer Art School

Istanbul Modern offers an expansive educational program where children aged 7-10 can study artworks with museum educators and participate in workshops. The program, titled the “Istanbul Modern Summer Art School,” includes morning and afternoon workshops. Morning workshops focus on the exhibition “Olafur Eliasson: Your unexpected encounter” while afternoon workshops center on the “Floating Islands” collection exhibition. Workshops begin with an exploration of artworks in the exhibitions, followed by an introduction to examples from art history and hands-on art-making activities.

Exploring various concepts and production methods in art, the workshops will run throughout the summer, every weekday except Monday, until August 23, 2024. For more information on the Istanbul Modern Summer Art School workshop programs and registration, click here.

Istanbul Toy Museum

The Istanbul Toy Museum has teamed up with Çekirdek Academy to offer special workshops this summer, designed to support children’s emotional and social development. These workshops, targeting children aged 6-9, encourage them to explore their emotions, stimulate their imagination, and enhance their social skills through activities like creative drama based on the museum’s collection, storytelling, writing, traditional street games, and more.

Workshops are held every Tuesday in two different sessions. For more details and registration, visit the Istanbul Toy Museum’s website.

OMM Education Programs

Odunpazarı Modern Museum (OMM) invites kids to explore the world of creativity with its new workshop, “Colors, Layer by Layer.” This family workshop, designed for children aged 4-6, allows them to discover new colors and learn about concepts like “opaque” and “transparent.” Participants will use acetate sheets to create layers of color while exploring the works of Etel Adnan, Ferruh Başağa, Serhat Kiraz, and Yağız Özgen.

For detailed information about the workshop program that will take place on Sunday, July 14, from 14:00 to 15:00, visit the OMM’s website.

Pera Museum Learning Programs

Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Pera Museum Learning Programs offer creative and enjoyable activities for children of all ages throughout the summer. The Summer Holiday Workshops program, running from July 20 to August 3, includes both exhibition tours and hands-on workshops related to the museum’s temporary and permanent collections.

In the three-week program, participants will join guided tours of exhibitions before engaging in creative activities, creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional designs using materials such as clay, colored paper, construction toys, print molds, and wooden figures. Children will explore various techniques such as gamification, character creation, plant printing, upcycling, color theory, light studies, and more.

For more information about the workshop programs, visit the Pera Museum’s website.

Rahmi M. Koç Museum Weekend Workshops

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum supports the social, emotional, and intellectual development of children aged 4-14 with its “Weekend Education Workshops.”

Held in the 2nd Class Saloon of the Fenerbahçe Ferry on display at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, these workshops cover a wide range of activities each week, including design, cooking, painting, cinema, mathematics, energy, seafaring, astronomy, sculpture, puppetry, drama, and more. The workshops offer children the opportunity to develop their communication and social skills, make new friends among their peers, and learn through hands-on experiences.

For more details about workshop programs and registration, visit the museum’s website.