Let Your Toddler Get Messy and Paint Here

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Littles can create artwork and make a mess at Sellwood Community House, and parents don’t have to clean up. 

Courtesy of Tiffany Hill

My son has been in day care part time for a few months now and one of his favorite activities is painting. I haven’t been brave enough to buy kid-friendly paints for home just yet, knowing the inevitable mess he’d make. (The mealtimes aftermath is enough work, thank you.) But a friend recommended Sellwood Community House. Littles can get their hands dirty in the name of art. The best part? Parents and caregivers can watch, encourage, even participate, but the only clean up required is making sure your kiddo’s hands are washed before getting back into the car. I was sold. 

Sellwood Community House’s Messy Art class is now incorporated into a new program called Play Lab.


Play Lab is one of the nonprofit’s newest programs and is housed in the basement of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Like the name implies, it’s an intimate space where kiddos can do open-play, including messy art, sensory and science exploration. Play Lab is best suited or children ages 1-6, but all ages are welcome, they just needed to be accompanied by an adult.

If You Go

Dates: January 15-May 28 (No Play Lab the week of Spring Break, March 24-28.)
Days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am-12:30 pm and Saturdays from 9:30 am-1pm.
Cost: $10 for a drop-in

What’s Messy Art About?

While Messy Art is now rolled into the Play Lab at the Lutheran church, we checked out the nonprofit’s toddler art class when it was housed in Sellwood Community House. While the program is slightly tweaked, messy art is still available for kiddos. Here’s (mostly) what you can expect if your kiddo paints!

On our visit at Sellwood Community House, there were three tables with creation stations were set up. We stopped at a painting area first and I helped my son onto a step stool so he could get to creating. Colorful paints, brushes, paper shapes, glue, bits of yarn, fabric scraps, cardboard rolls and fabric leaves were laid out ready to turn into masterpieces. I set out a piece of paper in front of my son and he dabbed it with blue, then purple paint. He particularly enjoyed painting his hand, and repeatedly putting the paintbrush back into the paint container. We then moved onto the second painting station: covering rigatoni noodles with paint. Pro tip: Wear clothes you don’t mind getting paint or glue on — for your child and you!

The teacher was great at interacting with the students, asking them questions and praising their creative endeavors. The room is set up for kids to move freely and jump from station to station, which the older toddlers in class readily did.

Next we moved on to play dough. I appreciated that the Sellwood staff makes their own baking soda play dough for classes. Atop seven cookie sheets sat softball-size balls of colored play dough. In the middle of the table were kid-size rolling pins, plastic scissors, cookie cutters and more, for little hands to cut, shape, smash and mold. I pulled apart little portions of dough for my son to play with and he gleefully squished it in his hands and handed me the flattened bits. Class ran out before we had time to experience the fourth area, a sensory station of two large bins of multi-colored uncooked rice — another creative endeavor of the staff! The rice was a hit with the kids; the bins were occupied all of class, as students ran their fingers through the grains, scooped it with spoons and filled bowls to the top.  

Now I don’t have to feel guilty about not buying paint for him to use at home. We’ll just go to the messy art class!

Other Toddler Friendly Art Classes

Venvino Art Studios in Happy Valley has a weekly storytime and craft projects for all ages. Every Tuesday at 10:30 am. Free.

Multnomah Arts Center in Southwest offers family classes, where littles can experience process-oriented art programs, like Family Clay, Art Adventures and Woodworking alongside their favorite grownup. Find the days, times and costs here. (Access Discount Program and scholarships are also available for classes.)

Rumble Art Studio (in the old Spark Arts space) offers messy art classes every Friday between 9 am and noon for little artists ages 2-5. $25 for two hours.

Tiffany Hill
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