Out and about with our Learning team
A look back at creative workshops and activities from the school holidays
The summer and autumn school holidays saw our Learning team out and about across Dundee and beyond, sharing free creative activities with families and community groups.
These sessions were all about encouraging families to get involved with their local green spaces and community hubs, get creative in the great outdoors and spend time together developing art, print and craft skills. Over summer, we visited seven parks across the city and set up indoor activities in three community spaces. For the October holidays we visited one park and four community hubs with some autumnal crafts.
We welcomed over 600 people across all of these sessions, with activities ranging from making badges and creating portraits to playing with clay and printing with vegetables. Here's a little tour of our holiday activity, with a look at what was created and the lovely feedback we received.
Published
Fruitbowls Community Gardens
Working with Lochee Community Health Team, we visited Fruitbowls Community Garden. In this sunny space we made nature badges, created a print safari using plasticine printing and tried gelli printing.
We had such a fun morning with DCA learning printing and badgemaking.
Thanks so much – we had a grand time making badges and prints with plants and flowers!
Whitfield Roundhouse
As part of Whitfield Roundhouse's summer programme we spent two sessions here, screening Discovery shorts and creating collages inspired by the themes in the films. Families also enjoyed printing with leaves and vegetables, creating watercolours and making paperclay characters.
We have really enjoyed being creative today and thinking about the film clips. It was a very fun and relaxing morning.
Great selection of crafts available and lots of helpers at hand for some crafty advice.
Malcolm Street Playpark
We joined Stobswell Community Learning and Development team outside at Malcolm Street Playpark to make big, colourful paintings and try squeegee painting.
I liked the DCA because I liked painting and the park.
A splendid time outside in the sunshine. Great effort by all to let us have a good time.
I like the painting because it makes me calm.
I had a great time. I <3 everything here - thank you.
Giving the children and families opportunities to be creative and explore art through play allows for quality bonding time, enhances imagination and they also have fun. Having a wide range of activities, from ready made starter kits/examples for those who have never crafted before, to tutorials on something new and just raw materials to spark imagination really gives a wrap around approach to art.Steph Dolan Whitfield Roundhouse Community Group
Baxter Park
We also joined Stobswell Community Learning and Development team for a session in Baxter Park and then spent two more afternoons in this lovely space with ScrapAntics Family Club. For these visits, we created a big map, made some bunting, painted portraits and took inspiration from Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar to make watercolour bugs and butterflies.
Loved it because the staff were nice + I loved doing the printing.
Thanks for a good afternoon. We really enjoyed painting and making the bunting.
Families liked the choice of activities and the option of visiting the park as well as getting creative. A number of families said that they lived nearby so it was great to be able to join something free and on their doorstep. Being located close to the playpark was great for families with younger children who had fun while older ones got creative.Neil Crutchley ScrapAntics Family Club
Camperdown Park
We headed to Camperdown Park with Ardler, Lochee and Menzieshill Community Learning and Development teams for their Art in Nature drop-in. Families got creative with watercolours, painting bugs, creatures, people and places.
Larick Centre
We ventured across the river for two sessions at Tayport's Larick Centre. Here we shared more Discovery short films, created big drawings and made collages.
Lovely way to spend a lunchtime! Children very excited and given a warm welcome to explore new materials.
Very good crafts, liked the stopmotion video the most.
Fantastic session, thank you so much! No notes! Fab films, fab activities! <3 Please come back soon!
Loved the arts and crafts. Thank You
October holidays
For the October school holidays, we headed back to the Larick Centre for some autumn crafts, enjoyed creating large paintings with Stobswell Community Learning and Development team, printed with fruit and veg at Whitefield Roundhouse and joined in with ScrapAntics Booknic.
Enjoyed fruit printing! Always enjoy all activities that DCA do. Thank you.
I had really good fun today and enjoyed all the activities.
Kids loved making the hungry caterpillars. Everyone was so helpful and friendly.
All activities were great! Girls didn't want to leave! They especially liked the stamps.
Playful Gardens
During the autumn holidays we also returned to Baxter Park for fun outside at Playful Gardens pop up.
Along with our partners, NHS Tayside's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and ScrapAntics, we shared creative activities and outdoor play with 250 visitors. Families had a go at leaf printing, nature painting, bubble making, pumpkin washing, Forest School-ing and loose parts play, with everyone enjoying the autumn break outdoors together.
We're delighted that Playful Gardens has received support from the Royal Society of Arts' Playful Green Planet programme, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund - watch our for more Playful Gardens fun coming in 2027.
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