School Holidays - Make & Paint a Plate

At the corner of Addison and Wentworth Streets in Shellharbour Village, the Imaginarium hosts School Holidays - Make & Paint a Plate, a hands-on ceramic workshop built for curious kids and families. Over a focused 1.5-hour session, participants learn the slab method to craft a food-safe snack plate from white midfire clay: rolling and compressing clay, cutting a clean circle with a plastic plate template, smoothing edges and decorating with stamps and underglazes. The studio bench, simple hand tools and a kiln tucked behind the workspace are the quiet infrastructure that lets short workshops produce dishwasher-ready pieces after firing.

This workshop stands out in coastal Shellharbour because it pairs technical ceramic basics with a playful, fast-paced format designed to keep children engaged. Instructors demonstrate techniques, then step back so kids can paint hard-edged motifs with underglazes that behave like acrylics before firing. Sessions are deliberately shorter than full studio classes so attention spans stay high and families can drop children off while exploring shops, foreshore paths and cafes nearby.

Key features of the experience are the slab-building process, the plastic template that guarantees a usable plate shape, the stamp-and-paint decorating approach, and the studio’s kiln finish—pieces take four to six weeks to be fired and returned for pickup. The materials list centers on white midfire clay and underglazes; tools, paints and a relaxed, music-accompanied workspace are included. The activity is suited to kids aged six and older and easily adapts for siblings and adults who want to join.

Culturally, this workshop reflects Shellharbour’s growing community of maker-spaces and small creative businesses that have reshaped the village into a weekend destination for families. It’s an accessible introduction to ceramics: practical, tactile and outcome-oriented. Parents will appreciate the clear pickup timing, food-safe results and an opportunity to hand a child a finished plate months later that started with a slab, a stamp and a paintbrush.

If you’re visiting Shellharbour, this workshop functions as a hands-on pause between coastal walks and coffee stops: creative learning without a long time commitment. Bring a curious kid, a relaxed schedule and plan to return in a month to collect a piece that started with a slab, a stamp and a paintbrush. Bookings check in at The Imaginarium - Corner Addison & Wentworth Streets Shellharbour Village where instructors greet participants and lay out tools on benches sized for small hands.

The workshop accepts children aged 6 to 100 according to the listing, making it adaptable for teen or adult beginners who want a project. Expect music, step-by-step demonstration and staff-fired finishing; pieces are fired and ready for collection in four to six weeks with an email notice. It’s a low-pressure, high-reward way to try ceramics during holidays.