School holidays give children an opportunity to explore activities outside their usual school routine. At Abu Dhabi Pottery, the UAE’s first-ever modern pottery studio, children aged 5 and above can take part in seasonal pottery activities designed to encourage creativity and hands-on learning. Depending on the camp and activity, children can create pieces that are slow-dried and fired in a kiln. Arrangements for collecting finished pieces depend on the program. This is not a passive activity. Pottery requires focus, patience, and imagination in equal measure. These qualities make it one of the most genuinely rewarding school holiday activities a child can experience.
Why School Holidays Are the Right Time to Try Pottery
There is something particular about school holiday time that makes it different from a weekend activity. Children have more time, less pressure, and more capacity to settle into something new. A child who tries pottery for the first time on a busy Saturday afternoon gets one session. A child attending a structured holiday program can have the opportunity to return to pottery over multiple sessions, building on techniques and skills introduced earlier. Unlike a one-off activity, a structured pottery program can give children more time to develop their skills, from preparing clay and learning basic hand-building techniques to creating their own pieces. Depending on the program, pieces can then be slow-dried and fired in a kiln.
At Abu Dhabi Pottery, recognized as one of the UAE’s official Urban Treasures by the Department of Culture and Tourism, holiday camps are designed around this progression. Sessions at Abu Dhabi Pottery are guided by the trained team of professional teachers under the guidance of Master Potter Homa Farley, one of the noted 69 Glasgow School of Art Alumni. Her art pieces are on permanent exhibit in three museums. The studio also welcomes international students, including university-level ceramics and pottery students who come for professional training. Students have traveled from countries including the USA, France, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UK, India, and beyond.
What Happens in Each School Holiday Camp
Summer Camp
For many families in Abu Dhabi, the summer holiday is the longest and most challenging school break to fill meaningfully. Temperatures render outdoor activities impractical for long stretches of the day, and the options that keep children genuinely stimulated rather than simply occupied are fewer than parents would like. Abu Dhabi Pottery has offered summer camp programs for children, with previous programs welcoming children aged 5 to 14 years. Current summer camp dates, age ranges, and session formats should be confirmed directly with the studio. During that time, children explore hand-building techniques, clay modeling, and seasonal projects guided by the studio’s professional teaching team. Children learn to wedge clay before beginning a project, understanding why removing air from the clay matters and how proper preparation affects the quality of what they create. From there, sessions can move into hand-building, including pinch pots, animals, cups, decorative tiles, and other pieces. Depending on the program, children may also be introduced to different pottery techniques and ceramic activities. Pieces created during pottery sessions are slow-dried and then fired in a kiln. Arrangements for collecting finished pieces depend on the session or program and should be confirmed with the studio. For many children, this is the first time they have experienced creating something that goes through a real process and emerges as a permanent, tangible piece of their own work.
Winter Camp: School Holiday Break
Abu Dhabi Pottery has also offered winter holiday activities for children. The exact age range, dates, session format, and activities vary by program and should be confirmed with the studio for the current school holiday.
Winter sessions can include designing, drawing, and coloring as part of the creative process, alongside hands-on work in clay, including creating animals, cups, jewelry, and decorative pieces. Children learn that pottery begins before the clay is even picked up. It starts with observation, drawing, and designing what they want to create. This gives children an opportunity to explore both visual planning and hands-on work with clay. Because the studio has been working with clay in the UAE since 1994 and is recognized as one of the UAE’s official Urban Treasures by the Department of Culture and Tourism, children experience pottery in a studio with more than 30 years of history and experience.
Spring Camp: School Holiday Announcement
Spring holiday activities may be offered depending on the studio’s seasonal program. Families should contact Abu Dhabi Pottery directly for current spring holiday dates, activities and availability.
What Children Gain Beyond the Holiday
Pottery sessions can give children opportunities to develop skills such as focus, patience and confidence while working with clay. Through the sessions, children can develop:
Focus and patience: Working with clay requires a kind of concentrated, unhurried attention that most children find difficult at first and deeply satisfying once they experience it. It is one of the few activities where rushing genuinely produces worse results, teaching children through experience rather than instruction the value of slowing down.
Confidence in creating: There is a particular kind of confidence that can come from creating something with your hands and seeing it progress through the pottery process. Children can develop confidence as they learn new techniques and see their ideas take shape.
A skill with a foundation to build on: Children who enjoy pottery during the school holidays can continue developing their skills through Abu Dhabi Pottery’s children’s classes and multi-session packages. The skills introduced during a holiday session, such as correct wedging, basic hand-building, and understanding how clay behaves, can give children a foundation to build on as they continue learning.
A tangible result: After slow drying, pieces created during pottery sessions are fired in a kiln. Finished pieces are stored by the studio after notification and should be collected within the stated collection period.
A Creative Environment Built for Children
Abu Dhabi Pottery has been welcoming children and students to its professional studio since its establishment in 1994. Abu Dhabi Pottery provides guided, hands-on pottery instruction for children aged 5 to 14, with children encouraged and supported as they develop their pottery skills. Abu Dhabi Pottery’s children’s pottery programmes are designed for children aged 5 to 14, with activities introducing them to hand-building, clay preparation, shaping, and decorative finishing. This is part of what makes Abu Dhabi Pottery’s school holiday camps different from activities that are only suitable for a narrow age band. The studio’s more than 30 years of experience working with clay and teaching students provides an established environment for children who are new to pottery as well as those who have attended before.
Planning a School Holiday Session for Your Child
Camp dates and session availability vary by school holiday and program. Families should contact Abu Dhabi Pottery directly to confirm the latest dates, session times and availability.
Children aged 5 to 14 can participate in the children’s pottery programs. The children’s sessions include clay and guided pottery instruction. No prior experience is required. Every child, at every level, starts where they are and is guided from there.
The School Holiday Activity Worth Coming Back To
Most school holiday activities are experienced once and then moved on from. Pottery can work differently when children have the opportunity to attend multiple sessions. Children can develop their skills over time and may be inspired to return for another pottery session. At Abu Dhabi Pottery, the UAE’s first-ever modern pottery studio, children and adults have been learning and creating with clay since the studio was established in 1994. The studio has also been recognized as one of the UAE’s official Urban Treasures by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Its children’s programs give young learners an opportunity to explore pottery through hands-on creative experiences.
To find out about current seasonal camp programs, dates, session times, and availability for children aged 5 to 14, contact Abu Dhabi Pottery directly or check the studio’s website for the latest information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age do children need to be to join a school holiday camp at Abu Dhabi Pottery?
Children aged 5 to 14 can attend Abu Dhabi Pottery’s children’s pottery programs. Age requirements for specific seasonal programs should be confirmed with the studio.
Do children need any experience to join?
No prior experience is required. Abu Dhabi Pottery’s children’s pottery sessions welcome beginners and provide guided, hands-on learning. Children are introduced to pottery techniques with support from the teaching team.
What do children create during a camp session?
Depending on the program and session, children can create hand-built pieces such as animals, cups, jewelry, plaques, pots, bowls, and decorative pieces. Pieces are slow-dried and fired in a kiln. Once finished pieces are ready, the studio notifies students, and they should be collected within the stated collection period.
How long are sessions?
Session length varies depending on the program and activity. Families should contact Abu Dhabi Pottery for the current session details.
Can parents watch?
Parents are welcome to contact the studio directly to ask about observation arrangements for specific sessions. The studio team will advise on what is suitable depending on the age group and activity.
Homa was born in Tehran, Iran where she spent her childhood and teenage years. She has lived in the UK, and currently resides between Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
