Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe is back open and offering summer art projects for Savannah kids

Kids and adults can visit seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to make art, hang out, eat snacks, and drink coffee. Projects change from week to week, take less than an hour to complete, and cost $8.

Past art projects include mini-animal canvasses, 3D animal cut-outs, and mobiles.

Carrie Christian, art and activity coordinator at Henny Penny, breathes a sigh of relief to be back. Christian has facilitated projects at the space for three years and has been missing her young creators. She takes pride in making a space where it’s fun and easy to host activities that are often messy and sometimes challenging to do at home.

Glitter, bright paints, and glue are her closest friends of whimsy and inspiration.

“This is a happy place, and I feel like there aren’t a whole lot of purely happy places for children. It’s powerful to be a part of that, especially after you’re away from it for over a year. Children are really happy making things here, and I like the magic of that kind of happiness.”

Becky Prescott and her daughter, Annalice, agree.

They've been coming to the art space since it opened three years ago, and they like spending time together working on their respective projects. Becky runs her own company, Alice and Pearl, designing and making handmade, vintage-inspired kitchen accessories. While six- year-old Annalice works on her Henny Penny art project, Becky works on inventory for her business.

“This is literally our favorite place,” said Presscott. “It gives my daughter something creative to do while I catch up on what I need to do. I like that we can be together creating and watching each other’s progress. I like drinking coffee, talking to other parents, and of course, the snacks.”

Robin Maaya, the art space’s newest hire and assistant, is equally ecstatic to be making art with kids again. Maaya, a recent SCAD grad who studied photography, is also a nanny and has her own child portrait business.

“I love kids and this is the perfect job for me,” beamed Maaya. “I work with great people doing what I love. It’s fun seeing how children interpret the projects and what they come up with."

That sentiment is similar for Christian. In designing each week’s project, she considers age-appropriate child development concepts like hand and eye coordination and fine motor skill engagement. Christian approaches each project as opportunity for both creativity and physical development.

“I want kids to have a 'good feeling' art experience that is fun and encourages growth,” said Christian.

“With each project I put together a set of basic materials that children can work with and create in their unique way. I love seeing how each child uses those same basic materials to create something that is their own. In that way I see so much creativity and growth every day.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe is back open and offering summer art projects for Savannah kids