Art and Sculpture for Kids in Wakefield

With 500 acres of rolling landscape to run and play in, and all filled to the brim with world-class art, Yorkshire Sculpture Park is already a magnet for kids as-is. But it doesn’t hurt to give a little structure to their imaginations, and help channel their creativity.

Little Wild Wood is a sculpture park-within-a-park. Covering two acres, it features three large artworks for children to discover, touch and sit on – including a two-metre-high Desert Rat – along with willow tunnels, teepees, platforms, stepping stones and more. Little Wild Wood is all about exploring, building, getting muddy – and having fun in nature.

Because Great British Summer can be unpredictable, Outdoor Sculpture Building: Come Rain offers bookable sessions that run whatever the weather! These imaginative workshops invite kids and their grown-ups to work and play together to build outdoor sculptures inspired by artists in the park.

There are around 100 outdoor sculptures at YSP, and the Sculpture Spy sheet is a brilliant way to help you find them. Kids can pick up a map and challenge themselves to see how many they can spot, which is a great way to keep them engaged on a walk around the park.

The Hepworth Wakefield‘s collection of intriguing artworks is sure to spark imagination, and the Hepworth Wakefield Garden provides a great place to play and explore, surrounded by thoughtfully planted nature and surprising sculptures.

The Hepworth’s regular Family Workshops are a fantastic way to get kids engaging with art and the creative process. Themed around current exhibitions, the workshops start with a tour of the galleries, followed by a guided session where they make their own piece based on what they’ve seen. From self-portraiture to clay sculpting, soap carving, printing and more, there’s something to capture the imagination of every little artist.

The Hepworth has plenty of self-led activities, too. Borrow looking tools, handling objects, books and drawing materials to explore the galleries and create your own art at the Explore & Draw Stations, or collect an Explore & Draw Kit from the welcome desk and use the playful activity cards to guide little ones through the galleries and garden.

Every Saturday during term-time (and every Monday, Friday and Saturday during school holidays), head to the Art Pod where kids will be greeted by a member of the learning team who will offer a choice of creative activities linked to the current exhibitions.

The Art House is all about creativity, community, and self-expression, offering a space where young artists can try new techniques and let their imaginations run wild. Look out for half-term and summer clubs to keep children entertained through the holidays!

Every Friday, kids and their grownups will be made welcome at a free, relaxed Talk and Draw session. These workshops are open to people of all ages, cultures and communities, making them sociable and fun – and a great place for budding artists to try out new skills. Each session is led by an artist, so kids can learn new techniques whilst also sharing conversations and stories.

The Wakefield Sculpture Trail is a series of sculptures dotted through the city of Wakefield – which makes it perfect for a quick spot of art as you’re doing your shopping!

Amazonian Caiman God by Jason Wilsher-Mills sits opposite Wakefield Cathedral, and features fun Instagram filters that bring the sculpture to life with vivid colours, and let kids try on parts of the sculpture like a costume.

Wakefield city centre’s newest creative hub has ample opportunities for budding young creatives to flex their crafty muscles!

This summer, kids will love immersing themselves in the colourful, psychedelic world of Jason Wilsher-Mills at WX’s new exhibition, Jason and the Wakefield Adventure. Featuring giant inflatable sculptures, flying sheep, a magic mirror, fun activities and lots more, there’s already plenty to spark the imagination. But even more than that, there is a treasure trove of events to bring the exhibition to life over the summer.

Little ones can enjoy drop-in family crafts on Saturdays during term time, and on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in the holidays. Or book onto a cracking creative craft workshop throughout the summer. Little artists can try their hands at mixed media workshops, superhero life drawing, or creating their own life as a hero’s journey – all themed around Jason’s larger-than-life sculptures and characters.

The Wakefield district’s major festivals programme always includes plenty of opportunities for kids to get hands on and stuck in with some crafts!

Pontefract Liquorice Festival will feature not one but two wonderful workshops where children and grown-ups alike can flex their creative muscles.

Candy Creations celebrates the rich heritage of liquorice in Pontefract. Kids can use watercolours to paint a bespoke wooden shape which can be engraved with ‘Liquorice Festival 2025’. Each child will leave with their own painted wooden liquorice allsorts piece, complete with hanging ribbon and paper sweet bag as a keepsake from the day.  

Around the corner on Salter Row, Liquorice Lanes is an interactive floor art activity that invites children and families to join in using bright chalks to decorate the ground with liquorice-inspired drawings – festival-goers will come together to add their own pictures or colour the pre-drawn sweet shapes.

When you think of museums and castles, you think or heritage, but Wakefield Museums and Castles have incorporated all kinds of history-inspired creative workshops and events into their incredible programme this summer.

Creative Castleford, at Castleford Museum, invites kids to follow in the footsteps of legendary local artists and work with pottery, sculpture, photography and more, with a different theme to enjoy each week.

Wakefield Museum‘s Make and Take Tuesdays are a great opportunity to spend quality family time together throughout the summer holidays. Try a different craft and technique each week inspired by the lively landscape paintings of Cynthia Kenny on display in their exhibition A City Framed. Plus, have a go at gelli plate printing, acrylic pouring and more.

Enjoy fun crafts to help you find out what weird and wonderful objects are hidden in Pontefract Museum‘s Cabinet of Curiosities every week of the holidays!

At Pontefract Castle, little artists will investigate Colour Chemistry From Nature’s Rainbow, and find out how to make inks and dyes using natural materials. Kids and grown-ups will be inspired by the medieval garden and the plants that were grown there in the past, and have the opportunity to try a new technique in every session!

What’s more, all this is in addition to the regular Family Fun and Museum Minis sessions that run year-round.

If your little one is a Barbara Hepworth or Henry Moore in the making, pay a visit to one of the district’s pottery studios!

Jasmine Pottery Studio is located in Wakefield city centre, and runs regular events and seasonal workshops where kids can paint everything from cereal bowls to sorting hats (and everything in between). An if you can’t make it to a session, their clay at home kits will bring the creativity to you!

Over in Castleford’s Queen’s Mill, Riverside Paint a Pot is a great space to relax, have fun and embrace your creative side as a family. Their mini potters sessions are ideal for little ones. The workshop starts with a short story, followed by painting a pot inspired by the story. Then it’s time for kids to get crafty sticking, cutting and coloring their own masterpiece.