The Form Lab – Playful world of sculpture & invention!
From moving machines to dreamlike forms — kids explore the power of shape!
The Form Lab - (Ages 8-10)
We believe children learn best when they build, test, and play with ideas.
In ‘The Form Lab’, kids don’t just make sculptures — they experiment like engineers, imagine like artists, and discover like scientists.
Hands-on art & design classes blending STEAM learning, creativity, and collaboration — shaping bold thinkers and inventive makers for the future.
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Special Offer – Limited Time Only!
Valid until 31 October 2025
Join the BoboKids Art Club in Dagenham – small, creative classes for up to 15 children.
Taster Session (1 class, 60–90 mins): £14 per child
4-Class Package: £50 (£12.50 per class)
8-Class Package: £92 (£11.50 per class special offer)
(Guided activities, and social time for kids.)
Introductory Offer – Limited Time Only!
Special package prices available until 31 October 2025.
Spaces are limited — register early to secure your spot!
Offer valid for new and returning customers. Terms & Conditions apply.
Read full Terms & ConditionsOnline Group Classes (up to 5 children)
Taster Session (1 class, 60–90 mins): £14 per child
4-Class Package: £48 (£12 per class)
8-Class Package: £80 (£10 per class)
(Guided activities, and social time for kids. Art materials are NOT included.)
1:1 Private Classes (child)
Single Session (60–90 mins): £25
4-Class Package: £88 (£22 per class)
8-Class Package: £160 (£20 per class)
(Fully personalised pace and projects tailored to your child’s interests. Art materials are NOT included.)
Tip: Most families choose the group package — children love learning alongside friends.
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We offer small group classes of up to five children, creating a warm, supportive environment where we share ideas, learn together, and build confidence through playful art.
For parents who prefer a more tailored approach, we also offer 1:1 classes, where child receive personalised guidance. These sessions move at your their own pace, focus on your child’s unique interests, and allow for deeper exploration of techniques and projects.
Whether you choose the sociable buzz of a small group or the focused attention of one-to-one sessions, both formats are designed to feel relaxed, engaging, and inspiring — nurturing creativity for children.
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Classes are led by a trained Fine Artist with over 15 years of teaching experience. Together, mum(s) and child(ren) are gently guided through techniques and explorations, making creative time at home easier and more enjoyable.
We understand that spending creative time with little ones can sometimes feel daunting — or, let’s be honest, even a bit boring. That’s where we come in. We provide the structure, inspiration, and encouragement. And if you fancy, sessions can also include relaxed conversation around a topic of your choice — a chance to socialise as much as to create.
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Kinetic & sculptural play with mixed media
Art meets STEAM — kids explore how movement, scale, memory, and imagination can all become part of sculpture. Through playful engineering, surreal invention, shiny pop experiments, and ghost-like forms, children discover that sculptures don’t just sit still — they can dance, surprise, and tell invisible stories.
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4-class plan (each about 60–90 minutes) balances hands-on making, playful games, and inspiration from world-renowned sculptors.
Moving Sculptures: Discover balance, pivots, and wind power by building kinetic works inspired by Calder and Jansen.
Surreal Forms: Turn ordinary objects into dreamlike papier-mâché creations inspired by Dalí and Oppenheim.
Pop Play: Explore scale and surface with oversized, glossy, balloon-like sculptures inspired by Koons and Oldenburg.
Ghosts of Objects: Capture memory and presence with object “casts,” inspired by Whiteread and Gormley.
Each class blends art-making with principles of balance, engineering, imagination, and storytelling — all in an age-appropriate way that feels like discovery, not instruction.
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Confidence in making 3D forms that move, surprise, or transform.
STEAM connections: balance, forces, materials, and scale as playful experiments.
Growth in creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration.
A new appreciation for sculpture as movement, memory, and imagination.
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In our Sculpture Lab, children don’t just build — they become inventors, engineers, and storytellers.
Each session combines art and science, giving kids the chance to test, tinker, and imagine. They develop resilience through trial and error, practice teamwork through group challenges, and find joy in creating playful sculptures that bend rules and spark conversation.Kids leave not only with bold, eye-catching artworks, but with deeper skills in design, engineering, and creative thinking — all while having fun.
Introduction to 3D Modelling & Science of Sculpture
Class 1: Moving Sculptures – Kinetic Play
Warm-up game:
Human Mobiles: Kids stand in a circle, each holding a pose. One moves slightly, others adjust to stay balanced, like a Calder mobile.
Wind Test: Blow gently on each other’s arms to feel how small forces create motion.
Exploration:
Build small moving structures from straws, sticks, LEGO gears, or recycled parts.
Experiment with balance points, pivots, and wheels.
Use fans or air blowing to test movement.
Concept:
“Movement can be part of sculpture. Balance and forces make artworks dance, spin, or sway.”
Artist Inspiration:
Alexander Calder (mobiles).
Theo Jansen (wind-powered Strandbeests).
Jean Tinguely (playful mechanical machines).
Outcome:
Kids discover how engineering principles (balance, pivot, wind power) can make art move, blending mechanics with creativity.
Class 2: Surreal Forms – Dream Sculptures
Warm-up game:
Dream Object Mash-up: Kids draw two random objects (like a shoe + teapot) and combine them into one surreal design.
Share and laugh at strange new creations.
Exploration:
Build a base from cardboard, bottles, or toys.
Cover with papier-mâché strips to form dreamlike shapes.
Add unexpected elements (wings, melting parts, eyes).
Paint in bright or unusual colours.
Concept:
“Sculpture doesn’t have to look real. Surrealist artists turn ordinary things into dreamlike, impossible objects.”
Artist Inspiration:
Salvador Dalí (melting clocks, dream imagery).
Meret Oppenheim (furry teacup).
Outcome:
Kids learn that art can challenge logic, using imagination to transform everyday objects into playful dream-sculptures.
Class 3: Pop Play – Big & Shiny Forms
Warm-up game:
Blow It Up: Kids draw a small object (banana, shoe, toy) → then re-draw it huge.
Compare small vs. giant — which feels funnier, more powerful?
Exploration:
Spray expanding foam (adult-assisted) onto a cardboard/foil base.
Shape into rounded, oversized forms.
Paint glossy colours or cover in metallic foil to mimic balloon-like surfaces.
Concept:
“Changing scale makes us see objects differently. Big, shiny, or playful sculptures surprise us and make us smile.”
Artist Inspiration:
Jeff Koons (giant balloon dog).
Claes Oldenburg (huge everyday objects).
Outcome:
Kids understand how size, surface, and exaggeration change perception, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Class 4: Ghosts of Objects – Sculpture as Memory
Warm-up game:
Body Silhouettes: Kids trace each other’s shadows or outlines.
Talk about how the outline captures a “presence” even when the person moves away.
Exploration:
Wrap small objects (cups, shoes, toys) in foil or tape.
Cover with papier-mâché, then remove the object to leave its “ghost.”
Option: Cast handprints or simple body forms with plaster bandages.
Concept:
“Sculptures don’t only show objects — they can show the empty space or memory left behind.”
Artist Inspiration:
Rachel Whiteread (casts of everyday spaces).
Antony Gormley (body-inspired sculptures).
Outcome:
Kids explore presence, absence, and memory — discovering that sculpture can capture invisible stories and feelings.