The 2-acre Sarasota Children's Garden is filled with whimsical art installations that encourage children to explore and use their imaginations. Attractions include a large koi pond at the entrance, a pirate ship, a vine-covered maze, a giant purple dragon, a tree house and a dress-up shop.
Situated inside a historic Florentine style mansion on 20 acres of waterfront property, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art features a large collection of fine and modern art, a circus museum and occasional dance and theater performances. The museum's Saturday Family Days include family-friendly tours and hands-on activities targeted to children ages 4 and older.
For a more group-focused art experience, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County offer before and after school programs as well as summer programs focused on helping children develop their cultural awareness and creativity with hands-on activities in creative writing, dance and tactile arts and crafts, including knitting.
Sarasota also has numerous family festivals and events that focus on the arts. At the Kids Art Festival in February at Woodmere Park children can experience a variety of mediums and create works of art with water colors, stamps and clay. The Annual Creativity Weekend in February provides teens and adults a chance to learn about art in seminar sessions.