PLEASE NOTE: This post was originally written in 2013. While it should still give you a great idea of the overall experience, it is also possible that some information may be outdated. We encourage you to check out The Little Green Tambourine’s website for the most up to date information, especially for details like hours, class offerings and schedules, and pricing. If you notice something in this post that needs to be updated, please feel free to leave a comment with the updated information, or email us at outandaboutmom@gmail.com and we will be happy to make the updates. Hey, it takes a village, right? 🙂
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2013 Post
Last year the kids art studio in West Hartford closed and I was bummed. Where was I going to take my toddlers so they could explore their creative side without creating a mess for me to clean up?
Fortunately, a friend told me about another art destination that wasn’t too far away.
Located in Canton, Connecticut, off Route 44, right past the Shoppes of Farmington Valley, The Little Green Tambourine offers kids ages birth to 12 the opportunity to enjoy art, music and creative play in a clean, green, (and adorable) studio.
The Little Green Tambourine is a healthy living, creative arts studio for kids ages birth through 12 years. Our classes are designed to nurture the growth of the whole child by providing nature-themed learning experiences that inspire creativity, increase self-esteem and facilitate a healthy lifestyle.
The studio offers a variety of classes including: art, music, cooking, dance, and yoga. They even have a baby sign language class! They offer open play sessions, camps and birthday parties. Plus, there are drop-off classes for kids ages three and up (yay!)
We were given the opportunity to check out this kid-friendly destination by attending their Monday morning, “Mini Music and Messy Art” class.
To get there, we took Route 44 from West Hartford, over the mountain, through Avon and into Canton. Not far past the Shoppes of Farmington Valley, we turned after the “pink house” into the Canton Green shopping center where the studio is located.
There was plenty of parking in the shopping center and it was easy to get a spot close to the studio. My husband was with me, so he carried Sweetheart in her car seat and I walked in with the twins. (I did see a few moms bring babies in a stroller, so that is an option as well.)
Once inside, we were greeted by a delicious smell (from some yummy scented candles) and cute decor.
I’m used to encountering a pretty hectic, kid-filled environment when attending a typical toddler class, but here I really did feel a sense of calmness as we entered.
We took off our coats and shoes and placed them by the front door.
We then headed into the adjoining room to begin the music class.
That day we were dropping in on the “Mini Music and Messy Art” class. It was for kids ages 12 to 36 months with a parent. The class runs for an hour and begins with music, followed by an art project, and then time for free play.
We found a spot for Sweetheart in the adjoining room and then got ourselves situated and ready for class.
The founder and owner of the Little Green Tambourine, Suzanne, was also the instructor for our class.
She started off with a welcome song where she welcomed each of the children by name. 
Following introductions, she sang some additional songs with the kids and then got out some fun props.
Though Ms. Suzanne did a great job keeping the class moving and keeping the kids engaged, my curious daughter did spend some time wandering on her own. Fortunately, the room was closed off, so she couldn’t get too far.
{Notice the little clan of babies in the back of the room. If you are a mom with a toddler and a baby in tow, you will have good company here!}
Ms. Suzanne brought out a basket of sunglasses and scarves for the kids to use in a fun driving song. 
Then she brought out a variety of musical instruments for the kiddos.
Don’t you just love Sparkles’ upside down specs?
The musical component of the class closed with a dance party complete with flying scarves and a very popular bubble machine.
After we were done with exploring our musical side, the class headed into the other room so the kids could explore their artistic side. 
The art project for this class was decorating cute paper cars. The kids had access to all-natural paint and other decorating utensils.
The first step was to put on the cute little smocks.
Then, it was time to get painting and decorating.
Embracing their philosophy of being a green studio, Ms. Suzanne makes her own all-natural paint for the art projects. Bruiser actually thought the paint was pretty tasty (and I didn’t have to get stressed about him putting it in his mouth).
You can even purchase some paint to take home for your own projects.
As the kids finished, they washed up, laid out their projects to dry and headed back into the adjoining rooms for a little more playtime.
Playtime included a variety of entertainment.
One room included a play kitchen and sensory tables. It was great for all ages, but was nice because it was a smaller, enclosed space.
There was also a great play space back in the room where the music session was held. One section opened up to reveal a fabulous dress-up area.
Sparkles was definitely enjoying the variety of dress-up clothes.
The remaining space included a train table and other play equipment.
While the kids were having fun, I did take a look at the restroom to validate the existence of a baby changing area. Check!
The only challenge with this class was getting my kids to leave. I’m serious, they didn’t want to go!
So, whether you are looking for a parent/child or drop-off class. Wether you want to sign up for art, music, dance, cooking or a combination, this is the place for you. Plus the “green” component makes it a perfect destination for children with allergies or other environmental sensitivities. The studio is surprisingly clean (it is an art studio!), they utilize green cleaning products and it is a no-nut facility. They even offer a very reasonable class make-up policy to ensure that sick kiddos don’t feel obligated to come.
Check out their class schedule for more information. Spring classes begin March 4th and they are offering a variety of camps during February vacation.
A Healthy Living Creative Arts Studio
Address: 166 Albany Turnpike, Suite 3, Route 44, Canton, Connecticut 06019
Website: http://www.tlgtcanton.com
Phone: (860) 352-5504
Email: info@thelittlegreentambourine.com
You can also check out their Facebook Page, Class Schedule and Upcoming Events.
Get directions here:
Studio Features:
- Classes for children ages infant to twelve years old
- Green, nut-free facility
- All-natural art products
- Variety of classes including music, art, cooking, dance, yoga, and baby sign language
- Drop-off classes for kids ages three and up
- Vacation camps
- Open play sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays
- A birthday party destination
- Flexible make-up policy when kids are sick and can’t make class
- Clean, inviting environment
- Opportunity to try out a class by paying a one-time fee (call for availability)
Tips & Things to Bring:
- Bring socks. You are asked to remove your shoes before entering the facility.
- Have your child wear comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting messy. The kids wear smocks and my kids didn’t really seem to get any paint on their clothes, but just in case you might want to be prepared.
- The restroom has a baby changing area if one is needed.
- Babies still happy to hang out in their car seat are welcome to hang out during class.
- Leave any food products containing nuts at home. This is a nut-free facility.
Thanks to Ms. Suzanne at The Little Green Tambourine for providing us with complimentary access to the Mini Music and Messy Art class. All opinions are 100% my own.
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