Hands-on pottery and art education across the DMV
Muddy Hands.
Smiling Faces.
More than just clay — pottery builds creativity, confidence, and skills that last a lifetime. Join the 10,000+ kids who have discovered the joy of creating with Mudskippers Pottery.
Explore Summer Camps
Bring Mudskippers Pottery to your school!
WHAT WE DO:
In-person pottery programs for kids in the Washington DC Metro Area
Mudskippers Pottery brings creative learning to schools and summer camps across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Children shape real clay, explore art, and discover what they can make with their own two hands.
After-School Pottery
Give the school day a creative finish. Our pottery classes invite children to explore handbuilding, add their own ideas, and connect each project to the wider world of art.
Summer Camps
Make room for a summer of creating. Explore pottery, art, and selected cooking-themed camps, with options that vary by location and week.
School Partnerships
Bring creative enrichment to your school. We work with PTAs, PTOs, schools, and enrichment partners to connect children with hands-on ceramics education.
Join the over 10,000+ kids that have gotten muddy with Mudskippers Pottery
More than a finished pottery piece
A lump of clay gives children a chance to make decisions, solve problems, and try again. As they shape and decorate their work, students practice using their hands with care and devaelop their own creative ideas. Art history connections help them see how artists and communities have used clay across time and around the world.
A family business with a creative purpose
Mudskippers began with a love of ceramics and a belief that children deserve access to meaningful art experiences. Today, that purpose guides the classes and camps we bring to communities across the DMV.
Meet Elissa Brooks
Owner and Founder
Elissa Brooks is the founder and owner of Mudskippers Pottery, a Native of Fairfax County, she grew up in the community that Mudskippers now serves. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in art with a concentration in ceramics from Auburn University, continuing a family tradition as a third-generation Auburn student.
After having three children in just two years, Elissa began thinking about the kind of legacy she wanted to build for them. She founded Mudskippers Pottery to bring together her love of ceramics, her family, and her desire to make a difference in the place she calls home.
Elissa’s passion is making ceramics education affordable for children across the DMV. She wants young artists to have the chance to explore clay, try new ideas, and feel proud of what they create with their own hands. Through Mudskippers, she hopes to give more children access to the art form that has meant so much to her—and to build something her own children can be proud of, too.
Student Spotlight
Student stories and approved captions to be supplied.
A glimpse of the creativity, exploration, and hands-on learning in our pottery programs.
With guidance and encouragement, young artists discover the joy of shaping something with their own hands.
Every pottery piece is a chance for children to express themselves and add their own creative touches.
What People Are Saying
Join the over 10,000+ kids that have gotten muddy with Mudskippers Pottery
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