Awesome Family Tile Painting Workshops in Lisbon
Creating our own azulejos (tiles) was a total highlight during our trip to Portugal, and I 100% recommend doing it if you have time, especially if you have kids. But hereās one thing to know before you begin your search: not all tile painting workshops in Lisbon cater to families, which is where this post comes in super handy.
One thing I love about Lisbon is that you canāt go one block without seeing gorgeous tiles gracing a buildingās facade or even on the ground. Theyāre everywhere, and theyāre amazing.
The kids noticed this, too. They were amazed by all the colors and designs surrounding them in Portugal, especially during our family-friendly tuk-tuk tour around Lisbon.
Experiencing a tile painting class in Lisbon with kids where they could create their own unique tiles was really neat for them.
Not to mention, bringing home an azulejo that your kids (and you!) created from a tile painting workshop in Lisbon is a pretty memorable and fantastic souvenir.
Quick Tips Before Your Tile Painting Class
Book your tail painting class in Lisbon on your first day in the city.
After you paint your tile(s) it needs to cook and cure, which means youāll need to pick them up a day or two (or three) after you create them. Plan accordingly!
Make sure you have room in your suitcase.
We had a slight mishap (our fault) with getting ours home. We thought we had room, but we didnāt. So we grabbed a box and a bunch of newspaper, wrapped them as best we could, and shipped them to our home in Germany. Wellā¦.we didnāt wrap them as well as we should have and several pieces broke. So take our advice and leave room in your travel bag to bring your tiles home from Lisbon.
Tile Painting Workshops in Lisbon for Kids
I scoured the internet before our trip to Portugal for a fun tile painting class for the kids only to discover that many tile painting classes have a minimum age.
Thankfully, there are a handful of places to paint tiles in Lisbon that include and welcome kids, and Iām including them here for you.
Tile Painting in Lisbon: Where We Went
This is the tile painting class we used, The Art of Azuelojos, but there are several more available in Lisbon for kids; Iāll list them below.
A few reasons why we picked the tile painting class we did is because the days/times worked with our schedule. It also had great reviews and it was near the National Tile Museum*, which we wanted to check out.
Full disclosure about the class we used: My husband thought the instructor was a little short with our two younger kids, but I personally thought her patience after four hours was pretty amazing. Yes, I also said four hours.
The first hour or so was a history lesson on the tiles in Lisbon/Portugal. I loved it, and the kids were surprisingly attentive for most of it (they started fading towards the end.)ā
But then it was time to paint!
Each adult could make two tiles and the kids could make two PLUS a bowl or a mug. (Kids go much faster than adults, so I thought it was nice that she thought of that in advance.)ā
She has classic Portuguese designs or a huge array of other designs that you can ātraceā on your own tile; then you go to town painting it, either in the classic blue and yellow colors or whatever colors you want.ā
The kids loved painting whatever they wanted. They used patterns to create animals and boats, and then they even started doing them freehand, which was fun to see. My oldest made a bowl and my middle daughter made a mug.
I was really, really impressed with how they followed directions and were completely focused on their work.
My only gripe is that the class went on forever. It was slotted for three hours, but we ended up being there for four hours, so I wish there was a little better time management happening.
All things considered, the kids said (and still talk about it) as a highlight of our trip. ā
š The location for this tile painting workshop in Lisbon is super close to the National Tile Museum, BUT the museum closes in the middle of the day, so keep that in mind if you want to visit before/after the class.ā
More Lisbon Tile Painting Workshops for Kids
Hereās a look at more family-friendly places to paint tiles in Lisbon so you donāt have to search high and low for them:
After You Paint Tiles in Lisbon
Once your workshop is over, the tile sightings donāt have to stop. If youāre jonesing to look at more beautiful tiles then you have to go on an art tuk-tuk tour! Not only will this one take you around to see all the super fun street art, but youāll also see some awesome Portuguese tiles along the way.
And if, for some reason, that tuk-tuk tour doesnāt work out for you, here are several other awesome options for seeing more of the city from a tuk-tuk.
I would LOVE to hear about your experience painting tiles in Lisbon, especially if you took your kids to a place not mentioned above. Leave a comment and tell me all about it! Hope this post helps you plan your next trip to Lisbon.