For Kimberley Edwards, creativity has never been just a hobby — it has been a lifelong passion and a way of life. As a child, she could often be found playing school, creating art projects, and transforming everyday materials into imaginative creations long before DIY projects became a popular trend.

Today, that same passion continues to shape her career and life’s work. Edwards is a kindergarten teacher at the American International School of Kingston (AISK), where she has dedicated the past 16 years to making learning engaging, memorable, and meaningful for young children. Beyond the classroom, she serves as the creative director of Creative Hands, an organisation committed to providing children with enriching, hands-on creative experiences throughout the year. Creative Hands offers creative entertainment for children’s events, as well as seasonal camps that encourage children to explore their imagination, develop new skills, and express themselves through a variety of artistic and active experiences.

This summer, Creative Hands is hosting Camp Create at the University of Technology (UTech) Auditorium, with programmes running July 6–10 and July 13–17. Designed for children ages 4–11, the camp provides a unique blend of creativity, movement, and self-expression.

Unlike traditional camps that focus primarily on arts and crafts, Camp Create exposes children to a diverse range of experiences led by skilled professionals. Activities include art and design, dance, dub poetry and drumming, cooking experiences, skateboarding, swimming, and an end-of-week camp concert. “What makes our programme unique is that children learn directly from talented professionals while creating meaningful projects and experiences,” Edwards explained. “We want children to leave camp having learned something new, developed confidence, and created memories that last.”

One of the highlights of the camp’s first week was a special cooking experience led by award-winning Chef Jacqui Tyson, who introduced them to the simple joys of creating healthy summer treats using frozen fruit from Rainforest Seafoods.

The session was designed to be hands-on from start to finish. Campers eagerly took turns helping to pour ingredients, operate the blender under supervision, and fill popsicle molds with their freshly made smoothies. Rather than simply watching a demonstration, the children became active participants in the process, learning that delicious treats can be made with just a few simple ingredients. As the smoothies blended, conversations naturally began to flow among the campers. One of the most rewarding moments was overhearing children discussing how surprisingly simple the recipe was and sharing ideas about other fruit combinations they wanted to try at home.

“Can we do mango next time?” one camper asked, while another enthusiastically suggested combining different fruits to create new flavours. For Edwards, these moments represent exactly what Camp Create is designed to achieve. “Creativity doesn’t only happen with paint and paper,” Edwards explained. “It can happen in the kitchen, through music, through movement, through design. We want children to see themselves as creators in every sense of the word.”

Looking ahead, Creative Hands will continue to offer its popular summer, Christmas, and Easter camps, along with creative entertainment services for birthday parties, school events, and children’s celebrations across Jamaica. At its core, Creative Hands is about more than crafts and activities — it’s about inspiring children to create, imagine, and believe in their potential. Every child deserves a Creative Hands experience!

Creative Hands

Instagram: @creativehandssummer

Photos: LH Multimedia

Creative Hands Creative Director Kimberley Edwards (left) and Chef Jacqui Tyson (Photo: LH Multimedia)

Luca Myrie pours a freshly made mango smoothie. (Photo: LH Multimedia)

Chef Jacqui Tyson serves up a Rainforest Mango Fruit Bar to Nyah James. (Photo: LH Multimedia)

Camper Olivia Marston(Photo: LH Multimedia)

Emmy and Willow Jardim enjoy their smoothies. (Photo: LH Multimedia)

From blender to cup: Zein Coke is ready to enjoy a smoothie.(Photo: LH Multimedia)

Chef Jacqui Tyson and Willow Jardim take in the making of a fresh kiwi and strawberry smoothie.(Photo: LH Multimedia)

Refreshing fruit bars are the perfect treat for campers (from left) Isabel Alexis, Zoe Smith and Olivia Marston, who pause to share the moment with Chef Jacqui Tyson.(Photo: LH Multimedia)