With the sleeves of his oversized shirt rolled up to his elbows and the hem hanging down to meet his ankles, my pint-sized Picasso shuffled across the grass towards a little red lean-to, ready for an artistic adventure.

Ducking through the arched doorway, Hudson had no real idea what was going to be inside, other than a brief assurance from me that there would be paint.

And he wasn’t disappointed.

About a dozen pre-schoolers were already in the throes of creating artistic masterpieces, with the walls, windows and tabletops of The Little Red Art Shed acting as a giant canvas for creative minds and paint-covered hands.

There were plenty of giggles and grins from the children and parents watched from the perimeter as the mid-morning sun attempted to peek through Fitzroy Gardens’ majestic canopy of trees.

After peeling off his paint-spattered shirt and dunking his hands in a murky bucket of water, Hudson tested his building skills among the foam shapes of the nearby Imagination Playground.

Both activities were offered as part of the Healthy Hobart initiative, a series of free public events running between now and the end of February.

Here’s a sample of upcoming events:

The Little Red Art Shed will feature as part of the program again in February, although a location is yet to be confirmed.