I brought my 5 year old grandson, and he loved being able to create his own dinosaur. it was…read moreexplained fully, and there was a wonderful selection of items and paints. very reasonably priced.

Cutest place to paint ceramics. They were so helpful with my kids and the turned out greatread more

I decided on a whim to take a glass blowing class here and it was very fun and interesting. Lots…read moreof laughs and I got to take home some water globes. I would definitely recommend this. Thanks!

We had my daughter's 6th birthday party here last week. It…read morewas easy to book online. I also phoned them many times with different questions and they were patient and helpful. It was nice that we could bring any food and drinks we wanted, even some Champagne and hard seltzer for parents. Cheers to that :) Also, it was nice to have the party at a room separated from the main store. Besides the pottery painting I added cupcakes decorating activity and it was a success. All kids loved it of course! A week after the party, I received a text message that all our pottery was ready and thats so nice too, much quicker than expected. I definitely recommend this place! We'll be back for sure.

More of a passion project for owner. Studio keeps erratic hours. Owner makes appointments she…read moredoesn't keep. Non responsive afterwards. I drove 30 minutes one way for a confirmed appointment only to find she cancelled via email at 11:30pm the night before. She owes me gas money as far as I'm concerned. When you read other reviews, you'll find its a pattern.

This place is huge and stocked with every imaginable pottery/crafting/painting accoutrement. I'm…read morenot really into all these activities (I'm friends with the owner, who's also a licensed massage therapist - a Jane of all trades) but if I were, I can't imagine any request she can't cover. There's shelf after shelf of pots and figurines and whatnot at various stages of completion. There's a bevy of workstations where you can come in and choose a piece and glaze it and then they fire it and voila! You got yerself a new yard gnome or a spittoon or whatevz!! They'll do parties and tutorials and all other kinds of stuff... other arts and crafts as well: scrapbooking and weaving and stained glass and furniture refinishing and all that groovy stuff! I'll be back (for the deep tissue work!)

Color me mine is so fun! I came for Valentines day and had the best time. They were also offering…read more50% off studio fees if you drew a flower and so that was kind as well. I would recommend coming here with friends or family!

What a fun time!! Great activity to do while it's too chilly out to hang outside. Reasonable on…read moreprice for what you get. You pay for the studio fee ($8) for me that day and then the piece you pick to paint has its own price. Lots of pieces and colors to choose from. The customer service was wonderful and the ladies were quick to answer questions and help in anyway they could. Located in downtown Crystal Lake with a Starbucks and restaurants within walking distance so you can make a date night of it! Check it out!

We had the most amazing birthday party for our five-year-old at the Painted Penguin Hawthorn Mall…read more Robin made the experience most importantly a blast (both parents and kids had such fun), was organized to keeping moving the event forward (i.e., the painting, then the drawing, then the food, then the cake, then the giving out of goody bags and goodbyes), and everyone at The Painted Penguin were so kind, helpful, and didn't hesitate to involve themselves when they saw a need, like organizing our table for the food, leading the kids to the table with the painting, giving the kids all the instructions (and paint!) they needed, etc. It was just such a seamless, wonderful experience, all thanks to The Painted Penguin and, most importantly, Robin and her staff. On a personal note, Robin also found out I was an author, bought my most recent book, and put the book front and center, for her staff and our guests to see. It meant so much to me. Thank you so much for such a memorable time, and for such a unforgettable birthday party for my oldest daughter, Nina!

We had a blast yesterday with the kids. I took my two year old and my eight year old here for…read moreSunday funday. It's been awhile since I've been there. But it definitely did not disappointed. The starting range to paint a blank ceramic is about 6 bucks, the cost does go up depending on the size, and or character. I saw some larger items for 22 bucks. This was a fun way to get out of the house, do something fun, creative, and expressive. Once your blank ceramic is purchased, they have multiple paint stations available. They provide the paint, the paint brushes, cups of water, and a plastic apron to cover your clothes. My eight year old loved the idea of the different colors. My two year old decided to mix all of her paint colors together. (We are working on her artistic skills) They also have really good deals on party packages and an exclusive party room. Apparently they make slim, paper art, canvases, and spray paint/graffiti art. The host was super nice, friendly, and informative. The kids enjoyed themselves and we will definitely be back.

We love to visit Fox Valley Pottery. It is our favorite place to have a girls day…read more Employees are nice and very helpful. The shop is super clean, too! My only complaint is sometimes the music is too loud. The last two times I went to paint, I left with a pounding headache because of the music. Not a big deal, next time I go, I will pop a couple Tylenol before I get there!

Nice easy party atmosphere. Girls had a nice time and loved their pieces they painted! Website…read morepricing needs to be updated though. They need to work on communication. They had technical difficulties with the kiln and they were then getting backed up. I completely understand about that. But if I weren't the one reaching out for updates I would've been sitting for nearly a month waiting.

We recently hosted my daughter's 7th birthday party here and had a fantastic experience. There…read morewere a number of options (ceramic painting, canvas painting, slime, and more!) - we chose canvas painting. The owner, Robin, and one of the other employees were fantastic at leading a group of 21 first grade girls through painting a mermaid tail (there were so many choices for the canvas painting - my daughter happened to choose this one). They can do them more or less complex based on the age group of the party. Robin was truly fantastic to work with. She took care of everything, including ordering pizzas from elsewhere in the mall. I brought the paper goods and cupcakes and everything else was handled. We were in a party room in the back that is utilitarian but also decorated. I definitely appreciated that there were separate tables for the art and the eating! I was perfectly happy to not be out in the front of the store with the general public. And the price was totally reasonable given everything that they did for us. Would definitely host another party here! We've also come on a random day just to do a walk in ceramic painting, which was also great. Lots of selections at all sorts of different price points. You can also do walk in canvas painting.

Haven't been in the store yet to experience, but was planning on holding my daughter's birthday…read moreparty here. We eventually ended up forgoing this year because she's still so young she wouldn't fully appreciate the experience, but plan on going for some Mommy and me time. The staff that I was in touch with while planning the event were all so helpful, responsive, and friendly. Even when we decided to pass on holding the party there, after we had filled out the form and not yet put in the deposit, they were so understanding. They get high ratings, they're located conveniently in a mall where if you have youngers you can go to the playgrounds in the mall, and if you have olders, they can walk around and do a little independent shopping. Looking forward to visiting soon!

Love this place and it's so much fun! We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty crowded and I…read morethink there was a party in the back. We walked in and we waited around for maybe 10 minutes before we were helped. Staff was friendly and it's a great activity for when it's raining out or if you're feeling crafty. They have tons of options to choose from and you pick up your piece a few days later.

Very nice pottery painting studio, lots of variety of pieces and paints. Went on a Sunday and staff…read moresaid pick up ready by Friday. Staff were super helpful and friendly!