One of our favorite birthday traditions!…read more The Painted Penguin is such a fun place to bring the kids and let them get creative! I bring my kids here every year for their birthdays, and they absolutely love picking out something to paint and spending time creating their own little masterpieces. It's also a great way to keep them busy and kill some time! Robin, the owner, is always so friendly and sweet, and the staff are just as helpful and welcoming. Everyone here makes the experience feel easy and fun. If you're looking for something fun to do with the kids, definitely check this place out! We'll be back again next year for our birthday tradition!

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!

I went here for my bday and the staff was attentive and kind. They have ALOT of ceramic choices to…read morechoose from and a lot of colors. You can take your time and directions were given clear. I will be coming back soon! :)

We return to this location over and over again. The staff is wonderful and friendly…read more An always changing stock of items to paint and decorate.

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!

The best experience ever! Mar was so thorough in teaching us to throw and helping us create…read morebeautiful items given that we were both novices :) highly recommend!

My friend and I were really excited to attend our first ever pottery class. Upon entering we were…read moregreeted by the teachers and they explained the whole process to us. The studio is a bit small but and enough space for you to roam about and do your thing. The first step was to handle the clay then they thought us how to handle the wheel and then we got to choose if we wanted a vase, a cup or a bowl. We were in a small group of 6 due to which the teachers could explain and help us well. We ended up upgrading our class to include paint as well as we got to know that without the paint we won't be able to use the things we made of it involves water. My friend made a cute cup and I made a not so cute vase. I would definitely say that but the end of the class, we were rushing a bit and would have appreciated some help and tips from the teachers but we didn't get any. We had to constantly ask about things and where the brushes were and where the paints were. Since it was our first ever class, we would have appreciated a bit more help from the teachers in managing our time and helpful tips on how to glaze correctly instead of having to ask everything ourselves when we are already rushing. Regardless, we had a lot of fun and can't wait to pick up our pieces soon!

We absolutely love Color Me Mine Schaumburg! Ali is always amazing and goes above and beyond to…read morehelp us every time we visit. He is friendly, welcoming, and always makes sure we have everything we need. My 10-year-old daughter and I have been coming here for many years, and it has become one of our favorite places to spend quality time together. It's a fun, relaxing, and quiet environment where we can talk, laugh, and make memories while creating something special to take home

Color Me Mine is such a cute date idea! The prices are super reasonable, and I loved all the tools…read morethey had available. There were so many colors to choose from! I was a little nervous because the glaze looked so light at first, but when I picked up my piece a week later (which was super fast!), the colors were so vibrant and looked just like the sample. I made the Hungry Caterpillar, and it turned out so cute! The staff was also incredibly sweet and welcoming. I'd definitely come back!

i love coming here with my friends :) it's always a great experience. everyone is so nice and…read morehelpful, too.

it was a fun afternoon with friends creating our beautiful pottery pieces. The staff was friendly…read moreand helpful. They had a large selection of pottery pieces to choose from. It was an enjoyable experience. We would definitely go there again.

Me and my friend are here just about every week, and we LOVE it there. I first came here for a…read morebirthday party. Mind you this party was for ages 30+ but we all had a blast! Prices were great! Staff was friendly and helpful. Over all just a great experience which is why i keep coming back. Plus painting here is such a big stress reviler for me. So its almost therapy! The owner is a very nice woman. Always friendly and talks to us all the time. I've noticed other reviews on here think differently, but I'm sure it's because rules were not followed and people don't like being reminded that rules apply to everyone and they are NOT the exception. Anyways, Her selection of plaster pieces is enormous! So much variety and range from little tiny things....to extra large pieces AND prices are great! The cheapest items will run about 10$ and most expensive would be ~60-70$ for a BIG piece. And there are NO studio or supply fees! Everything is included in the purchase price of the piece you choose. They also offer glazing/firing here! for 3$ extra you can use glaze to paint your piece and with a week turn around for firing get a great looking piece! Love doing this for plates/cups etc. This place is NOT just for kids, It's a great place for adults too! they even have some nights that are BYOB!

We love PnP! I've been bringing my kids here for 18 years and it's so much fun. It's great for…read morelittle kids but it's just as much fun with teens and tweens because there's so many different items to choose from. Great family-owned business that truly cares.

Ok so this was not what I was expecting. I was thinking more the paint your own pottery where they…read morethen glaze and fire the pieces. This was painting ceramics, which they sealed (? Glazed? I don't know the right word) at the end. It was nice that we could take them home right away vs coming back later. My kids, ages 7 and 9 really enjoyed the experience. I felt like the cost was a little high on the things to paint (most were $20+) but we did get a discount on the studio fee with the coupon on yelp so that was nice. It was also nice that we could get lunch and dessert in the same shopping area, making for a nice girls outing without driving all over the place.

This is a hidden gem that I didn't know was so close to me. I took my 16 & 18 y/o daughters for a…read morebonding activity before my oldest leaves for boot camp. The atmosphere/music was perfect for creating. Excellent customer service! Shannon was great and answered all of my questions even helping me to decide what I wanted to paint. There are plenty of options to choose from. We spent 4.5 hours that went by quickly. My daughters enjoyed themselves. My 16 y/o is already talking about our next visit. The picture is my daughter's before glazing.

Recently I ordered a party kit to go for my daughters birthday party. The staff at Alpaca Art made…read morethe process so easy! I was able to pick out the pieces for painting and in the kit they gave directions and samples to show the kids. Once we brought it back it only took a week to get the fired pieces back! They even separated them and packaged them per child so I didn't have to look through and try to do that myself! They did all of the work for me! It was also a lot of fun for the kids, I will definitely be giving business to them in the future!

This is a review Aplaca Art's birthday party event. I booked my 7 year old's party here after…read morepreviously stopping by to paint pottery. I can't compliment them enough. It should be noted that this review takes place at the location on 7th street and they have since moved but I feel confident in saying the overall atmosphere and experience will remain the same. I regret I do not have any pictures of the new location on 6th Street but it also is very nice. They went out of their way to make the party area special (which they decorate nicely for an small extra fee) and were helpful in instructing the kids (and adults). They stood by ready to help without being obtrusive or overbearing and were relaxed and fun to talk to. There are different prices of party packages but all include different options of pottery to paint. This party package includes the painting. If you wish to have food you can bring pizza and they have a neat deal with Kaiser's pizza (I'll also review) who will deliver and give you a discount if you're having a party at Alpaca. This is a very cool option if you're looking for something interesting and fun that is outside of standard birthday party venue. You will be able to pick up the pottery prices in one week and they come nicely wrapped. Everyone had a great time, we'll be going back again. Thank

Sunshine Arts & Crafts is one of my daughter's favorite spots for a bday party. When I pick her up…read moreI can expect to see a big smile and a beautiful painted creation...usually something with a rainbow on it. I've been meaning to do a drop in visit, but the few times I've called in the past they've been closed. But today was my lucky day because when looking for a rainy day activity I called and their VM said they would be open from 11am-4pm. When we arrived there was (of course) a birthday party...actually 2 of them! My daughter and her friend looked longingly at the bday treats, but I insisted they quickly pick out their pieces and then we made our way to the other side of the shop. Then they saw a friend from school come out of the glow and the dark room (who knew there was one)...there was some sort of cosmic painting party going on in there. We checked it out and my daughter declared she was going to have a future bday party right in that room. Then they got to work on their pottery pieces...a popsicle for my daughter and a unicorn rainbow for her friend. At $17/piece this is more expensive than some of the other pottery places we've been to, but they do give you unlimited paint colors. It took a little while for the staff to get us our paint thanks to the bday parties, but the girls could learn some patience anyway. Once we got going the staff was on it...constantly changing out the yucky water. And the girls were absolutely thrilled when the bday party mom gave them lollipop favors. 30 minutes later their creations were done...the taff glazed them and even added some glitter. They were ready to display at home! Highly recommend for bday parties, but also a fun way to kill an hour...especially on a rainy/cold/hot day!

This review was removed by Yelp saying... And I quote:…read more "We're writing to let you know that we've removed your review of Sunshine Arts & Crafts because it falls outside our Content Guidelines. Ultimately, while we understand you were at an event where Sunshine Arts & Crafts provided service, at this time we think that the people who are in the best position to review businesses like these are the customers themselves (who may deal with the business not only on the day-of the event, but other aspects as well such as pre-event planning). Thanks for understanding and we'll see you on Yelp!" To this I respond, MY review was written by me while at MY son's birthday party. I paid for the event in question. So to wit... I am in the best position to have experienced this business for TWO events I PAID FOR. Thank you for not removing the review without having at least asked me. And now for the review. ------- First, my review is NOT based upon one visit but several, it is only this last visit I thought I should take the time to write a review. Normally, I don't write reviews that are negative and definitely not if the review has to do with a personal pet peeve. I personally hate those types of reviews because all that means is someone got a isolated bad experience. All the prophylactics made now let me give my feedback.... The owners are a husband and wife, they fit one another perfectly - they are a hyper-sensitive overly-anxious couple that appears to be incredibly nervous every time a child moves around their shop during birthday parties which is something they supposedly specialize in. Anyone who is in the business of hosting children's birthdays needs to be less than neurotic when children show up. Mind you no one was running around or yelling or misbehaving on any of the times I went to see birthday events but these two acted like nervous grandparents watching children in a hand blown glass store. The woman hovers over and micro manages the kids and the husband stands back and scowls at the kids. It's amazing to see two of the least laid back least friendly people one could imagine are in the business of hosting children's events. There is nothing wrong with having their up-tight personality in and of itself, it's just I have never seen two more misplaced people for this job in my life. Neither of them have ever smiled that I could see at any of the birthday parties I have come to, this last one was no exception. The man guards the one half of the shop from infiltration by children as if he is a border guard on the Berlin Wall. The woman is so anal retentive (uptight) she spends most of her time tasking the kids to move along - she could be mistaken for a railway guard rather than an art teacher for children. At the end, I actually felt sorry for the owners. For reasons I can not fathom they have assigned themselves to their own personal hell since it appears from every fiber of their being that they are completely stressed out and unhappy at what they do. Mind you, the product at issue is fine, the art is fine, the venue is fine, it is just I have never seen two people who appear more viscerally unhappy than these two and in the context of a kids event it just isn't worth it to subject yourself to that type of negative energy.