Sunshine Arts & Crafts is one of my daughter's favorite spots for a bday party. When I pick her up I 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! read more

Sunshine Arts & Crafts - Proud of her melted Popsicle creation - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

This review was removed by Yelp saying... And I quote: "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. read more

After attending a pottery painting birthday party for a family friend with my boys, I have to say this place did a pretty great job of juggling a group of squirmy wormies. The challenge for my kids, right off the bat, was getting them to select from the cornucopia of plaster blanks. There were so many worthy options! I was relieved that the instructors were smart enough to group age-appropriate items together on one shelf. This made the process move along quickly. At the table with everyone, the time to paint was honestly just right. Not too long where kids got antsy, and long enough for them to finish their projects. It was a good thing some of us parents stuck around to assist when kids got frustrated or needed an extra hand. Though the instructors were incredibly helpful, I'm not so sure they could have attended to each child one-on-one and stayed within the allotted party time. The clean up line was super organized and no one left with dirty fingers. After painting, there was just enough time left for a story. I thought this was a nice way to wind everyone down and keep them together as a group until parents came for pick up. I would have given this place five stars, because I think they really understand how to work with kids, but I was hoping finished projects could be left for firing in a kiln. Regardless, this was a fantastic experience all-in-all. read more

My 8 yr old, very artistic daughter was excited to attend an After School Activity (at our school) which the owners were conducting. Right from the start my daughter came home and told us 'the teachers are really mean'. As parents we have to teach our children coping skills; after all, in life we may not like or get along with everybody all the time, right? Soon it became apparent coping skills weren't enough to tolerate this nasty duo, and weekly my daughter dreaded attending, and then complained after, about the teachers. This past Monday was the last straw. Keep in mind this is an after school program, funded by parents, & yet the children should still follow the rules AND have fun. This last part wasn't an option sadly. The owners/teachers got angry with the children, especially our daughter. They separated her from the rest of the class, had her sit in a chair while they yelled at her, continued speaking meanly about her to her classmates and would not let her do the project. According to our daughter and her classmates, the owners humiliated and bullied her. Of course when I tried to discuss this situation with the owners they blamed the children, made up vicious lies, and were overtly nasty and mean. Our school has decided not to allow the couple back at our school to finish the session (only 2 classes left), or for future sessions. We recommend staying far away from this establishment! The only reason it has 1 star is because that's the only way to post this review. read more

I have been coming here for many years and I'm sure we will be returning for many more. My kids love to paint and the selection of ceramic pieces is great. Definitely a fun way to spend a couple hours with the family. read more

I know that the reviews of this place are kind of harsh, but i have to be honest, my 5 year old son and I had a lovely time. We walked in on a Wednesday afternoon, and the place was empty. The owner was incredibly helpful: she explained the different types of projects, showed him the paints, as well as suggested different types of techniques. I did not find her even remotely rude of overbearing. Maybe with older kids the attention would be unwelcome, but I thought the whole experience was lovely. We plan on returning often. read more

Went for a birthday party for one of my daughters friends. She had a great time. I, on the other hand, experienced rude, racist behaviors. We were told we couldn't eat at the tables on the non-birthday side because it ruined the pottery but there were four white people eating scones and painting pottery right next to us and nothing was said. The workers hovered around us, a table of black parents, the entire time watching us and telling our children to stay on the birthday side virtually telling 5 and 6 year olds they can't talk to their parents. But the straw that broke the camels back of bad service was when I went to change my baby and there was no changing table. I asked if there was a changing table in their business I was told "no." Question... how do you not have a place to change babies in a kid based business where you host birthday parties... I digress. I then asked where should I change my baby... the man told me "I don't know you have to figure that out." Really... that's point blank rude and up called for. Then when I asked about throwing the diaper away because I saw a sign in the bathroom that said don't throw diapers in the trash in the bathroom, (which you couldn't anyway because there was no place to change a baby unless you change the baby on the bathroom floor... disgusting) I was told "there's trash outside." Ridiculous. I would not recommend this place to anyone who has melatonin in their skim unless they want to experience what Jim Crow was like. Probably a great place for people with European decent. You couldn't pay me to return to this establishment. read more

I brought my 5.5 year old in with the intention of staying as long as she liked. The male owner welcomed us and invited her to choose a craft: tie-dye, sand pouring art, kiln fired ceramics, or acrylic painted ceramics that she could take with her that day. She chose the acrylic painted ceramic first. There's a choice of many ceramics for one set price (around $17) or a choice of different ceramics for different prices. There's no additional fee for acrylic painted ceramics, but I think there is for fired ceramics. My daughter chose as many colors as she liked, and the owner was kind and helpful. When she was finished, the owner offered to put glitter on her piece. My daughter was undecided and the owner told her to take her time, because "it's a big decision." I appreciated his respect of her decision-making. Then my daughter chose some sand art, which we enjoyed. The sand art is priced between $6-10. The owner was very concerned with keeping his business tidy and the kids clean, to the point of making me feel uncomfortable. My child isn't particularly messy and I am a neat freak. She found the pumice soap painful. We would have spent more time doing more crafts, but the owner asked whether we were ready to go and seemed like he was ready for alone time. I got the impression that the owner is uncomfortable with children. He told one child that her piece looked like it had chicken pox. One child was asking him questions about the materials and the art on the walls. He brusquely answered a couple of questions, and then asked how old she was. When she said 6, he said 3 year olds are the ones who are supposed to ask questions. She asked another question and he said her grandmother was waiting. She asked again and he told her to put on her coat. The child touched some brushes and tiles and he said,"OK. You're out of questions. It's time to go." He put his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards her grandmother, who was gathering their things. He should be glad this wasn't my child because I wouldn't tolerate such treatment of her. All in all, my daughter and I had fun, but we won't be back. read more

We went there for a play date and the kids had a great time. They got to pick their own piece and even take it home with them that day. My daughter and I got there a little early and the lady let us in and showed us around. She set my daughter up to do some coloring while we waited. She showed us how to paint some of the tricky spots and then at the end, when we were waiting for the last one to finish, she showed the girls how to draw caterpillars and make their own crayons. A really nice place for a play date. read more

My family and I were so excited to spend the morning at Sunshine Crafts and were disappointed by the experience. The male owner of the store was rude, unpleasant, and not at all child friendly. Needless to say we will never be returning! read more