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    The Painted Penguin

    4.6 (39 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    The main and front project room.
    Howard L.

    Our 6 year old grand-darling had a birthday celebration here, and everything I saw told me this place is really a great kids' event venue. I'm reviewing from the POV of an adult guest celebrant, as my daughter was the event organizer and coordinator, so she can probably separately provide another POV. I met Robin, the franchise's engaging and energetic founder and owner, who runs this store and 2 others in Chicagoland (Water Tower Place and Hawthorn Center in Vernon Hills). Her friendly assistant Zach was also floating about helping out in various ways. The grand-darling and 13 of her closest relatives, classmates, and friends spent an action packed 90 minutes here on a Sunday. In that time, they did the following and Robin was hands-on actively leading each activity: - got dressed in a protective gown for painting - individually picked out a pre-shaped clay object to paint, and there were many to pick from - painted the object and subsequently blow-dried it and set aside - ran around the spacious project room for a bit, like 6-9 year olds like to do (Robin didn't really need to supervise this self taught activity duh) - had a delicious pizza and fruit lunch, with both kids and adults served - had birthday cake and song, with both kids and adults served - played a fun game of Simon Says Each child went home happy with their self-painted object and party souvenir. Robin opened her store at 10am, an hour earlier than the normal 11am to accommodate this party and another later one. She also coordinated with Northbrook Court's pizza vendor, Tony & Bruno's, to open early so that our pizza lunch could be delivered right on time. We had 5 thin pizzas, and they all were very good, hot, and delicious, so kudos here to Tony & Bruno's as well, a business that Robin apparently routinely coordinates with. The daughter brought in the birthday cake and Robin served it for the group. The adults were able to comfortably sit off to the side in the spacious project room and enjoy and photograph and video to our heart's content. Great outing, Robin and Zach, and our entire extended family thanks you for a very fun and enjoyable birthday party!

    Virtual party
    Shayna S.

    I had no idea how to celebrate my daughters 5th birthday with her friends while socially distanced. I chatted with Robin, the owner of Painted Penguin, and she had a ton of great ideas. Robin was so easy to work with, she helped put together a party that made my daughter happy and stayed within my budget. We ended up doing a virtual pottery painting party that Robin lead and it was perfect. She had all the supplies ready for each child, all I had to do was deliver them. ( Which she offered). Robin was engaging with all the children, she showed them how to mix colors, she made sure that everyone was involved and had fun. Many of the mom's told me after that they were so happy and surprised that their child sat and painted for 30 mins. We are so happy with the outcome, Robin was wonderful and I am grateful that Covid didn't ruin my daughters birthday.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Staff were extremely kind and patient. Great with little kids! Good variety of options.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Painted Penguin

    Review Highlights - The Painted Penguin

    Robin also teaches art, for kids and for adults and everyone else, which I am going to take advantage of.

    Mentioned in 24 reviews

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    Freestyle Ceramics & Tufting

    Freestyle Ceramics & Tufting

    (2 reviews)

    I made an appointment for us to do some crafting at Freestyle Ceramics & Tufting, which recently…read moreopened in Highland Park. They have ceramics painting, cream craft items, and rug tufting. We opted for the ceramics painting (there were 3 generations in our party), and the selection of ceramic ware they have to choose from is very nice. No old looking, 70s-style outdated stuff -- it was hard to choose -- from bowls, plates, vases, figurines, candle holders, mugs. Also, the selection of paint is very current as well (no primary red-yellow-blue) and the chart was very helpful in imagining what the finished fired piece would look like. We came on a Saturday morning, and there was plenty of bustling activity. Several young people were doing the cream crafts which were all these super cute charms that they were gluing with colored icing (adhesive?) to frames, or mirrors, or jewelry boxes. I might want to do that myself another time. Ruby helped to set us up and explained the paints, how many coats to do, as well as the process to complete and pick up the items (takes a few weeks). We spent a very relaxing morning painting and conversing. You could probably just walk in, but I would suggest making a reservation on a weekend morning. The prices seemed reasonable and we are all looking forward to getting our finished pieces!

    We went for pottery paiting during Valentine's Day, and we're so happy with how the experience…read morewent! The staff was really really sweet, the music was the perfect volume, ambiance was simply amazing, and every detail, from customer service to the quality of the materials (paint, ceramics, brushes) exceeded our expectations. Would definitely recommend for a soft, fun date, or a plan for a random Tuesday!

    Sunshine Arts & Crafts

    Sunshine Arts & Crafts

    (10 reviews)

    $$

    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.

    The Painted Penguin Hawthorn Center

    The Painted Penguin Hawthorn Center

    (9 reviews)

    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.

    Crisis averted. The…read moreplan for my teen's birthday fell apart with less than 72 hours notice, when the company we booked cancelled. Aside from being problematic, my daughter hadn't had a "good" birthday in the past few years - Covid, passing of a beloved pet, etc. this was supposed to be the redemption. In my panic, I posted to a local mom's group in desperation. Enter Robin and the Painted Penguin. That day I was super busy at work and couldn't respond to her message, but we connected in the evening, and she went above and beyond for us. My daughter and her friends made amazing art and had a great time. I was blown away by the variety and fun of the business (I kind of was a little jealous of the options they had). On top of all of this, Robin was fun, engaging, and genuinely helpful. TL;DR: 10/10 absolutely recommend, will go again.

    Color Me Mine

    Color Me Mine

    (43 reviews)

    $$$

    The staff makes this place totally worth it! We came here for a mommy daughter date with two…read morealmost 7 year olds and they loved it. It is pretty pricey between the four of us it was like $230 which was shocking but we're hoping the final products come out stunning. And the location itself is in high demand so it's pretty tight in there. They could double the space and prolly still fill it up. Special shout out to Sage who came to the rescue to help my daughter when she "ruined" her cat eyes! Sage helped her clean the paint off and redesign the eyes! We will be back in 7 days to get our pieces and I will update my review to show our final projects! Let me also add that this place is for both kids and adults! They had really cute Halloween decorations out that us moms decorated and cute cats / bunnies that our daughters enjoyed.

    I saw that they had a cute watermelon bowl design so I wanted to come in to paint a fruit bowl in…read morethat design. I was happy when I got there that the bowl I wanted to paint was on display. The employees new how to paint that particular design and gave me instructions one step at a time so I wasn't overwhelmed. It was so much fun painting and I love how my bowl turned out! They had a lot of painting ideas if you aren't creative, which I appreciate. I don't like thinking of ideas off the top of my head. This is great for anyone! A date night, family, alone time, friends, etc. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The hours at this location was decent. Pricing was a little high especially because you are also expected to tip afterwards. Between pottery, painting fee, tip, it's a lot! Overall, it's a once in awhile thing for me!

    The Painted Penguin - kids_activities - Updated May 2026

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