On The Go Chicago

I am a big believer in letting kids be kids and get dirty, but I would be lying if I did not admit that I had not let my two year old finger paint yet because I was too afraid of the mess.  Two year olds’ are not the best at following directions or listening for that matter.  I kept having visions of my daughter wandering through my house with hands full of paint touching everything in her path.

Yesterday we met a friend at Make-a-Messterpiece in The Glen (2050 Tower Road in Glenview).  Two words…LOVED IT!  Their modo is “Say yes to the mess!”  For the price of admission ($2 0-2yr, $10 2yr+) your little Picaso can explore the two indoor play areas (rock climbing, slides, etc.), finger paint, try out watercolors, or paint on easels.  They provide the smocks (I would still recommend clothes you don’t mind getting paint on for you and your kids), paper, paints, brushes, etc.

For an additional $5 fee your kids can participate in one of the other art areas (Drum Roll, Kids Creative Kitchen, Bubble’ology and Experimentation Station).  The coolest one had to be the Drum Roll, where kids beat on drums filled with paint while making their own music video.

They also have some small wooden items(frames, bird houses, etc.) you can buy and paint.  My daughter painted a cute little frame ($5) as a Christmas present for her dad.  Fun to paint and reasonably priced. They have a great selection of creative toys you can purchase too.

The indoor play areas are a bit limited, but create a nice distraction while your waiting for your art to dry or for kids in your party to finish an activity. One of the play areas is designated for 0-2yrs, so it provides a nice place to let your little ones crawl around a bit.  They also have a small cafe area where they sell coffee, juice and some snacks.

My two daughters’ first finger paintings are now being proudly displayed on our office door.  I would give Make-a-Messterpiece a 5 “Paint Brush” rating.  We will definitely be going again.

Here are the details:

• Where – The Glen (2050 Tower Road, Glenview)
• Hours of Operation – 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun
• Admission Cost – $2 under 2yrs, $10 2yrs and over
• Additional Activities – $5 per activity
• Specials – 10 all access passes $175, 20 activities for $75
• Tips – Weekends and school holidays are their busiest times.  Weekday mornings are their quietest times.
• More Info - Website has very little information.  Some additional information can be found on their Facebook page.