Last weekend Perry at Palette Kids so kindly invited a group of “mom bloggers” and our kids to come check out Palette Kids in Philadelphia. Located in Rittenhouse Square,  Palette Kids caters to kids 5 and up.  Perry offers the unique experience for them to come explore their creative side through art. Kids aren’t stuck there with some stuffy painting they have to recreate. Instead, they get to think outside the box and just have fun.  Stay tuned. At the end I have details on how you may get to go to a FREE Mommy and Me event designed especially for preschoolers.

When we arrived we entered this old storefront. We went up 3 sets of stairs to the very amazing art room on the third floor. The colors and art supplies were overwhelmingly welcoming and drew us in. Each kid was given a seat and some paper to doodle on. Well, technically they weren’t suppose to doodle yet but Perry and his staff took it in stride. When every one was there and ready to get started, Perry set up some wooden figures and showed the kids how to do a basic sketch of it. It was fun to see the different styles kids had. Some kids drew random lines, and others very precisely drew the figure.

Then this mama went downstairs to chat with the other moms and sip mimosas and specialty coffee drinks.  Fast forward an hour. I went up to see how things were going for my two boys and they proudly showed me  their artwork. Regrettably my camera died and I couldn’t actually get pictures of their cool artwork. They both made me necklaces. E. made a clay pot. K. made a clay turtle, complete with a blue prism shaped plastic piece for a tie and jeweled button hat.  E. also made a lighthouse out of a round pancake can, plastic cup and lid. Which is another thing I love. Perry not only lets them use their imaginations to create but he recycles everyday products into art – pizza boxes, pasta boxes, a glass bottle, and newspaper were a few of the things I saw re-used. E. also made a trufula forest out of cardboard, pipe cleaners, and those fuzzy pom poms. It was pretty cool. Lastly, K. made several drawings.

Currently Palette Kids has only one location in Rittenhouse Square. They are looking at opening another location up soon. I wish it would be in West Chester! They cater to kids ages 5 and up. Lessons are held on Saturdays and are $40 for 2 hours. You can also sign up for 6 lessons for $175.   They are also looking at holding more classes during the week and hoping to add some Mommy and Me classes – stay tuned for a special offer at the end of this post!  They also offer birthday parties. Contact them for more details.

Even better, there is a hair salon downstairs so you can “get your hair did” downstairs while your kids are creating upstairs.  One big question when you go to the city is always “What about parking?” I admit it is one of the things that keeps me from going more often.  There are several parking lots and garages right around the corner – Allied Parking and Central Parking Systems. Want FREE parking? Got to 24th St. and drive a few blocks past Chestnut St. to Delancey. I am warning you though, it is about a mile walk. If  you do that, make sure you bring a box to carry their artwork home. My husband parked and then walked to pick us up and I can tell you that carrying the kids’ art for 8 blocks was no fun. Especially trying to balance fragile clay pieces. Sadly E’s pot made it all the way to the car only to slide off the cardboard as I was putting it in the van.  He was so sweet and forgiving about it but I cried.  Same goes for the train. If you take it, make sure you have something to carry everything in.

Pros:

Perry, an expert, gets to talk with them about art and oversee their masterpieces, offering them tips and a wide assortment of mediums to work with.

The mess stays there, not in my house.

Kids get to be creative without being shoved in a box of what is and isn’t “art”.

Cons:

It’s in Center City – this isn’t really too bad since it is a direct route but it is still in the city.

It is on the third floor. I am hoping that their next location will be more accessible. I will say that the art room on the third floor does have a great feel too it though.

What: Palette Kids
Where: 116 S.  19th St. 3rd Floor  Philadelphia, PA 19103
When: Call to Schedule
How much: $40 per 2 hour class, also ask about packages and birthday parties

Mommy and Me Event: Monday, March 26th or Wednesday, March 28th
10AM-11AM
Like them on Facebook for more details

**Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this post. My boys received a free class.  All reviews and opinions are my own.