Get excited parents, there's a great new place to take your children, Make-A-Messterpiece. WOW, WOW, WOW! I was completely impressed by the originality of this business. The Messterpiece folks have created a fabulous play place where kids can learn new things, have physical activity, play with unique tools, and create art. Make-A-Messterpiece is located in the Glen Tower Center, Glenview. They are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. There are a number of pricing options for guests.

The standard Studio Fee is $10 ($2 for children under 2). This includes unlimited use of the Open Art area, which is filled with paints, markers, easels, tables and a variety of art materials, and two play areas. One play area is for children 0-2 years and the other for 2+. The 0-2 area is filled with over-sized soft blocks, ride-on toys, books, bouncers, and age appropriate toys. The 2+ area has a climbing structure, slide and playhouse. Aside from just open play, this area has been utilized by parents for doing some messier school projects that they didn't want to do at home.

The really unique experiences come from 5 specialty areas. For an additional $5 per activity, your child can choose from:
Kids Creative Kitchen teaches science and math through healthy cooking projects. On the day we visited the project was Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Of course the kids do everything, as the leader teaches them about the ingredients, "Baking soda makes cookies fluffy!" Not only were the cookies yummy, they were VEGAN! Love it.
Bubbleology is something you will only see at Make-A-Messterpiece. They have designed a machine that produce bubbles infused with color, so that when your child holds a paper underneath the bubble tube, falling bubbles leave marks. As your child moves from color to color the art project develops. Stencils can be used to create fun designs. This was a huge favorite with out kids.
Lil' Sprouts is used for gardening and environmentally conscious projects. Recently kids were taught about Carbon Footprints, and on our visit we did a project where spaghetti was repurposed as a painting tool in "Pollock Pasta."
Experimentation Station will please any curious little scientist. We saw many happy kids making slime to take home to play with. They also taught the kids about chemical reactions with a Volcano Project.
Drum Roll is super-fun play a la Blue Man Group. After the kids suit up from head to toe in protective gear (shower caps, boots, goggles, jackets) they enter a booth filled with drums and paint. The kids then go to town drumming and making a HUGE mess. Too much fun.
Currently Make-A-Messterpiece is offering some great packages: A punch card with 20 activites for the price of 15 and 10 all access passes for the price of 5.

Messterpiece's staff is exceptional. Many have degrees in creative arts, elementary education, art therapy, or childhood development. The staffers we met were young, friendly and energetic. You can just tell that they genuinely like children and enjoy their jobs. They are actively involved with the kids the entire time: playing, teaching, assisting.

This kind of attentive staff leaves parents the option to relax in Club M. Comfy sofas and chairs are plentiful, as are magazines and inexpensive snacks and beverages. Free WiFi is available and parents can watch their kids playing in various areas of the play place via video feeds on flat screen TVs. Club M is attached to the 0-2 play area for direct access to the smallest children.

Weekends are the busiest time to visit Messterpiece. As you can imagine, it has already become a popular birthday party venue. On Saturday, Sunday and school holidays allow plenty of time. Arrive as early in the day as possible, since kids are scheduled for activities on a first-come, first-served. If you can, visit during the week. We went on a Wednesday afternoon and were able to do everything we wanted without waiting.

We are the lucky folks who get to enjoy the first Make-A-Messterpiece in the country. It is the brainchild of a successful marketing expert and father. You will notice the product placement around the store from their sponsor, Bounty. It's a match made in heaven that helped bring the concept to life.

I'm telling you, Make-A-Messterpiece is a real gem. This is one of those rare places that can entertain your 12, 8, 4, and 2 year olds. It is a fresh take on the best play places, combining art, science, cooking, physical activity, music and fun. The space is open and contemporary, with high ceilings and lots of natural light. Parents will be so comfortable that they can enjoy themselves as much as the kids.

***Many thanks to Crazy Kids Member Jamie for telling us about Make-A-Messterpiece! This type of contribution by our members helps makes Crazy Kids Chicago a great resource for Chicagoland parents. Please feel free to contact us, we love hearing from you.