January was a really busy month in my house. My oldest son, who plays the violin, had his first solo concert (went well!). My little lady got her first big girl haircut (highly recommend Jackie’s Beauty Bar in Bloomfield for all you curly girls out there!). My middle child added baseball practice to his already busy basketball team schedule.
And oh, we got a dog!!!
This is Rocky. He’s an energetic 6 month old pup of indeterminate breed (I see hound, lab and shepherd–what do you think?) We adopted him from the local rescue, Pack Leaders. It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind adding a four-legged child to our already full house, but the kids are absolutely smitten.
We did find some time to fit in a surprise outing for little miss (Disney on Ice!).
So all this kind of explains why there haven’t been any new posts up here in a few weeks (not that it seems to stop our site traffic– we easily topped last January’s readership numbers from just our tons and tons of previously published content! Good ideas never get old 🙂 )
But lest you fear that we have become recluses over here, I wanted to kick off February with a new outing idea! We did have a brief guest post about this destination awhile back, but I thought it was time to give it the whole Out and About Mom treatment. So today I’m going to tell you about pottery painting at the fantastic Firestone Art Studio + Cafe in Manchester!
This post is from our visit back in August for my older son’ 13th (!) birthday. Just thought I’d give you that heads up so you aren’t wondering why we are all sporting short-sleeves in the middle of January.
The Firestone is located on Main Street in Manchester, CT. It’s such a fun location, right in the middle of some of Manchester’s best restaurants and little shops and only a stones throw away from Charter Oak Park, which is a family-favorite with its wonderful playground, including the ever-popular zipline that my kids never seem to outgrow. (And I’m pretty sure it’s equipped to have an ice rink for skating if it ever stays cold enough to keep the water frozen.)
It does mean that street parking is your main option, however. Fortunately, there is a lot of it.
The Firestone’s entrance is on the side of the building, just beyond the outdoor area with tables
As pottery studios we have visited go, this one is enormous. That’s because in addition to paint-your-own pottery opportunities, the Firestone also offers pottery classes (there’s an area equipped with potters’ wheels) and also a full-service cafe!
Like with other pottery studios we’ve sampled, there is a wall of ready-to-paint options.
The boys chose cute figurines per usual. Meanwhile, I’ve been slowly building a collection of blue hued appetizer plates with various patterns and designs over our years of pottery painting adventures. And the boys have contributed to it as well with coordinating bowls.
After we selected our colors, a staff member brought us our palettes.
Everything you need for painting is right there on the table.
Whenever we needed more of a certain color (or a new color) we could just head up to the counter for a refill.
Even though we are seasoned painters by now, I still underestimate the time the whole process takes. Especially when you need to do three coats of paint for the best color presentation. It usually takes us close to 2 hours from enter to exit.
The great thing about the Firestone is that there’s a cafe right there. So if your project takes longer than you anticipated, you can fortify yourself with an energizing coffee, a tasty snack or even a full meal.
It’s always fun to take a “before” picture.
When you finish, head to the counter to checkout. Your pottery will be ready for pickup in about a week. That’s it! No. Cleanup. Ahhh, some of the most beautiful words in the English language when you’re a mom 😉
Winter days are a great time for this cozy indoor activity. Hope you get a chance to check out The Firestone with your family soon.
Psst! You can also check out their wet clay studio and handbuilding options for additional pottery offerings. Also get more information on canvas painting here and glass fusing here.
The Firestone Art Studio + Cafe
1115 Main Street
Manchester, Connecticut 06040
(860) 661-0075
info@thefirestonect.com
Hours (2024):
You can drop in for pottery painting or make a reservation.
Also check out their variety of events and classes.
Art Studio Hours:
Sun 8am-6pm
Mon – Sat 8am-8pm
Cafe Hours:
Sun 8am-6pm
Mon – Sat 8am-6:30pm
Pricing:
Pricing varies by the piece you select to paint. All paint and supplies, plus glazing and firing, are included in the cost of the piece. Find cafe pricing on their menu here.
Details:
Stroller Friendly: YES
Coffee Mug Friendly: Even better–you can get it there!
Restroom: YES
Baby Changing Station: NO
Parking: Street parking available
Food for Sale: YES. Check out their cafe menu here.
Outside Food Allowed: When there is a delicious cafe right inside, why bother!
Cash Required: NO
Age Recommendation: I took my kids to paint-your-own pottery for the first time around age 6 and that was successful. But you know your kiddo best!
Dress Code: Clothes you don’t mind painting in (although my experience has been that pottery paint is very washable).
Evening/Weekend Hours: YES
Birthday Party Venue: YES. Find more info here.
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