A Creative MLK Day Adventure: My Son and I Found the Perfect Activity in Queens
With MLK Day coming up and school closed on Monday, I knew I needed a plan to keep my 8-year-old son, Fernando, busy. The last thing I wanted was to waste the day stuck indoors. So, on Sunday, I started searching for fun activities to do with kids. That’s when I came across something that immediately caught my eye—a cute café called Elly's Arts & Crafts that offers Pottery Arts & Crafts Class sessions.
It sounded perfect. A chance for Fernando to get creative and for me to enjoy some coffee? Sign me up! The best part? You could walk in without an appointment, though they do offer an option to book ahead online. I recommend to always book ahead to make sure their is available space.
When we arrived on Monday, the café was everything I hoped it would be. The front was a cozy spot where you could be sipping lattes and enjoying pastries, but the back was where the real magic happened. There were tables covered with paints, brushes, and shelves full of ceramics to choose from—everything from dinosaurs to mugs and figurines.
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Fernando’s eyes lit up when he saw the options.He coulnd't make a decision, but i couldn't either. Our creative juices were flowing with excitment! He finaly made his choice, he picked out a french bulldog to paint, (he said it reminded him of Charlie our dog) and I decided on a toucan. The session fee was $10, and the ceramic pieces were priced individually, depending on what you chose. By the way did I mentioned this activity was sponsored by NUNU Playhouse Mobile Arcade! The café’s owner, Elly, welcomed us and explained how everything worked. She even gave Fernando a few fun ideas for painting his dog, which he loved.
Because Fernando is only 8 yrs old we could only enjoy the ready-to-create class. I will definetly will be coming back for her Combo Pottery & Painting Class. For the next two hours, we were in our own little creative world. Fernando was all about bold colors and mixing paints, while I took my time crafting a pattern on my toucan. It was so relaxing, and honestly, I didn’t realize how much I needed something like this until we were doing it.
When we finished, Elly explained that the ceramics needed to go through a glazing and firing process to make them shiny and durable. By the way they offer a Glaze Your Way Experience once a month. She said they’d call us in about two weeks when our pieces were ready to pick up. It was such a fun twist—something to look forward to after the holiday.
As we headed home, Fernando couldn’t stop talking about his dog and how cool it would look once it was done. I was already thinking about how great Ell'y place would be for a small birthday party or even a casual get-together with friends. It’s such a creative and affordable way to spend time together, especially for kids who love art.
What started as a random search on Sunday turned into one of the best MLK Day adventures we’ve had. If you’re in Queens and looking for something fun and creative to do, this arts-and-crafts café is a must-visit.
How do you like to spend long weekends or school holidays with your kids? I’d love to hear your ideas—drop them in the comments below!