The Painted Penguin Hawthorn Center — Local services in Vernon Hills

What an absolutely fantastic birthday party experience this past weekend for my now 7 year old daughter. Painted Penguin went above and beyond to not only make sure the kids had a great time but they took care of everything so the adults could relax in an adjacent room.

From the time we arrived, the room was already set up for the party, and Robin took my decorations and immediately set them up in a way that made most sense. We opted for the painted canvas party (2 hours) and added the cupcake decoration (each kid got to decorate their own cupcake with a sprinkles assortment). Robin took care of serving the pizza and cupcakes, prepared with gloves and passing everything out to each child.

My daughter wanted a painting theme that would appeal to both boys and girls, and a week before the party, I texted with her request - a sunset over a beach with a big wave. Robin happily accommodated and was prepared with 2 different painting themes that she combined for the perfect end result, taking the kids through a step by step class but also finding ways to allow them to individualize their painting.

We really didn’t have to do anything other than bring in the food and decor (the room is so fun, you don’t even really need your own decor). The staff took care of everything and all the kids were completely engaged during the painting process and had an...

The deserve more than 5 stars I'd give them 10 stars if I could. I called in the morning when it was pouring rain to see if they were open and the owner answered the phone and said that they were closed with the kid's starting school and were in the middle of figuring the hours that would work. She asked me what I was looking to do and I said that I was just looking to do something inside with it being cool and pouring with rain. She said that she could open it up for my Granddaughter at 3:00 for her to come in, I questioned her and asked her that I thought they were closed that day and she said yes but she would come in for my Granddaughter so that she could paint something I really have not heard anything like this kind of kindness to come into her store to open it up just for 1 person. When we arrived I kept on praying that someone would of walked in to paint something in the store but no such luck. But we'll be back and hopefully to have a party there also if COVID-19 clears up to have a party. She had her mask and a faceshield on and kept her distance to make us feel comfortable, she did everything she possibly could have done to make us feel safe and comfortable. Thank- You The Painted Penguin,...

We had such a fantastic experience at The Painted Penguin! I brought my dog-loving daughter in for a fun day, and we were blown away by the personalized attention we received—especially from the owner, Robin. She went above and beyond to help my daughter pick out the perfect dog statue to paint, and she was incredibly accommodating with color choices, offering helpful tips and tricks to bring the piece to life.

Robin was so encouraging and made my daughter feel like a true artist. My daughter had an absolute blast using a multitude of vibrant colors, and the final piece turned out amazing! The dog statue now proudly sits in our living room, and it’s such a special keepsake.

We’re already planning to come back soon since Grandma tried to take the statue home for her own shelf! Thank you, Robin, for making our visit so memorable....