Artist Kevin Peterson Wins BEST OF SHOW at Bayou City Arts Fesitval 2010

We're so happy for Kevin Peterson, a featured Houston artist at Wonderwild since Day One. Everyone at Wonderwild has been so enamored with his artwork (the term obsessed is more like it!). You can find more about Kevin here.

Here's what Kevin has to say about his own work:
My work is about the varied journeys we take through life. It's about growing up and living in a world that is broken. These paintings are about trauma, fear and loneliness and the strength that it takes to survive and thrive. They each contain the contrast of the untainted, young and innocent against a backdrop of a worn, ragged, and defiled world. Support versus restraint, bondage versus freedom, and tension versus slack are all themes that I often visit. My work deals with isolation, loneliness and longing teamed with a level of optimistic hope. Issues of race and the division of wealth have arisen in my recent work. This work deals with the idea of rigid boundaries, the hopeful breakdown of such restrictions, as well as questions about the forces that orchestrate our behavior.

Loving the bread

Heights got a little cooler with the addition of Kraftsmen's new bakery on 22nd and Lamar. Chef Scott Tycer and his wife Annika have made the Kraftsmen in Montrose (outside dining area) and this new location two of the best places to eat with your kids in Houston. The place is airy and open, sort of like a hip place you'd find in Brooklyn, NY. This is a great place to bring the kids as they have a small area dedicated to the little ones. But better than that are their selection of baked goods that appeal to all ages. One tip: try the monkey bread. It's darn good. And if you have to share it with your kids, it breaks off easily into bite-sized pieces and doesn't get crumbs everywhere like muffins or croissants.

The last time I went to visit, two staff members were on the dock next to the bakery refurbishing old chairs. Like I said, it reminds me of the cool places in Brooklyn, NY.

Welcome Green Plate Kids!

Wonderwild wanted to put out a hearty welcome to Green Plate Kids. They will be one of our preferred birthday party caterers, along with Zoe's Kitchen, Freebirds, and Papa John's Pizza.

If you haven't heard of Green Plate Kids, they provide fresh, nutritious meals for families on the go. They also cater parties. You can find a selection of their foods at SmartMeals on Shepherd. Or go to their website for more information: http://www.greenplatekids.com.

Try their new turkey sliders and their amazing oatmeal cookies! Good for you and yummy, too!

Pretty as a Picture

Occasionally at Wonderwild we will have our staff face painter, Anita, get out her brushes and start painting away during open play. Here are two very lovely models at Wonderwild who look like beautiful butterflies.

Open play is Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. See you soon!

Shout out to TYAGARAJA!!!

Just wanted to give a shout out to our man Mr. T! He was a staff member at Wonderwild and played his amazing music for our kids. Looks like Mr. T will be playing for a lot more people in the future. If you've never heard him play, check out his new release below called Open Book. It will change your life!

You GO, TYAGA!!!

http://pitch.pe/66344

Rrrraaar!

I bet you didn't know we let tigers into Wonderwild! Cindy, our staff face painter, had fun face painting these two wild animals.

Drum Party

Mr. T. took a break from recording his new album and lead a drum party at Wonderwild. You might have heard us because we were SO LOUD!!! Everyone brought their pots and pans and "drumsticks" and rocked out!!!

Jedi Warrior Training

The first Jedi Warrior Training Club meeting was a supreme hit! We had over twenty-five boys show up with their light saber (some with two). Master Jedi Obi Wan Aaron showed the boys some basic light saber techniques. While practicing their steps, who should show up--DARTH VADER! The kids had a blast (literally) and so did the adults watching.

The next event features a guest appearance by the indomitable green one (Yoda) and is by RSVP only and is on Tuesday, May 25 at 4pm! Reserve your spot today! We only have a few training positions left! May the force be with you!

Mother's Day Craft

Here's a mom (hey, that's me!) sporting her son's Mother's Day crafts over at Wonderwild last Tuesday. All the kids that showed up made fabulous bracelets and necklaces for their mom. No gift is better than one made with love.

Elephant Art at Wonderwild

We have some amazing new art at Wonderwild--it's urban, architectural, a bit eerie, and believe it or not, done mostly with spray paint! Artist Daniel Angeliu made his mark on the white walls of the Wonderwild play area last week. It was fun to see him "tag" our walls with his unique brand.



And just yesterday, we were at Discovery Green for the electronic music festival and who should we see on the lawn of the green? But Daniel! His beautiful tree was done on a donated portion of a billboard!! Go Daniel!!!

Tea for two...plus then some!

Our very first tea party back in March was so much fun. We discussed what it takes to be a good friend and how we can make new ones. Join us again Friday April 16 at 4:15pm for our next party! Bring your stuffed animals or dolls!

Join us for Jedi Warrior Training, Tea Parties and more!

Get ready, get set for some FUN!!! April is coming up and we're excited to let you know what's coming up!!

April Calendar of Events

Free with paid general admission except where noted.

Tuesday April 6 11:15am STORYTIME
Join us for a fun half hour of storytime. Appropriate for all ages.

Wednesday April 14 5:30pm MOVIE NIGHT
We’re popping popcorn and watching an animated movie.
(We don’t know which one yet...there’s so many to choose
from... ) Come join the fun! Appropriate for all ages.

Friday April 16 4:15-5pm TEA PARTY
Bring your favorite doll or stuffed animal to our tea
party! We will learn how to be good friends and
carry on scintillating conversations!

Tuesday April 20 4-4:30pm JEDI WARRIOR TRAINING CLUB
Light saber is required for this activity. Kids are lead by our trained
Jedi Master in a variety of exercises to help them become a better Jedi.
A special appearance by Darth Vader is imminent.

Thursday April 22 ALL DAY EARTH DAY COLORING CONTEST
Kids have fun coloring and then we’ll post the best of the best on our blog! (http://www.gowonderwild.blogspot.com)

*Events subject to change without prior notice. Please call ahead to confirm.

March Calendar of Events! Concert and more!!!

http://www.gowonderwild.com/March10_calendar%20of%20events%20(1).pdf

Friday March 12, 5:30pm Songwriting Workshop with Jerome - Back by popular demand! Kids learn how to create their own songs with the help of artist and poet Jerome Vielman.

Monday March 15, ALL DAY A member's only art project: each child will receive a white tile to paint and personalize all their own. Afterwards, the tile will be an art installation at Wonderwild.

Tuesday March 16 , 4:30pm Artist Pop In Studio: Clarence Chun - A special treat for all of our guests. Artist Clarence Chun presents a colorful slide show of his work and then leads us in a fun project for the kids. Clarence's incredible work is currently displayed in the "tunnel" leading to the play area.

Wednesday March 17, ALL DAY St Patrick's Day Coloring Contest - With plenty of green crayons on hand, kids have fun coloring and then we'll post the best of the best on our blog!

Thursday March 18, 11am Tea Party with Friends - Bring in your favorite friends (bring in your favorite doll or stuffed animal) and have a tea party with us! We'll sip pretend tea and enjoy each other's company.

Thursday March 18, 5-6:30pm BACK TO SCHOOL CONCERT WITH TOM'S FUN BAND!!! Celebrate the end of Spring Break with our favorite musical dude and dad of multiples, Mr. Tom of Tom's Fun Band!!!!!

Come join the fun!

Celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday with us!

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday!
Thursday, March 4 at 4pm
with SONGS FROM BOOKS’ Mike Tauser!(http://songsfrombooks.blogspot.com)
at Wonderwild Indoor Party Playground

Mike Tauser is a dad who started off singing for kids in classrooms. Now, he's sharing his musical talents of singing, playing the guitar and songwriting at Wonderwild! We're excited to be celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday with song and books!

Pics of Wonderwild Indoor Party Playground

You asked for it, here it is. Some pics of our space located at 707 N Shepherd Dr, #500, Houston TX 77007. We have birthday parties on the weekends and drop-in open play on the weekdays from 9am-7pm. We are usually open for holidays so come check us out and get ready to PLAY!!!


Art is an important part of everyone's lives, especially our kids at Wonderwild. We embrace art and artful living. We have professional artists showing in our reception--including Kevin Peterson, Tim Spencer, and Clarence Chun (in the hallway).

We value creativity and uncluttered play spaces. Here's a look at our toddler area and the ball pool filled with transparent "bubbles." The foam sculptures are all handmade in Europe and developed by child development experts and product designers--all to encourage creative free play.

Here's two of our staff members, Tasha and Insaff, working out on the jumping pillow! It's great exercise and keeps our employees in shape!

No play space is complete without a big 15 foot slide!

Here's the 3 story playscape for kids to climb, run and slide down on.

Inside the playscape, is the train track. The trains help kids to develop upper body strength--plus, it's a lot of fun!!


A look at our party room--a blank canvas for you to decorate with balloons, tablecloths and centerpieces if you so desire. During the weekdays, it's open for families to bring in their own food and drink and eat after a hard work out of playing.

My Art Gallery

We are so proud of our art students at Wonderwild!! From ages 2 to 8, our kids have done an amazing job following the works of famous artists but still keeping their own artwork unique and true to themselves! Above is work inspired by Piet Mondrian--we focused on bold colors and straight lines by doing some "tape painting." At the very end of our 10 week session, we will be holding a GALLERY SHOW for all the students to show off their amazing work! Sign up today for the next round of art classes starting March 22nd. Check out http://www.gowonderwild.com and go to classes and click on the Spring schedule (at the very bottom of the page).

Each student took their silhouette and then did some reverse watercolor painting--inspired by artist Mary Cassatt. Each masterpiece is worthy of being framed!

These kooky creatures had us exploring the art of sculpture and clay. We explored character and the development of a character--inspired by artist Takashi Murakami.

JANUARY JAM WITH TOM'S FUN BAND!!!!

Brrrr! It's so cold outside in January! Here's your chance to warm up with us at Wonderwild.

On Thursday, January 28, we're hosting Tom of Tom's Fun Band, from 5-7pm. General admission is only $5 a kid (free for adults, members, and kids under 9 months) if you RSVP to wonderwhy@gowonderwild.com. Or you can pay $10 for walkers, $8 for pre-walkers at the door. Price includes general admission to the play area.

Tom was our main attraction at our grand opening Halloween party. An educator, licensed counselor, and a dad of twins, his usual musical performances specializes in science education. We're so glad to have him back for our January Jam!

An artist we love

Have you noticed the new art hanging in the "tunnel" leading to the play area at Wonderwild? Some people thought it was decorative strips of wall paper artfully cut into a collage, but no. It's a painting by fine artist Clarence Chun. He's Yale educated, but also graduated from the University of Houston's School of Art. With an MFA from New York's prestigious SVA, he's extremely well-rounded. Check out his work at Wonderwild closely the next time you are in. In the meantime, here's a taste of Clarence's other works and his artist statement below.

Artist Statement

Technology has shaped my life since I played my first pong video game. Technology has not only changed the way we receive and distribute information, but also how we interpret and see information. The speed at which images bombard us, whether in magazines, on television, or surfing the information super highway, alters how we absorb them. We are forced to develop a way to filter information, whether whole or fragmented. The relationship of speed, time, and memory fascinates me. My paintings bear witness to a particular moment in time and are memories of personal events. For example, I mentally record things, which captivates me during a dinner with my girlfriend. I take notice of the pattern on her dress or the salt and pepper shaker. My paintings and drawings also feed off of video games, the history of abstraction, Chinese landscapes, manga comics, anime and other sources. The medley of sources is orchestrated to create or reconstruct a personal environment within the painting in which a new kind of sense is made. An environment in which beautiful and the absurd, the sacred and the mundane cooperate.

Super Duper Time!

It's official! Our Ultimate Super Duper Hero parties are a hit! Girls and boys get to create a SUPER SILLY FACE cape which they keep as party favors. Others added stars, hearts or glittering gems on to their capes.

The birthday boy or girl also gets a very special cape to run around and save the day with!

Up up and away!!!