The Children's Art Factory - Guelph, Ontario

Ash

I don’t know how this place could ever have a negative review. We drove an hour and a half unplanned and were welcomed with a genuine smile. I wanted somewhere that wasn’t packed on a Wednesday morning and wasn’t loud or had a smell. I find most kid places smell unkept and items are always missing.

But this place is STOCKED! And my three year old got to play quietly and even played very well with other toddlers in the same area. The staff cleaned a few times when we were there there for 2 two full hours.

I like that food is not allowed, that’s when spills happen, people leave their garbage behind and then it starts to smell like outside food.
The price I see complaints about but that’s how these places stay open!!

It’s refreshing taking your child to a children’s place and not having two people chatting loudly about their business. You just watch your child in peace.

This place reminded me of classrooms like I had in 1996-2000. Endless creativity and sensory play.
Open rooms with art everywhere without it feeling overwhelming, over stimulating or underwhelming and boring.

I will keep making this drive just to see the joy on my toddlers face.

My photos don’t do this place justice. You’d have to see it in person. Right from the door step you’re in sensory heaven.

Natasha M

Enjoyed visiting The Children's Art Factory for the 1st time!
My children loved all the stations available. I baby wore my youngest and it was easy to navigate around that way. There were so many great self guided activities to explore that my kids didn't get around to everything in one visit. We definitely will need to go back to continue to explore more.
The only reason this is not a five-star review is because the lack of parking (due to the location only), and I noticed they sell water beads which are extremely dangerous if ingested by children. Again, there were no stations with water beads. This was only available for purchase if you chose to take the risk. Some parents are not aware of the dangers so it's probably best not to sell them at all in my opinion.
Overall, we will 100% be returning here.

Stefanie Conte (Tess Philip)

E-7yrs- it is awesome, it has sand and crafts and a kitchen with mops.

A-5yrs- there is a monkey kitchen with sand and a music stage with dress up.

A-3yrs - play play, sanding, soap and water and paint all on my fingers!

Mom - CAF is outstanding! They have thought of so many sensory and process art experiences that are epically engaging for the kiddos. This place was more than worth the 40min drive. My kids started asking for a membership before we even left. The staff are friendly and encourage the kiddos to play and explore. They were patient with my many questions and they also sell some amazing art supplies on site!! Most definitely recommended!!

I can't wait to go again.

Christine Miron

Can not say enough good things about this place! My 5 year old has done play lab many times and most recently the sewing program. Annie was amazing with the kids. She was kind and welcoming and passed on her love of sewing to all the children she worked with. My daughter learned a ton and was able to make several projects. Anything the kids could dream up, they were able to sew! What a unique and wonderful program.

Melanie Hamilton

What an amazing experience my children ( 4 & 8) and I had here again! The themed areas for exploratory free play are well thought out and so creative. It kept my kids and I busy for hours. We purchased some take home creativity kits (wood working, potions and a tool box full of art supplies) and three weeks later my boys are still creating with them. As a speech therapist, I am a huge proponent of learning through play and the endless opportunities The Children's Art Factory provides makes it so effortless and fun to learn through play! We came from Hamilton to enjoy the factory and it is definitely worth the drive to Guelph!

Ulyana F

What an amazing place for kids to explore all their senses and get creative. Forget indoor playgrounds - this was actually cheaper ($13) and had way more to do:
- monkey sock puppet kitchen
- a stage area with musical instruments and costumes
- arts and crafts area
- sandpit with little trucks
- painting area
- rice "lab" with beakers, tubes, funnels and grinders
Staff were very friendly. It was very busy (Sunday afternoon) so get there early on weekends. Parking is also a B. We had to park a few streets over.

Kayla Marie

First of all the concept and the actual activities are spectacular. My 17 month old absolutely loved the painting and the monkey kitchen and absolutely did not want to leave.

However I can't give five stars for the following reasons:
1) As others have mentioned the paying full price for a supervising adult is wild. For a space that is about making art accessible for kids this makes it prohibitively expensive for a lot of people. Paying to have a second adult is pretty standard across kids places, but paying for the first adult it kind of ridiculous.
2) The staff honestly made us feel like an inconvenience. Right from when we walked in the staff member seemed annoyed to have to explain the rules to us, and then she later scolded my 17 month old for spilling some water out of the water table when I was already cleaning it up.
3) Not having a booking system, with such a limited capacity and frequent large group visits this would make things so much easier for families

I want to love this place, and we will go back because my kiddo loves it and we have gift cards, but I just wish it was run a little differently

Tania Walsh

The staff is so friendly and helpful. We had a birthday party here on a Friday night. It was so easy and the kids had a great time! We had the place to ourselves plus a party room to set up for food and presents. Each kid got a crown and lovely art kit to take home.

There's a few parking spots beside the building. The space has stairs to access the front door and some of the spaces inside are tight - not accessible for everyone. We will absolutely come back many times!