Things to Do in Alpharetta

More than 90 nontoxic paint colors, 600 pottery pieces, and an unlimited amount of creativity—that’s what guests find at Splatters Pottery, Painting & More when creating their own masterpieces. During a painting session, guests take the first step by selecting a plate, mug, or other glass or mosaic piece, and then cover it in doodles or paint. Once guests are satisfied with their work, they hand it over for firing and return in a week to pick up the finished product. The kiln-fired pieces are also food safe and wash easily, making them extra efficient for eating soup in the bathtub. For avid artists, parties and camps let guests sculpt their own pottery from clay, make a mosaic, or drizzle colored sands together.

When you walk into Jeronimo! and see the massive, inflatable slides and bounce houses, you'll understand why the open area resounds with children's laughter and squeals of delight. Here, kids can jump, climb, and maneuver through the colorful structures to their hearts' content, the thought of town criers announcing bedtime far from their minds. For youngsters aged 2 and younger, there's a separate, soft play area with a smaller bounce castle. All inflatables and toys are cleaned daily to ensure kids' health and safety.

Parents can sip fresh coffee or tea while they surf the web on one of the facility's computers. When the jumping is done, kids and adults head next door to send golf balls around transportation-themed obstacles at the indoor Putt 'N Play course. The center also boasts a dance floor and rock-climbing wall that turn parties into adventures and rents out inflatable slides, castles, and water mazes to liven up at-home events.

A hayride rolls across 50 of Warbington Farms' 300-acres. Riders peer over the side as the tractor turns straight into a pasture where cattle graze and autograph cartons of milk. At the end of this agricultural journey, visitors can enjoy walks through the crisp autumn air, pet farm animals, and stock up on fresh eggs, jams, and ciders. Though a working farm behind the scenes, Warbington Farms prides itself most on creating these sorts of experiences for visitors. In Autumn, Pumpkin Palooza fills the grounds with live music and fall activities, including an inflatable slide and a sandbox filled with corn. Winter brings Christmas trees and visits from Santa, and the spring strawberry festival lets visitors pick their own morsels of fresh fruit.

In 1976, busy California mother Joan Barnes wanted nothing more than to find a play place where she and her kids could enjoy age-appropriate, educational activities. Finding none, she developed her own innovative play environment within a developmental-based program structure now known as Gymboree Play & Music. Today, kids tumble and learn in more than 650 locations in 33 countries around the world, engaging in open play and classes designed to build cognitive and motor skills. As parents participate in their child’s development, their child learns to paint, play music, and interact socially outside of preschool knitting circles.

Start the painting process by selecting any piggy bank, mug, plaque, plate, or unexpected pottery discovery from All Fired Up!'s stock of more than 250 decorative and functional artifacts (an average piece costs $21–$25). All Fired Up!'s colorful design books and friendly staff can help if you need inspiration or artistic guidance. Pick out paint colors, then carefully direct your brush in tune with your dreams and wishes, letting your creative juices gush onto the dinnerware of your choosing. Once you're finished, All Fired Up! glazes and fires your piece in a kiln; it'll be ready for pick-up in about a week. All new additions to your pottery family are food safe, and because only lead-free, nontoxic paints and glazes are used, they're suitable for holding bologna sandwiches or tropical drinks toting a tiny parasol. Feel free to bring snacks and drinks of your choice (alcoholic beverages are allowed) to nosh and sip on while you paint.

In the spacious room of Sip & Stroke’s new location, students of all skill levels swirl glasses, pick up brushes, and daub pigments onto canvases to create works of art during instructor-guided canvas-painting classes. Participants bring their own libations and arrive individually or in groups for birthday soirees, bachelorette parties, and famous Supreme Court ruling read-throughs. The art studio's open atmosphere also caters to children, who can take on canvases, clay, or strings of beads.