Things to Do in Ionia

A passionate staff of potters and painters oversees brushstrokes at Piece of Mine, which boasts hundreds of paintable items, ranging from mugs to vases to piggy banks, for beginner and veteran maestros. Unlike the antiquated pottery studios of yesteryear, Piece of Mine has done away with the cumbersome slips, molds, and cleaning greenware that bog down the process, affording artists total focus on their work. Sponges and stamps supplement brushes, and nearby design books are full of great art ideas, such as painting a personal Mount Rushmore with your own face four times.

Brighton Beads & More helps beadists, metal workers, and other crafty artists fill their supply boxes and hone their crafts. Their experienced instructors teach novice and seasoned artists alike, helping them create custom art in a variety of classes. Students can sign up for skill-building classes, such as bead stringing, metalsmithing, or wire wrapping, or learn how to make specific pieces such as fused-glass mirrors or decorative chains. The calendar’s many offerings allow guests to work around brimming schedules or coordinate alibis for ice-cream-truck holdups. Brighton Beads & More also encourages customers to place orders for supplies they don’t carry and request custom classes they don’t offer, so their staff can attempt to leap through beaded rings of fire to accommodate those wishes.

Once upon a time, the grounds surrounding the Mill Lake Outdoor Recreation Center was filled with the gleeful laughter of children, but today only screams can be heard cutting through the darkness. First opened in the 1930s, the camp's cabins have sunk into disrepair since their closure in the ‘90s, but that doesn't mean they've remained empty. The festering site now serves as home to a whole host of ghouls, foul creatures, and lingering campers still struggling to master the square knot.

If they make it through the sinister paths, guests can calm their chattering teeth while warming up by a bonfire or embrace a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing a portion of the haunt's profits goes toward restoring the historic Mill Lake Cabins.

Ever since he began playing with the family Kodak as a toddler, Mark Chamberlin’s passion for photography has been insatiable. He opened his first studio in 1977, and soon earned numerous awards for his portrait, wedding, and scenic photography. By 1995, he felt ready to move on from the studio business and switched his career focus to adult education. As the director and primary instructor of SmarterPics, which he founded in 2008, Mark teaches all level of student the ins and outs of digital photography.

In classes and private tutoring sessions, Mark instructs students through a combination of verbal instruction and hands-on practice. His classes range in subject, from introductory DSLR-camera courses to flash photography and controlling bright sun, where students learn more productive ways to work with light than attempting to harvest it from within. Subjects in his tutoring sessions also run the gamut from camera basics to digital editing tips, depending on the specific needs of his clients.

Working at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1994 World Cup are a few of the sporting events on camp director Shelly Watkins's resumé, which she draws on to run a summer camp for kids of all ages. A mother herself, she believes in giving each child individual attention, recognition, and respect, rewarding campers with high-fives and compliments for jobs well done. Together with assistant camp director Cortney Spiegel, she runs fun-packed day camps focused on arts, sports, field trips, and specialty programs. Professional counselors work with pintsize Pacinos in the Lights, Camera, Action class to make short films; kick off Nerf-themed sports events in the Nerf Extravaganza class; or venture out to bowling, movies, rollerblading, and laser tag during the Mega Adventure Field Trip. Shelly and her friendly crew also lead precamp and aftercamp activities for early-morning and evening supervision, and junior camp for campers aged 4¬–7 or 10-year-olds having their pre-preteen life crisis.

Nature has proved that dance is an effective way of attracting mates and restoring forgotten celebrities to the public eye. Strut your ballroom stuff, hop your funky hips, or practice the perfect pirouette with today's Groupon to Society Hill Dance Academy: $35 gets you one 45-minute private dance lesson for an individual or a couple, a $120 value. You can choose the style of dance you want to learn, including ballet, ballroom, hip-hop, and belly dance. Plus, this Groupon gives you a chance to practice your moves and socialize with fellow dancers at one of Society Hill's dance parties every Thursday at 9:15 p.m. at SHDA's Center City location, an additional $20 value for couples. Follow @Groupon_Says on Twitter.