Things to Do in Plymouth

Artist Mike Buszuwski wanted to create “an inspirational place for kids to come and explore art.” Thus, Painting Fun Spot was born. He and his artistic staff equip artists of all ages with all the necessary supplies—nontoxic, USA-made plaster pieces, paints, sealants, and paintball guns—to create colorful sculptures in a relaxed, kid-friendly studio complete with booster seats and pint-sized aprons. Vibrant walls and an undersea mural inspire creativity during studio time, summer camps, and parties and help budding artists bestow blank plaster canvases with hand-painted masterpieces.

Painting Fun Spot also hosts painting fun art classes, during which instructor Tonya Warnke Buszuwski, a professional artist with works in collections throughout the U.S., instructs adults in the finer points of pigment placement. She leads students step by step through a selected canvas work, capturing the tranquility of an impressionistic Tuscan countryside, the bold hues of a cross, or a trio of tulips playing poker with a basset hound.

Just Add H2O's diving experts have guided students of all levels of experience safely through waters for more than 34 years. Providing diving certifications through PADI and NAUI, instructors chart progression from introductory diving lessons all the way up to instructor certification, which comes with a license to ride giant seahorses. Just Add H2O's staff also hosts local and regional dives and leads trips to Lake Michigan shipwrecks, the cool depths of Gilboa Quarry, and tropical destinations such as Truk Lagoon in the Eastern Caroline Islands. To ensure that dives proceed without a hitch, the facility lets guests rent or purchase gear and can help to maintain used equipment.

Founders Damien and Rita Gabis, as well as countless volunteers, have built Taltree Arboretum & Gardens into more than 360 acres of forested pathways, themed gardens, and natural amphitheaters. The vast gardens span many different climates, from the Savanna wetlands to a monarch butterfly way station filled with pollen-producing flowers. A miniature train set snakes through a one-acre formal garden, mimicking real-world locations from Michigan City or Santa Fe.

The staff at Taltree leads guests through these luscious surroundings in hosted hikes and tours that explore the grounds and illuminate scientific and botanical principles. From the rose garden to the animal habitats, the tour guides opine on the biology behind their specimens. Guests can even learn to make their own garden with educational classes on how to plant seeds, prune plants, and teach flowers to sing.

The menagerie of inflatable stations at Concord Bounce test the seemingly limitless energy of their young patrons within a climate-controlled atmosphere. Inflatable pirate ships and castles stimulate the imagination as their inhabitants play and socialize. An 18-foot slide, inflatable tee-ball field and air-filled obstacle course help children to develop motor skills and eliminate the need for parents to drench daily exercise in applesauce. As their children frolic, adult visitors can smile quietly to themselves knowing that the staff cleans and sterilizes the sock-friendly structures before each playtime. Alternately, they can supervise from within the play area or entertain themselves with arcade games, television, and free WiFi.

Nick Kant and Heather Adams wanted the already extraordinary feeling of free fall to be even more incomparable for their customers. The couple devised a skydiving business that could be exhilarating not only for the jumpers but for their family and friends. At Skydive Great Lakes, nonskydivers are welcome to cheer on their flying pals in drop zones designed for spectators, who can view a live video feed from onboard the aircraft. Nick's skills as an aerial videographer allow clients to capture every moment of an inaugural tandem dive, from the initial jump-off to the inevitable midair arguments with Peter Pan. Flying out of Goshen, ground-school grads can board a yellow Pilatus Porter plane that fits up to 10 jumpers. Heather and Nick are the only enthusiasts in the country who launch skydivers from a Sikorsky S-55 helicopter, which hovers over drop zones on select weekends.

Hart City Scuba’s team of dive masters and instructors turn mere waders into full-blown explorers of the aquatic world. They achieve that through group and private scuba programs such as open water diver, rescue diver, and conversational mermaid. In addition, they can mend any dive gear gone awry and fill tanks with fresh O2.