In an era when video games have become many childrens’ first choice for entertainment, three south Snomish County businesses are showing kids — and adults — that low-tech hands-on play can be educational and fun.
For these businesses, customer experience takes on a whole new meaning.
Creation Station
Long before the big chain retailers embraced the idea of making a retail environment into an experience, C.C. Leonard ran a little workshop/retail outfit where kids of all ages used scraps of recycleable stuff — items that might normally end up in a landfill — to create works of art.
In 2004, Frank Knight purchased Creation Station from Leonard, a former preschool teacher, and has run it since.
“Our focus is children’s creativity,” said Knight, 57. “Just letting kids use random material to create whatever they imagine.”
A poster on the wall quotes the late physicist and philosopher Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Knight’s shop, located just west of Trinity Lutheran Church off 196th Street Southwest, is filled with plastic boxes containing the raw materials: bicycle inner tubes, surgical tubing, empty CD boxes, assorted industrial plastic parts, papers, strings, rocks, wood blocks. This is where kids and adults make rain sticks out of recycled tennis ball holders and six-pack can holders.
“So much of public education is outcome based,” said Knight. “We are process-based. It’s the process that’s important, not the final product.”
Creation Station is located at 19511 64th Ave. W. Lynnwood. On the Web: creationstationinc.com
Jaicee Designs, Inc
In 1995, Janeal Grosinger began teaching after-school sewing classes at two private elementary schools: Seattle Country Day School and The Evergreen School.
Today, the company she runs with her architect husband Craig Grosinger employs eight instructors who teach after school classes at more than 30 schools.
In May, the couple opened their first storefront just north of the King-Snohomish County border.
Sewing’s still the focus but the additional space has allowed the two to expand classes to include jewelry making, scrap booking and wood working.
They still offer after-school enrichment programs at schools but the storefront has allowed them to expand the variety and number of classes they offer.
“We’ve had so many parents ask us if we do birthday parties,” Janeal said. “Up until now, we’ve said, ‘Yeah, but we have to do it at your house.’”
Their classes cater to kids ages 3 and up, though with the new Edmonds site, they’re offering classes for senior citizens as well.
“For us, it seemed like the next logical step,” Craig said. “Business has really grown by word of mouth over the years.”
Jaicee Designs, Inc is located at 24310 76th Ave. W, Edmonds. On the Web: kidsarecreative.com
Kids ‘N’ Clay
Not too long ago, Leanne Norby and Sheridan Haroian were stay-at-home moms with bundles of energy and dreams.
This month, the friends celebrated their first year in business together as co-owners of the only West Coast franchise location for this pottery studio business outside of Berkeley, Calif., where it was founded 20 years ago.
Exploration is the mantra for the studio, where children ages 3 to 18 are taught how to throw clay on a potter’s wheel, hand building and sculpture as well as glazing and finishing their pieces.
“I love how kids react when they get their hands on the clay,” said Norby, 39, the primary instructor.
“There’s not much kids can do wrong here,” said Haroian, 33, who handles the business end of the studio but also is an experienced potter herself.
The studio offers after-school programs during the school year as well as summer and holiday camps. Birthday parties also are popular.
“You can’t help but feed off the energy in class and they get so excited,” Norby said.
Kids ‘N’ Clay is located at 19125 33rd Ave. W. Suite D, Lynnwood. On the Web: kidsnclay.com
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