The Place to Potter moves on to New Pastures...

The Place to Potter, Heaton Park Garden Centre’s creative centre has announced it will be uprooting from its current spot in 2018 and embarking on a regional tour that will see the popular brand pop-up at various locations across Manchester ranging from shopping centres to schools to nursing homes.

By Steven Pankhurst | 20 December 2017

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Featuring a craft lodge, an onsite cafe, a mud garden and a mammoth 70ft party tunnel, The Place to Potter pitched up in Heaton Park Garden Centre in early July and has since enjoyed unprecedented demand for its messy play facilities and range of crafty classes for both adults and children.

The concept is the brainchild of MOA Events MD Kelly Harris, who regularly styles premium soirees for blue-chip clients such as The Principal Hotel, Key 103 and Coutts. Equipped with an extensive set of props and decorations, Harris uses her event dressing abilities to create imaginative environments where people of all ages can release creativity through arts and crafts and inspiring classes.

Offering specialised workshops for adults ranging from flower arranging to mindfulness along with an extensive range of activities and events for kids such as daily drop-in messy play sessions, Harry Potter wand making classes and unicorn arty parties, The Place to Potter has been applauded since its inception for providing a stimulating and engaging day out for both parents and children.

For the brand’s final festive weeks at the garden centre, the mammoth 70ft party tunnel has been transformed into an Elves Workshop. Festively decorated and equipped with a selection of Christmas-themed craft pods, families can break away from purchasing mass-production, supermarket decorations and gifts and instead come to The Place to Potter to create personalised presents together.

Seasonal crafts include, Xmas boxes, bespoke baubles, elf gardens, creative Christmas cards and Christmas themed canvas’, along with a range of traditional gifts such as jewellery and money boxes. Hosting daily pay-as-you-play sessions, families can simply drop-in between 10- 4 pm to partake in these seasonal activities.

To celebrate their time at Heaton Park Garden Centre, The Place to Potter will host a final farewell Xmas Slime Lab on December 21st. Back by popular demand, children can indulge in this ultimate messy play activity and enjoy creating a selection of seasonal slimes. This crowd-pleasing event offers festive fun for all the family and when it was held over the summer over 700 ‘slimers’ attended.

The Place to Potter Manager Kelly Harris said: “We’ve loved being at Heaton Park Garden Centre but we’ve had so much demand that we know it’s the right time to roll out the concept to other locations. Releasing creativity is so important no matter how old you are and we look forward to visiting schools and shopping centres with our Place to Potter pop-up. We’ll even be visiting nursing homes to arrange classes for dementia patients!”

The Place to Potter will also be bringing some much-needed Christmas cheer to disadvantaged children around Manchester through Mission Xmas. Along with hosting 20 deprived children at the Xmas Slime Lab, The Place to Potter is a designated drop-off point for this inspiring charity which distributes toys to families in need. Any family who comes to The Place to Potter and donates a gift to this vital cause will be rewarded with complimentary Christmas card making and a huge 40% off designer clothing at childrenswear brand, Tuta Kids.