Happy Glaze Ceramics
BEST FOR
Ages 0+
ENTRY
from £16
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Epsom
What it’s like
Pick a pot off the shelf, paint it in one of 36 colours, then wait for a text when it's fired and ready to collect.
You pick a piece off the shelf, choose from 36 paint colours, and sit down to decorate it. The studio seats up to 28, staff are on hand to help, and the two-hour session is the maximum stay rather than a target, since most children run out of ideas before the clock does. No age limit as such, but a toddler will need you sitting alongside with a hand over theirs.
The bit worth saving for last, or rather for a different day: free baby and toddler hand and foot prints done by staff. Over one year old gives you a decent hand print; under one, they'd rather do a foot. There may be a short wait, so ring ahead. Toddlers also get Read & Paint sessions twice a month, with a story and a ceramic character to paint, and there are weekend family sessions at 10.30am, 1pm and 3.30pm with hot chocolate and cookies. Older children who want to be left to it can book a holiday workshop, step-by-step and drop-off, for ages 8 and up.
Costs stack up. It's £6 per painter as a studio fee, and the pottery starts around £10 a piece, so a child painting one item is £16. One studio fee covers several pieces in the same session, which softens it. Writing or edge painting is another £6 per item if you want it. Groups of 7 or more pay a £6 per person deposit.
Booking is highly recommended at weekends and in the school holidays, which is the honest catch here. It shuts Mondays to Wednesdays except in half term and the summer holidays, when Wednesday opens too. Parking on Waterloo Road is 20 minutes only, so use the town car parks and walk over. No hot food in the studio, but crisps, fruit and biscuits are fine at the table, drinks and snacks are sold, and you can bring a takeaway coffee. Prams fit more easily in weekday daytime sessions.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 3 to 10; older ones can book the 8+ drop-off workshops
- Booking
- Highly recommended, especially weekends and school holidays
- Parking
- 20-minute restricted parking on Waterloo Road
- How long to allow
- About 2 hours (maximum session)
- Food
- Drinks and snacks sold in studio at competitive prices (tea, coffee, juice cartons)
- Picnics
- No hot food. Snacks like crisps, fruit and biscuits ok at the table
- Pushchairs
- Prams fit more easily in weekday daytime sessions
- Wheelchairs
- Small step at the front door, usually accessible by wheelchair
- Parties
- Children's birthday parties where everyone paints their own piece, fired and ready to collect about 2 weeks later
- Worth knowing
- Free baby and toddler prints on your pottery by staff
- £6 studio fee per painter, plus pottery from around £10, so £16 for one child painting one piece
- Writing or edge painting adds £6 per item
- Groups of 7 or more pay a £6 per person deposit when booking
- Hand and foot prints are done free by staff, but ring ahead as there can be a wait
- Two hours is the maximum stay, not a minimum
Plan your visit
How much does a session cost?
£6 per painter as a studio fee, plus the pottery, which starts around £10 a piece. So budget £16 for one child painting one item. That fee covers as many pieces as you get through in the two hours.
Do we need to book?
It's highly recommended at weekends and in the school holidays, and there's a £6 per person deposit for groups of 7 or more. For baby and toddler prints, ring ahead since staff do those and there can be a wait.
Is there an age limit?
No minimum age. It comes down to how long your child will sit still, and younger ones do best with an adult helping hands-on.
Why are there extra charges on my bill?
Writing or edge painting is £6 per item on top of the studio fee. If you're a group of 7 or more, there's also a £6 per person deposit when you book.
How long do we get?
Two hours, which is the maximum stay. Plenty of children finish well before that.
When do we get the pottery back?
It's left with them to dry, glaze and fire, then wrapped and bagged. You'll get a text when it's ready to collect.
Is there parking?
Waterloo Road is 20 minutes only. The nearest car parks are Ebbisham Centre, the station and Hook Road, so park there and walk in.
Can we eat there?
No hot food in the studio. Crisps, fruit and biscuits are fine at the table but not while painting, and drinks and snacks are sold at the studio. Takeaway coffee is welcome.
Can I leave my child while I shop?
No, minors need an adult with them, unless they're booked onto a drop-off workshop for ages 8 and up. Breakages have to be paid for.
Can we bring our own pottery or paint?
Buying and painting their pottery is what keeps the place going. Your own brushes, stencils and stamps are fine.
Is it open on Mondays?
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, apart from Wednesdays in half term and the summer holidays. Thursday runs 10.30am to 6.30pm, Friday 10am to 9pm, and the weekend 10am to 6pm.
Can we do a birthday party there?
Everyone paints their own piece and it's fired and ready to collect about two weeks later. Friday 4pm is a good weekday option; weekend slots go first.
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