Channel Your Inner Picasso at Potteryland Studio

The next time you’re looking for something unique and creative to do with your friends or the little ones, consider booking an afternoon at Potteryland Studio. This bright, colorful art studio in The Woodlands hosts social painting classes for visitors of all skill levels, so it offers a great opportunity to get creative and try your hand at something artistic.

Choose a handmade pottery piece from the studio’s wide selection of bowls, plates, animal statues, and piggy banks, and then choose from the wide variety of paint colors to create your own customized masterpiece on the surface of the pottery. In addition to pottery painting, Potteryland offers glass fusing and traditional canvas painting classes.

Potteryland Studio is open seven days a week. The studio fee is $4 for kids and $6 for adults, plus the cost of the pottery piece.

Potteryland Studio
25166 Grogans Park Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 419-7965
www.potteryland-studio.com

George Mitchell Nature Preserve: 1,700 Acres of Natural Beauty in The Woodlands

Even the most inexperienced hiker will enjoy spending the afternoon at the George Mitchell Nature Preserve, a scenic and fun-filled outdoor retreat in The Woodlands. This well-maintained park encompasses 1,700 acres of preserved natural areas managed by the Montgomery County Spring Creek Greenway, which connects more than 12,000 acres of forest in the area.

Inside the preserve, you’ll find a 2-mile-long hiking trail that offers a bit of a challenging hike through the lush, green forest, as well as an additional 3 miles of mountain biking trails for avid bikers. These safe and secure trails are covered in natural, sustainable tracks that offer proper support and footing without taking away from the beauty of nature. If you prefer to walk along the water, the Bedias Lake paths are also great options, offering a bit more leisurely stroll through this verdant park.

George Mitchell Nature Preserve
Spring Creek Greenway
The Woodlands, TX 77380
www.thewoodlandstx.com/parks/george-mitchell-nature-preserve.php

George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library: Get Lost in the Stacks of This Community Library

The George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library is housed in a 30,000-square-foot brick building conveniently located in the Woodlands area of Montgomery County.

This community staple contains 102,500 books and other resources, including the latest fiction and nonfiction releases, classic works of literature, educational books, and children’s books. The computer lab offers 30 computers equipped with Internet access, Microsoft Office, and many other resources, and there are also printer stations and photocopiers for public use. A meeting room, conference room, and two study rooms are ideal for study groups or other gatherings, and the library also offers many book clubs for fellow readers in the area. With a valid library card guests also have access to the numerous children, teen, and adult programs hosted at the library.

The George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays.

The George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library
8125 Ashlane Way
The Woodlands, TX 77382
(936) 442-7728
www.countylibrary.org/mitchell.htm
www.yelp.com/biz/george-and-cynthia-woods-mitchell-library-the-woodlands

Shop Custom, Antique and Modern Baubles at Robichau’s Jewelry

Since 1986, Robichau’s Jewelry has been decorating bare necklines, wrists, earlobes, and fingers with one-of-a-kind jewelry found only in The Woodlands. What began as a collection of just 12 pieces of jewelry has evolved into a comprehensive inventory of engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and more. And because the shop also sells vintage and estate jewelry, you may find a truly unique piece for yourself or a loved one.

If you can’t find that unique piece you were hoping for, you can create your own jewelry with Robichau’s custom services. Use the 3D jewelry design system that allows you to see—and touch!—your custom design before it’s even cast. In fact, this family-owned jewelry shop is one of the only jewelers in the area to give its customers a same-day custom jewelry model!

Robichau’s Jewelry
Panther Creek Shopping Center
4775 W. Panther Creek Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 367-7807
www.robichausjewelry.com
www.yelp.com/biz/robichaus-jewelry-the-woodlands

Let Little Ones Run Wild (Safely) at Wonderwild

"The sky's the limit" isn't just a slogan at Wonderwild; it's a pretty apt description of the three-story playscape. At this indoor playground, kids can zoom down an inflatable slide and pop out just under the gaping jaws of a massive, smiling crocodile. The cushy crocodile slide shares space with a bounce house where kids can get in some exercise while they play, as well as many other colorful fixtures.

Let kids hop around on a soft jumping pillow or watch while they climb through tunnels and navigate corners in the three-story playhouse. It's connected to set a parallel slides where little ones can race their friends and then scamper back up the steps for another round. Toddlers and more laid-back youngsters might want to stick to the train table, plush building blocks, or other more low-key playthings.

Wonderwild
2230 Buckthorne Place
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 419-1044
gowonderwild.com
www.yelp.com/biz/wonderwild-the-woodlands-2

Cattail Park: Dogs Welcome

Despite its name, Cattail Park actually welcomes dogs. Its dog park keeps small pooches (under 20 pounds) in their own separate section, complete with kiddie pools for splashing. Nearby in the fenced-in space for larger dogs, you can grab a seat while your pup runs around with new friends. The park provides waste disposal bags and trash cans so that you can easily clean up after your furry friend.

In addition to the space for dogs, Cattail Park has plenty of features just for humans. Take a spin around the jogging track or play a rousing match on the tennis courts. Round up some friends and hit the basketball courts or baseball fields. You can also bring along a picnic lunch and spread out at one of the tables or claim one of the barbecue pits and cook up a feast.

Cattail Park
9323 Cochran's Crossing Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=32
www.yelp.com/biz/cattail-park-the-woodlands

Shag Spa and Salons: A Cut Above the Rest in The Woodlands

When residents of The Woodlands need to beautify, they head to Shag Spa and Salons, a one-stop beauty shop for hair, skin, and nails. This full-service salon even offers advanced cosmetic procedures, such as laser hair treatments that promise thicker-feeling tresses.

Stylists use such products as TIGI, Moroccan Oil, and Kerastase to cut, color, condition, or smoothen hair, while skin specialists slather skin in Dermologica products during facials, chemical peels, or microdermabrasion. Meanwhile, massage therapists promote relaxation and detoxify the body using fluid strokes and kneading, and nail technicians tend to hands and feet with cuticle trimming, skin softening, and nail painting.

The Shag Spa and Salons team boasts employees with more than 20 years of experience each, and many of employees here hold special certifications and training in New York, London, and Scotland.

Shag Spa and Salons
4747 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 296-7424
www.shagspaandsalons.com
www.yelp.com/biz/shag-spa-and-salons-the-woodlands

Bear Branch Park: A Day of Play for the Whole Family

When you think of the ideal park for all of the members of your family, you likely envision something that looks a lot like Bear Branch Park. This well-maintained park features more amenities than you can even count, starting with the colorful play area meant for the little ones. Play equipment for children young and old is kept in safe working order, and there are also a number of bucket swings and belt swings for the kids to swing on.

Basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts are ideal for community leagues and pick-up games, and the recreation center offers an indoor space for athletic events. Bear Branch Park also contains a large swimming pool to help beat the Texas heat, plus picnic tables and barbecue pits for afternoon lunches outdoors.

Bear Branch Park
5200 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 210-3800
www.yelp.com/biz/bear-branch-park-the-woodlands
www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=33

Let the Good Times Roll at Bowlero

Bowlero is great for family fun on a Saturday afternoon, and it's also ideal for an adults-only night out on the town. Whatever kind of outing you're planning, this The Woodlands-area bowling alley offers a recently renovated, state-of-the-art bowling experience.

With 40 lanes, you should be able to begin bowling without much of a wait, no matter when you visit. And once you've claimed your lane, you'll enjoy playing with the digital score boards (including photo options), customizable theme lighting for your lane, and more. There's more than just bowling at Bowlero, however. You'll also find shuffleboard, skeeball, foosball, beer pong, and corn hole, as well as an arcade full of all your favorite vintage games.

Food options include nachos, chicken tenders, cookies, and doughnuts. Heartier appetites can bite into the mammoth two-foot-long hot dog doused in Coney sauce, or share the massive five-pound burger with a few friends.

Bowlero
27000 Interstate 45 North
Conroe, TX 77385
(281) 367-1277
www.bowlero.com/locations/woodlands
www.yelp.com/biz/bowlero-conroe

Develop Strength and Flexibility at Express Hot Yoga

While Express Hot Yoga offers a few traditional 90-minute bikram-style yoga workouts, this studio stays true to its name by specializing in condensed, 50-minute classes. Regulars at this The Woodlands business say the studio itself is airy, clean, and beautifully maintained, which allows you to focus entirely on the poses—and be aware that you'll need to focus in order to get through a full 26-pose workout in just 50 minutes!

If you've never done hot yoga before, you'll likely find that the 50-minute classes are a great introduction to the bikram method. The studio recommends you arrive prepared to sweat, with a hand towel and plenty of water to drink.

Express Hot Yoga
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 363-2989
www.bytw.com
www.yelp.com/biz/express-hot-yoga-the-woodlands

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