Kids
Sky Village
Astoria-based business offers paint-themed
birthday parties and classes for kids
BY ALLISON KRIDLE
As a child, there’s nothing quite like witness-ing
your parents hang a picture you painted
on the fridge, even if it was just a finger
painting — talk about a self-esteem boost.
As it turns out, there are many benefits to painting as
a child, such as hand-eye coordination, communica-tion,
creativity progression, education of shapes and
colors — plus, it is downright fun.
The Astoria business Sky Village allows kids to
throw paint-themed birthday parties as well as take
painting classes. They provide decently priced child care
for parents while keeping the kiddos’ creative juices
flowing. Sky Village owner Shasta Molnar opened the
paint play zone in September 2018.
“What I love most about teaching children is their
lack of ego. They don’t need to prove anything to
anyone and simply paint from a place of purity and joy.
Children truly love the process and therefore make the
most beautiful art. The product is always secondary,”
Molnar said.
According to Molnar, Sky Village offers classes to
children under age 4 as a preschool and art education
alternative. The day camps offered are also a good way
to occupy the tots as their parents head to their day
jobs or non-kid-friendly engagements. Most classes
range around $20 to $30.
“My number one focus is to make some art that is
beautiful — something that won’t get tossed in the
trash. This usually takes some experimentation with
the kids. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes
we’re not, but usually through the process we discover
something really good. If you take a look at the Sky
Village NYC Instagram page, you will see what I’m
talking about,” Molnar said.
46 NOVEMBER 2019 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
The Sky Village Instagram makes the space look
like artsy, magical fun. Pastel colors practically bleed
through the photos and the kids’ excitement about
crafts really shines through. Molnar remembers a
birthday party they held where the partygoers painted
beautiful Easter eggs, a day at camp where they took
over a Queens swing set and “made Jackson Pollock
style paintings that came out so beautiful they would
impress Larry Gagosian.”
“I keep telling the kids I’m going to sell their art
in Soho — they are actually that good,” Molnar said.
Sky Village
23-05 29th St., Astoria
917-608-1658
skyvillagenyc.com
Sky Village
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
/skyvillagenyc.com
