Meet Samara Helfman, the creative force behind The Painting Place in Wellesley. At just 24 years old, armed with a degree in child psychology and a passion for working with kids, Samara opened the doors to The Painting Place in 2000. Her goal? To create a fun, welcoming space where children could learn, create, and get a little messy along the way. Now approaching its 25th anniversary this September, the vibrant drop-in art studio and beloved party destination continues to thrive, thanks in large part to Samara’s warmth, vision, and the generations of families who return again and again.
Tell us about your family!
I’m originally from Great Neck, NY, but now I call Needham home. I live here with my husband and our two daughters, ages 17 and 18. Our oldest just graduated from Needham High and is heading to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) this fall!
What’s your favorite aspect about being part of this community
Helping the community is just part of the culture here. Everyone’s always willing to lend a hand to their neighbors. As a working mom, often juggling weekends too, it’s meant so much to feel that support and see others treat my kids like their own.
What’s your favorite family activity to do in the area?
When the girls were little, we spent a lot of time at Fun N Games and bouncing around the local trampoline parks. These days, now that they’re teens, we love walking through Wellesley Center and grabbing ice cream or froyo from Truly’s. But some of our favorite family memories are the simplest—picking up dinner to go and heading to Needham Center where the kids would run around, bump into friends, and we’d have quality family time.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to open The Painting Place.
I’ve always loved working with kids. In college, I majored in child psychology, and after graduating, I did a ton of babysitting while also teaching at Temple Beth Avodah. I started to notice something, parents (understandably, and now I totally get it as a mom!) were constantly reminding kids not to make a mess. It made me think there should be a space where kids could just be kids, free to create, explore, and make all the mess they wanted. So at 24, I opened The Painting Place in Newton with just 1,000 square feet and some picnic tables. We eventually outgrew that space, moved to Needham (until the building was torn down), and finally made our way to Wellesley, where we’ve been ever since.
The Painting Place is a great spot for both kids and adults to explore their creativity in a fun, hands on way. Can you tell us more about what The Painting Place offers?
We’re a place where making a mess is not just welcomed—it’s part of the fun! Here, you can paint pottery, plaster, or canvas, make candles, create mosaics, mine for gems, and even make slime. If something happens to drop on the floor, it only adds to the character of our space. We host birthday parties, corporate events, and mini camps, but at our core, we’ve always been known for warmly welcoming walk-ins.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I love watching families come together for outings where everyone gets to join the fun. One of the best parts is seeing college students who used to come paint here as kids come back to visit. We’ve even had people who celebrated their 7th birthday party with us return 22 years later, with their own kids in tow, to make new memories and create some art magic all over again.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
As cliché as it sounds, the best advice I ever got is that the days feel long, but the years go by so fast—so really soak up the time with your kids. That’s hitting home even more now that my oldest is heading off to college. I’m learning to pause and truly appreciate the moment we’re in.
What is the best advice you would like to give a mom?
Try to really be an active listener to your kids. I know it’s so hard, especially when you’re exhausted with little ones. Just take a moment to pause and hear what they’re saying, it makes a bigger difference than you think.
Thank you Samara for letting us get to know you! We’re so lucky to have The Painting Place in our community (for almost 25 years!). The Painting Place is open 7 days a week from 10am-6pm. To learn more, please visit www.paintingplace4fun.com and follow along on instagram @ThePaintingPlace4Fun.
