GOWANUS — Kids are getting a new spot to explore their creative sides in Gowanus.
Splats & Squiggles, a Staten Island children's enrichment program, is opening its first Brooklyn location within the next month at 539 Third Ave., near 13th Street.
The kid-friendly education center will offer art, movement, music and other classes in an "unstructured, low-key" environment, said owner Nicole Fioretto, who's opening the center with partner Dalia Moss.
She launched Splats & Squiggles out of her Staten Island toy store, Pumpkin Patch, about three years ago. The toy shop has since closed, but the kids classes have continued.
At the Gowanus location, children as old as 10 will paint, draw and make art projects based on a theme. For example, students in Staten Island recently made eye patches, treasure chests and hats for a pirate-themed session.
Fioretto, who has three children, also plans to offer zumbini (Zumba for babies), and "Kindertots," which she described as a "music and movement class with a Montessori feel."
Splats & Squiggles also has a class called My Five Senses that's ideal for kids with sensory processing issues, Fioretto said. An outdoor area will provide space for gardening and science classes.
Fioretto hasn't finalized fees for her classes, but said they'll be moderately priced.
"It’s a place for your kid to have a good time," Fioretto said. "The kids are going to have a blast, and the best part is that the mess stays with us."
Other recent comings and goings in the neighborhood include the following:
Two new pizza places are in the works: Pizza Superstar will open at 446B Dean St. between Fifth and Flatbush avenues, and Napoleon Pizza is opening at 412 Fifth Ave., Park Slope Stoop reported.
Trois Pommes Patisserie, the bakery at 260 Fifth Ave., is closing on March 23, according to a sign in the window. The shop is holding a farewell bake sale and party at 5 p.m. on March 23, where "$10 will get you booze, food and all the baked goods you can grab," the store announced on its Facebook page.
Cozbi, the clothing boutique at 351 Fifth Ave., has closed, Here's Park Slope reported. The women's store has been in business for 10 years, and customers will still be able to find its designs online and at Diana Kane, the boutique at 229 Fifth Ave., according to a farewell post on the store's Facebook page.
