May 5, 2026

A pop-up business based in Harrisburg now offers a mobile arts experience for all ages.

When Jenn Peterson noticed a gap in local offerings for kids who aren’t drawn to athletics, The Wildflower Den was born.

Peterson is already a full-time elementary school teacher, church ministry leader and mother of two young children.

“I was like, ‘Hey, why not add something else to my plate?’ Moms do that all the time,” Peterson said, laughing.

“There’s not a ton of activities for kids that are not sports-related,” she said. “I saw students in my classroom saying they had nothing to do on weekends, and I thought, ‘What can we do for kids who maybe aren’t into sports but love the arts?’”

In the fall of 2025, Peterson started with informal craft pop-ups in local parks. From there, business quickly grew into a traveling creative studio inviting families through social media to low-cost craft events.

Peterson said The Wildflower Den emphasizes creativity over perfection.

“I notice in the classroom, kids feel like what they create has to be perfect,” she said. “This gives them an opportunity to make mistakes and then make something beautiful from it.”

And that’s where the business name came to life.

“Wildflower” represents creativity that is “wild and free,” she said, while the brand’s purple color honors her grandfather, who inspired her love of art and gardening.

The Wildflower Den shows up wherever space is available — from coffee shops, restaurants and community venues to seasonal events, offering DIY art experiences for kids and families.

“The first word that comes to mind is joy,” she said. “It has brought me a lot of joy to expand this, and I’ve been able to make connections with people and kids. It’s been really fun.”

Peterson looks forward to a summertime program she’s calling Messy Art Mondays, a weekly outdoor event every Monday at 10 a.m. in Harrisburg where kids can experiment with paint and unconventional materials like squirt guns, dinosaurs and monster trucks to create art in ways that embrace chaos and play.

“We’re just going to let kids get messy with things like painting with squirt guns,” she said. “Things you don’t want to do in your house, but you can do outside without worrying about the cleanup.”

Families can purchase a drop-in session or multiple at a discounted rate.

Learn more about her pop-ups and upcoming events on The Wildflower Den’s website or Facebook page.