My son is turning 3 in October and our house is too small to host a birthday party with all of the kids and their parents. I am hoping for some help with some ideas for a place to have a birthday party for about 6 kids between ages 2-4. I was looking at the website for "pump it up" but I think it might be silly to rent for only 6 kids and for that age group. Chuck E Cheese might be an option but I am not interested in their part packages. Any ideas would be so much appreciated!!
There is an amazing community center/indoor park place (Edinborough Park) in Edina that has a HUGE (couple stories high) jungle gym and other play activities (all indoors). They have birthday parties there all the time. It was a BLAST to go to a party there and not very costly.
http://www.ci.edina.mn.us/content/facilities/edinborough_...
J.,
Monkey Joe's has a party package...and if the kids are 2 and under, they are free! There are lots of things for them to climb, slide, jump, etc. on. Recently I took my kids to a birthday party at a gymnastics place (both Salto and Midwest Twisters have birthday package).
Good luck!
J. L.
Choo Choo Bob's is another idea.
http://www.choochoobobs.com/
My son turned 3 this past February and he loves trains, so Bob's was great for him. They have a small-ish room for cake and socializing for adults and right outside that room are 6 or 8 train tables all set up for play. Plus there are model trains running in the front of the store. You can bring food in and/or they can provide a cake from the baker up the street (for a little extra $). But be sure to bring candles b/c I forgot and they're pretty bare minimum with the supplies (8 plates, forks for kids and that's about it). They also have 8 little party bags for the kids with a little candy and a small train. We brought extra stuff to put in the bags too.
I have done kids bd parties at fast food places that has the play areas in them. Most will have special things for birthday parties if you ask. We have done them at Pizza Hut and Burger King. Chuck E Cheese would be fun and you don't have to purchase the party package, I don't think. Also check into places like church's, senior centers or town halls some of those you can get for $10 or less and could be cheaper in the long run then paying for everyone in a place like Chuck E Cheese.
Eagles Nest or Edinborough Park may be an option, though I would probably wait a year or two. Chuck E. Cheese is probably too old for your son.
Other options -
The Children's Museum does birthday parties, as does the Science Museum, The Raptor Center, most nature centers, and apple orchards. Como Zoo and the MN Zoo also do children's birthday parties. In fact, just about anywhere you go does birthday parties. Choose something that your son enjoys (like the Children's Museum) and plan for that.
You can also rent a room at your community center, and if they have a kiddie pool, go swimming as part of your party.
Good luck.
I would check out a McDonald's with a playland in your area. They are extremely reasonably priced (practically just the cost of a happy meal) and you are not locked in to having to do a "package" price. You just pay for whoever shows up. Good luck.
We did our son's 3rd and 4th birthdays at Adventure Park in Ham Lake. It was a perfect location for this age and we were happy not to have it at our home.
Edinborough Park in Edina might be good for this age group.
J.,
When it comes to 3 year olds, low key is key. Whatever you do this year, your child will expect you to top it every year after that. If it's early October, you could probably have it outside at a park with picnic tables and a playground. If it needs to be inside, just about every place you can take your kids has birthday party packages for small groups - fast food restaurants, kid-friendly museums, local farms. Even the local firestations do birthday parties in the form of a tour and the kids get to sit in the driver's seat of the fire truck and go home with a sticker fireman's badge and a plastic red hat. The best thing about the fire station - it's FREE.
Good luck,
S.
I'm not sure where you live but in Eagan they have a great little indoor park for kids. It's called The BLAST. It's in their community center. Woodbury has a cool theme related indoor park too. Besides that I think Edina has something. Check out the community centers. You won't have the park to yourself usually but ask them when the best time would be to have your party.
Not sure where you live, but I would try Little Kids Big City in Woodbury. They do all the work and the kids will have a blast. Check out their website to look what they have. My kids love it there. It's different from the jumpy places and Yucky Cheese:) They have a gal that will help with the party- setting up, cleaning up, help with the kids, etc. Good Luck!
How about a McDonalds with a play center. I did that for my son when he turned two. The kids loved to play and my son loved the birthday throne they had for opening presents! The cost wasn't too bad and you get a cake too. It was nice because it was a bit smaller environment so it was easy to watch the kids at that age, and it has a closed door so they are not running away too far. He had a blast and even I went in and played in the tubes with him! My other suggestion was going to be Eagles Nest, but I agree with the other poster that you may want to wait a year or two more for that one. Its quite a bit bigger and more challenging, might be a bit much for 2-4 year olds.
Have fun,
V.
Not sure what location you are in but my son attended a 3 yr old birthday party at Flabbergast Fun Center (www.flabbergastfun.com) and had a great time. They had various pump it up jumps for kids his age. The family rented one of the party rooms so the kids could enjoy pizza and cake in between play time. Good luck.
There are numerous Apple Orchards and Pumpkin Patches around the metro area that would be a great setting for a birthday party. A lot of them will do a package for you as well. It just depends on which area of the metro you live in where you would go.
If my son's birthday was in October and not August I would definitely have had is party at an orchard.
Try your local gymnastics place for party packages, great for energetic 3 yr olds!!
Just a thought, but if it is still nice in October, how about having at the park. The kids can run and play and maybe your husband could do something like hotdogs on the grill, and you could also organize a few games, like red rover. Or call your local fire dept. and see if you can all meet there first and see the trucks and equipment, sometimes they will allow this. I did it one time for my sone and he absolutely loved it.
My son is turning 3 in September, and we are having his party at the zoo. He's really into animals right now, so that's why we chose it, but they actually have fairly reasonable party packages. Como Zoo and the MN Zoo both have parties available.
YMCAs offer party rooms and you usually have your choice of swimming, time in the gym or an activity. My YMCA has a zero depth entry pool which would work for kids that age, but I don't know if all of them do. That age group is probably a little young for Chuck E. Cheese or the indoor playgrounds like Edinborough. The equipment is probably too big for them and it's impossible to keep track of the kids.
Is there a pumpkin farm near you? We have one near us (in Iowa) that has all kinds of fun activities. October would be the perfect time for that.
Ask Pump It Up about their private jumps!!!!
$100 for one hour-private.
Just did my son's 2nd birthday at Aamodts apple farm. It was very low key and right up my alley. They have picnic tables and we brought our own table clothes the kids had a picnic and then they went to the petting zoo and tractor park. Just enough fun for them. They will have hayrides and a hay bale maze by the tiem your little one's birthday rolls around. It was inexpensive and lots of fun.
