Place for a B-day Party

Hi S.,

Wow, if you have a pool in your backyard -- I would vote for that and have someone cater the event (hopefully this would minimize the work for you).

If this truly is her last "big" birthday party, you could help her make a difference and set it up as a community service party. For example, for my kids' 10 year bdays (I only give my kids two big parties -- one at 5 and one at 10), they must choose a charity and the presents given would be provided to that charity (i.e. animal food and toys for the humane society, or clothes for a shelter, food shelf items). The friends can wrap the gifts for fun and then she does have some fun opening and delivering them (hopefully as a group to the facility).

You could also make it as a scavenger hunt -- put a list together of items needed at the food shelf. Divide the kids into teams and they scour the neighborhood and collect items on the list. Whatever team collects the most would obviously win.

Michael's Craft Store has a party room (for kids 5- 12 yrs, I believe) and it is about $30 to rent. Then the kids make a craft which ranges in price from $6 to $10/person. The facility I think holds only about 12 kids, so not sure how many kids would be involved, but it seemed inexpensive to me.

Another option is the Jump warehouses. They have about 4 inflatable slides, etc. the kids romp around the area having fun and then the cake and presents are in an adjacent room. I know a couple in Edina off 169, but one might be located closer to you in Eagan.

Let me know what you decide, since I like to hear other ideas.

A friend of my daughter had a party at Grand Rios Hotel and Waterpark and it was a blast for kids of all ages, I wish I would have brought my swim suit. It's an indoor water park so you don't have to worry about rain, sunburn or bugs. I guess the rooms are pretty inexpensive too. I'm planning on having my youngest daughters birthday there in the fall. Here's the link if you want to check it out http://www.grandrios.com/

I am just FULL of ideas!!

How about the Como Zoo? Admission is free, and you can maybe reserve the pavillion in case of rain. And you could pack a picnic lunch. They might even have built in grills like some parks do if you wanted to grill hot dogs or hamburgers. Plan to go see the animals, and plan some silly games to play around the picnic area.

Or Minnehaha Falls is a free day too, no animals to look at but there are pavillions for shelter, and wood-chip trails where you can hike along the creek almost all the way from the falls down to the river. You can rent bicycles there-tandem bicycles I think, or these cute little pedal carts with a roof and back seat, holds 4 people. We did that last summer.

If you want to stay closer to home, Lebanon Hills park on Cliff between South Robert (Co Rd 3) and Pilot Knob has a sign that says they rent canoes and kayaks.

If you think you can amuse a pack of 11 year olds yourself, I love that park with the little lake....Thomas Lake, parking lot access off Pilot Knob close to Diffley. They do have wood chip trails to walk around the lake, and picnic tables but not much else for amusement.

Down by Shakopee past Valley Fair there's that old time village, off 101 on the right or north side of the road. I can't remember the name of the place. Some weekend days they have people dressed up in turn-of-the-century clothing, churning butter and shearing sheep and stuff like they did 100 years ago. Picture the kids at your daughter's party dressed up-long prairie skirts, or at least bonnets for the girls, boys in suspenders and hats. There is an admission cost, I haven't been there in years.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is out near Chanhassen or Chaska along Hwy 5.....I saw in the paper this weekend they have a new garden maze you can walk through. Again, an admission charge, but I don't know the amount.

I hope this helps, TODAY June 5th is my son's birthday, he's turning 15 so it's hard to interest him in anything that doesn't involve riding his bicycle with his friends.

This might not be her first idea, but you could take the whole group to Feed My Starving Children. They go and assemble meals for kids in poor countries. I have taken 2nd and 6th graders and they all loved it. Walked away feeling great!