Kids Birthday Party Locations

Exploring and choosing between kids birthday party locations can be exciting and exhausting all at the same time. After considering dozens of kids birthday party ideas, themes, meals and games, you then must decide where to hold the party.

Let’s talk about locations for that special memory making day.

Home or Away?

What are the advantages of hosting a party at a location other than your home?

• These locations offer more space for play
• On-site entertainment
• You are spared the added tasks of: decorating, entertaining, food preparation and clean-up.
• Plus, no wear and tear on your own property

Kids birthday party locations away from home are more successful with children 4 and up. Any younger and the children tend to feel overwhelmed by the noise, activity and unfamiliarity of the environment.

Kids Birthday Party Locations Outside Your Home

If you’re planning on hosting your birthday party at a location other than your home, consider from among dozens of kids birthday party ideas and then use these helpful tips to decide on a location:

1. Call ahead! Some sites book 6 to 8 weeks in advance.
   
2. When calling your chosen party location, have an estimate of the guest count including accompanying moms, dads or helpers, plus, the date and time you have in mind.
   
3. Find out what food, decorations, favors, they provide on-site and what the cost is per child. Is there a minimum or maximum number of guests required and what are their age ranges?
   
4. Find out if it’s permitted to bring your own birthday cake or any other outside food & drinks (some locations are very picky about this).
   
5. For Parks or Community Centers, contact your city’s parks and recreation department for information on getting a permit. Be prepared to pay a deposit. On party day have the paperwork with you that the city will have given you in case someone else, a little less organized, is using your reserved spot.
   
6. Ensure that you have adequate transportation lined up in advance for the number of guests.

Need more age-specific birthday party ideas? Here are a few of the more popular options:

• 1st Birthday Party Ideas
• Toddler Birthday Party Ideas (2s and 3s)
• Preschool Birthday Ideas (4s and 5s)
• Birthday Ideas for Kids 6 to 9
• Tween Birthday Party Ideas (age 10, 11 and 12)
• Teenage Birthday Party Ideas

Fun Kids Birthday Party Locations to Consider
(along with their costs for party-packs)

Note: Costs are based on my experience in the Portland, Oregon area. Your pricing may vary.

• Your local park ($8 to reserve a spot)
• Children’s Museum ($160 and up group rate up to 33 guests)
• Zoo ($6 group rate for ages 3 – 11)
• Child-focused restaurant (typically $12.99 +tax per child)
• Any Fast-Food restaurant ($50 if they host – $25 if you host)
• Pizza Parlor ($14.99 per child)
• Gymnastics Center ($165 for up to 10 kids)
• Beach or Lake (free, unless it is located at a State Park, where there may be a small entrance or parking fee, often $2 to $4 per vehicle)
• Community Pool or Recreation Centers (packages start at $115)
• Bowling Alley ($18 per child includes food, drink, bowling with shoe rental)
• Miniature Golf Course ($125 for up to 10 guests)
• Skating Rink ($11 per child)
• Movie or Children’s Theater ($13 per child)
• Theme Park ($11 per child, unless we’re talking Disneyland or similar)
• Local Farm for Pony or Hayrides ($5 per child – Bringing one pony to your location $150 per hour)
• Rock Gym (rock climbing – $15 per child)
• Paint Ball or Lazer Tag ($16 per child)
• Zuma Fun Centers ($10.99 per child)

Planning on treating celebrants to a movie or play? Aim for a money-saver matinee and arrive one hour before show-time to get your act together before the first act commences. Movies don’t require you to arrive quite as early, but 30 minutes makes for a much smoother process – and that means more fun for the kids!

Remember To Make Reservations

Most or all of these kids birthday party locations need to be reserved if you are going to use their designated party facilities (But just between you and me; I once held a birthday party at the Oregon Zoo for my son; found a nice spot on the grass to lay out my picnic blanket and birthday fixin’s and away we went!).

It is good etiquette to call in advance and ask the appropriate questions or look up the facilities rules and regulations on-line and be respectful of their guidelines.

I would love to hear about your favorite kids birthday party locations, and those that were particularly pint-sized people pleasing. So write to me about it so we can share it with everyone else.

What’s your favorite kids birthday party idea?

If you have a great kids birthday party idea, theme, or the perfect place to celebrate, share it! You can either share your idea in the comments, below, or contact us directly.

Birthday Party Locations: At-Home Birthday Bash

I recommend that you begin planning for the big event 4 to 6 weeks in advance, with invitations going out to invitees 2 to 3 weeks prior. (psst, we have birthday party invitation ideas if you need a little help).

While off-site birthday party locations are attractive, especially in the clean-up department, partying at home often can’t be beat. Here are some things to consider:

1. Decide on a time and date: A Saturday between 11 and 12:30 is a popular time slot, (bearing in mind a lunch will be expected).
   
2. This time slot allows for 45 minutes to an hour for games/activities including the highlight for the birthday boy or girl – gift opening time!
   
3. Use the last 1/2 hour for chowing-down-time

Here’s a fun Idea: If your garage looks more like a mini-storage than a place to park your cars, ignore this suggestion. However, if you CAN get at the garage, it’s one of the best “at home” kids birthday party locations available.

Johnny dropped his cake on the floor? No problem. It’s concrete. Susie spilled her punch? Hand her mom the hose. See how easy this can be? Just try to avoid the inevitable water fight, especially if you are hosting a summer birthday party.

By the way, if you have been wanting to get back at Susie’s mom for something, the hose can be your friend (did I just write that?).

. . . one more thing. If you have some time to plan, why not have a garage sale to clear out your garage and make some money to pay for your seismic birthday party bash? If you are not sure where to start, I wrote a little (free) book with all the details. It’s called the Garage Sale Pricing Guide. (did I mention it’s free?)

Jumphouse Photo by Lukas from Pexels.