Describe the best kids party you've been to.

[Anonymous]

My favorite birthday parties I attended as a child were, hands down, the McDonalds parties. Do they even do those anymore? I remember the "stacking the Big Mac container" party game, and that super sickeningly sweet orange drink. But man, EVERYONE wanted a McDonalds party.

I had the home-grown parties as a kid, which were awesome too. A tea party with cupcake decorating was my favorite.

My kids haven't had birthday parties (besides relatives) yet. But my favorite I've attended with them was at the Chinqapin Soft Play Room. As the preschoolers went nuts in the padded room, parents could talk without hovering.

[Anonymous]

Recently: Private party room & skating at Wheaton Ice Arena. Good food, beautiful homemade cake.
DC Playseum party with plenty of food and tickets for the kids to make crafts or decorate cupcakes etc.
Backyard summer party with inflatable bouncy waterslide, baby pools and water toys, popsicles etc. Only problem was not quite enough 'real' food. Ended up taking the kids out for lunch afterwards, which was fun too.
You can't beat a bouncy house place + pizza as far as the kids are concerned.
We had a great time at the National Building Museum doing the playroom, Blocks room etc. with informal cake and snacks in the main hall.
Roller skate party in Laurel. Retro and fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump -- would love to hear more ideas. Thanks!

Party planner?

[Anonymous]

House parties are the best - the chuck e cheese/bounce house/karate-type parties are so impersonal, loud, and isolating especially if you don't know any other parents/kids.

The house party we went to was awesome. They had a nice moonbounce that could hold at least 12 kids at a time. The kids loved that. They had a pinata shortly there after. Served good pizza (local mom and pop shop, not the generic box chain) and cake. The basement/play room had a door to open to the back yard so if you didn't want to moonbounch you could play in the rec room easily. The kids sorta self-rotated from moon bounce to rec room. They also had a pin the tail on teh donkey outside, but it almost wasn't neccessary as the kids were well entertained and time was flying by. They had a deck overlooking the backyard so all the food was served there and the parents could watch/chat/sit and see below. Shade umbrellas too.

[Anonymous]

Backyard carnival for 4 year old. Big moon bounce, face painting, balloon artist, make your own crowns as the craft project, and tons of food for little and big people. Random balls and swing set action, too. Kids were free to do whatever activity they wanted when they wanted as long as they stayed in the fence!

[Anonymous]

My daughter's never met a party she didn't like. She's 5.

(Well maybe one: She was the youngest there by a year, didn't know anyone, and felt a bit left out. The event was at an open playground, and kids were left to run around as they wished. The older kids who knew the birthday girl engaged in a game of tag, and my little one couldn't keep up. She cried and was sad... made me sad, too. But afterward she still said she loved the party. Go figure. I, however, am still carrying scars over a year later.

[Anonymous]

when my kid was 2 or 3 we went to a party where the host had pony rides in her tiny front yard, burgers and beer and lemonade in the back...it was awesome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Backyard carnival for 4 year old. Big moon bounce, face painting, balloon artist, make your own crowns as the craft project, and tons of food for little and big people. Random balls and swing set action, too. Kids were free to do whatever activity they wanted when they wanted as long as they stayed in the fence!

We did a version of this for my daughter when she turned 4. We wanted to invite everyone in her preschool class, so we held it outside. I rented a bouncy house. I set up activity stations outside using what we had, things like saved TP roles, inexpensive paints, tape, glue, and stuff from Oriental Trading. It was a superhero party, so kids got (inexpensive) capes ordered off etsy. One corner had a bench and all our superhero comic books and action figures: aka "the library." I made simple wraps and some cupcakes-in-a-cone. Beer and wine for the grownups. The whole thing cost around $300. Bouncy houses are less expensive than renting a venue--who knew? The biggest cost to me: time. It took forever to put this thing together.

Next year: we're doing something with hoses and sprinklers. Like to keep the parties at home for as long as possible.

[Anonymous]

OP is probably a blogger looking for her next post

[Anonymous]

Bounce parties are consistently a hit. Rarely do you see kids crying there.

Pizza making was also a hit.

Duds: reptile parties, chuck e cheese, Rockville sportsplex.

[Anonymous]

We've been to 2 parties and 2 different "Pump it Up"s and my daughter has enjoyed these the most by far. Second favorite is anything with a moonbounce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've hosted and attended several parties and here is what I've learned.

1. You must have food- it doesn't have to be much but everyone hates going to a party (especially a party at mealtimes) and there is not a grape to be found. FWIW, while I supply a full spread, food is considered chips/pretzels/veggies/pita bread. You can buy a lot of options to cover this category for less than $20.

2. Depending on age is depending on activity. 2 year olds do not need some grand craft for the parents to make. 3 year old's need SOMETHING to keep them from climbing the walls. The something can be a playground, the something can be a craft, the something can be an entertainer.

3. If you have an entertainer, make sure they are age appropriate and can accommodate your party size. Kids do not like to be the 21st person in line waiting for the one person to make them a balloon/paint their face.

4. Simple is best- simple does not mean ugly or boring, it means too many things create chaos which is not fun for the parents.

5. Take pictures before the party- as a host/hostess you will be busy doing everything else and if you didn't take a picture of the cake prior and it's important to have a picture, do it before.

6. Do not choose a cake/cupcake/dessert with red or blue frosting unless you are prepared to get it off every surface imaginable. One friend rented the community space and the kids smeared dark purple frosting on the upholstered chairs- that wasn't coming out with anything.

7. Always have bathrooms accessible. Parks without potties are not fun for anyone.

8. If you plan an activity for the kids that is potentially messy, tell the parents ahead of time. Nothing worse than Suzie showing up in a party dress for painting with non-washable paint.

9. Let the kids have fun- this should be number 1 but this was done in no particular order.

10. Bouncy castles are fun, but kids do get hurt. Nothing worse than EMS having to take a kid out on a stretcher since their knee bent the wrong way. It ruins a party for everyone. Just keep in mind the potential things that go wrong.

11. Check your invite list more than once. It's one thing to invite the class but huge parties are not as fun as the smaller ones since having to do things for 25 is much different than 8. And planning a party for 8 allows you to do activities/special things that are not possible/affordable for 25.

As for the best party we've been to, we have several to choose from. All were very thoughtful parties where the mom planned great age-appropriate activities that were easy for the kids to do and they had a great time. The kids had a great time and the parents did as well. Food was age appropriate (chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, fruit, veggies) and sippy cups. The worst party was a noon party without any food (I assured my husband not to eat since there would be food and there was not a chip to be found). You don't remember the mediocre parties but you do remember the ones without food!

How annoying and spoiled attitude

[Anonymous]

When my brother was 11, he had a shaving cream party in our driveway. Every kid gets a bottle or two of shaving cream. They spray it all over each other. Then you hose them down. Best party ever!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:when my kid was 2 or 3 we went to a party where the host had pony rides in her tiny front yard, burgers and beer and lemonade in the back...it was awesome

I think I know the host. In Potomac initials JC?

[Anonymous]

Backyard BBQ with bouncy house, lots of food, scavenger hunt, lots of adult beverages. All the parents stayed.