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The Old Squaw Duck
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When I was a kid, a birthday party was declared great if there was cake and ice cream but lately my children have been invited to some pretty amazing birthday parties. This got me thinking that I may have to step up my game when my son’s 9th birthday rolls around in November which will of course prompt my daughter to remind me of this when her next birthday rolls around.
I thought I would take a look at what types of parties were out there so I started my research and was amazed at the variety of really neat choices available. I came upon everything from spa parties to fossil parties to little gyms and everything in between. Our kids today are very lucky that there are so many smart, creative business men and women perfecting the art of birthday parties.
For the girls
I have to be honest with you, as I began my research, I started looking at all of the options for “girly” parties and imagined what I would have wanted when I was my daughter’s age (six). I’m not sure how we go about choosing between the three really fun options I found.
My Pretty Princess Mobile Spa Party Founded by a group of mom’s in 2006, this mobile spa party can
handle between five and thirty children and can be held in your home, on your deck, in a hotel or in a hall. For now, the most popular party themes available are Spa, Hollywood Glamour Tea Party, A Charming Makeover & Fabulous Tea party and An American Doll Makeover party but in the fall they plan to add Lego and Spy parties to the mix so boys can get in on the fun too. The cost and options for these parties can be completely customized according to your needs. Best of all - NO cleanup for the parents! These parties are not limited to birthdays, they have hosted parties for Girl Scout troops, and pre-schools too. You can feel good about using this company as they have taken part in community events that allow them the opportunity to donate their services to worthwhile causes, most recently Center Stage in Baltimore. In addition to the party fun, they also offer summer camps too. For more information please visit www.myprettyprincessmobilespaparty.com.
SparTea A few years ago Sarita Murray, a single Mom of four and a cancer survivor with a dream threw a party for her adopted daughter Char which was so successful that SparTea was born. SparTea was once a mobile spa party option but in March of 2011 Ms. Murray had a vision and a completely gutted building she came upon was soon the new home of SparTea. With the help of Stephanie Bradshaw, of Bradshaw Styling, the space came to life and was designed mostly in pink to honor Sarita’s ten years of cancer survivorship. SparTea offers parties for ten (you can have more but parties with over eighteen kids are less intimate) and also playdates for two. The parties are all inclusive and include everything from invitations to food and gift bags. Depending on the package you choose, the girls are treated to mini mani’s, mini pedi’s and pretend facials. The atmosphere at SparTea is arranged so as to make the girls feel like they are in a real spa. For more details about SparTea please visit www.spateaparty.com. On a personal note, I recently purchased a living social deal for a SparTea playdate and am anxiously awaiting our visit.
GIRLEEgurls This year my daughter has really developed an interest in makeovers so, for her birthday, we went to GIRLEEgurls. We did not hold a party, just treated her to a little makeover and I have to say it was a lot of fun. GIRLEEgurls has been open for about six months now and has already performed over 2000 makeovers. They have four, themed makeover packages: Princess, Fairy, RockStar and Movie Star, with Rock Star being the most popular. GIRLEEgurls parties are for girls ages three to thirteen and require an eight girl minimum, twenty girls being the maximum. There are several different party packages available and they also host seasonal events like Easter, Monster, and Ravens makeovers. “Like” them on Facebook or visit them at www.girleegurlz.com for more event and party information.
For the boys
When I began looking into parties for my son his creative side was one thing I had in mind. He has taken art lessons in the past and considered an art camp for this summer. My son also loves sports and being active so The Red Zone was the next place on my list and while he hasn’t gone through the stage where dinosaurs are all the rage, I remember my brother going through it and when I learned of Paleo Jim’s parties, I had to include him.
Abrakadoodle is a great place for art instruction, camps and parties. They have been around for over
eight years and recently opened a location in Timonium. These parties are for kids ages two to fourteen and have over 1400 themes you can choose from, based on the interests of your child. These are actual art instruction classes, not arts and crafts, therefore each project will be unique as there is no wrong or right in art. Most parties run for an hour and a half with the first hour dedicated to art instruction. This can be mixed media, painting, sculpturing etc. You could also add a face painter and other special touches to make your party one of a kind. Abrakadoodle also offers art classes and summer camps, for more information please visit www.abrakadoodle.com.
The Red Zone My son was invited to a really cool party there recently and if yours hasn’t been yet, it’s only a matter of time until that eagerly awaited invitation arrives in your mailbox. The Red Zone is a facility that offers laser tag, laser mazes, an arcade and urban golf. The Red Zone offers parties for all ages though they recommend that age six and up is a good fit. Their youngest birthday child was five and the oldest was seventy, yes that is 7-0! They can accomodate just about any party size, though most packages are based on groups of 10 with the ability to include additional guests. All parties include food and drink. Red Zone isn’t just for parties though, you can also drop in and play. To learn more about their drop-in specials and party packages please visit www.redzoneadventures.com.
Paleo Jim My son has not gone through the dinosaur phase but I still remember my brother’s fascination with all things dinosaur. Paleo Jim (www.PaleoJim.com) has just the party for these dino-kids, ages five to twelve. Five-gallon buckets full of fossils buried in sand and fossils are provided which the children will use in their search for things such as shark bones and teeth, whale bones etc. Paleo Jim assists the party-goers in identifying these fossils and then sends them on their way with a packet of information to take home along with all the fossils they find. For more information contact Paleo Jim 410-971-3479.
For everyone
Of course if you want to invite the whole class and please almost anyone, Kiddie Crusoe and The Little Gym specialize in parties to get your group up and active.
Kiddie Crusoe Both of my children love bounce houses and playgrounds and Kiddie Crusoe has the best of both worlds. They have a room dedicated to bouncing, an indoor playground, Wii stations for playing active games, and plenty of places for kids to use their imagination. Birthday parties can be held for kids from one to twelve with the majority of them hosted for three to seven year olds. Kiddie Crusoe can handle large groups of up to forty children so there’s no need to cut that guest list. They also have a gift registry and can handle the shopping and wrapping for your guests. They have many themes and party packages from which to choose, for more information please visit www.kiddiecrusoe.com.
The Little Gym of Hunt Valley Owned by HZ local, Lia Arnold, The Little Gym provides trained instructors to lead your children in all sorts of fun and games. Birthday parties can be held for kids from ages one to twelve. You will have private exclusive use of the facilities and they will cater the theme of the party to your child’s interests. For more information please visit www.thelittlegym.com/HuntValleyMD.
Having the ability to choose from all of these wonderful options for my children’s birthday parties just may help with the little tug I feel in my heart each time another year passes. With fun times like this, who can stop and worry that time is passing by too quickly?
---Michelle Wieland
Mom on a Mission...
birthday parties
SparTea
The Red Zone
Kiddie Crusoe
