EXCEPTIONALLY BRILLIANT BIRTHDAY PARTY

[mrsmerryberry]

Have any of you mums been to a childrens birthday party with your lo's that was completely different to what the usual ones are like (you know, different to the hire a hall and magician sort of thing)?

Perhaps a theatre, circus or zoo party or something even more different to this?

I'm out of ideas for my 6 year old and am not sure what to do next, as we have done the usual stuff and now I want to do something very different.

Any of your ideas or experiences of past parties would be greatly apprieciated.
Thanks

I think for a 6th birthday you are limited by what is nearby, as I don't think I would want to take/ send a 6yr old a long way for a party. Dd has been to swimming, cinema, theatre, pottery painting, build a bear and bowling. (do bear in mind with the cinema/theatre option other children's bladders might not be as robust as your own dd, dd2(5) and ds(nearly 3) played tag with loo trips last time we went to the cinema, whereas dd1 has always been fine)

Ones I am saving up for 8+ are going on day trip with a friend or two to London Eye, a castle, maybe sleepover at Natural History/ science museum. I would scout around your local area and see which places are nearby. Sometimes also scout/brownie camps will let you hire their stuff.

Any further than about half an hour and you need to consider that for a two hour party you are committing the parent to stay and wait(and in some ways as the hostess provide some refreshment etc) or arrange lift sharing (a PITA if you don't plan on inviting the whole class or all the girls as then you need to drop hints as to who to lift share with so other children aren't upset they aren't invited).

I would say to wait a year or two and then parents will be happy for you to take little Amelia out for an afernoon or a day even, just not at 5/6.

most wildlife parks do birthday parties I think. also diggerland, and look for miniature railways etc?

We had a cooking party which was fun.

We made stations around the hall with groups of 6 children and they worked their way round the room. We made pizza, chocolate crispy cakes, decorated pre made fairy cakes and shortbread. We played music and had some games and it was a really brilliant party.

My DS had a bouncy castle in a sports hall last yr for his 6th birthday. He had a mobile petting zoo and a face painter.

The petting zoo brought snakes, lizards, tarantulas, giant stick insects etc.

T'was brill (even if I do say so myself).
Just have to top it this year.......

This year we're going to have a bouncy castle in a sports hall with a Sundae bar, temporary tattoos, hot dogs (inc veggie ones) and party games. And for DS......

My dd just had her party. Was princesses and knights and wa at our local castle. Was brilliant.
We have also been to party's at local farms parks, etc

Oh goody, another parent determined to raise the children's birthday party bar to epic proportions!! Just what we all need! MORE pressure and competitiveness! YAY!

I'm think of hiring a lear jet for my kid's 4th birthday party! TOP THAT!

go kart party for DS1 - he and all his friends loved it! But mostly loved the enormous game of stuck in the mud we played afterwards...

I was thinking of 2 lear jets for my son's 3rd birthday! :o

I think the cooking party sounds like the most fun for children of that age!

pictish and kveta - it's only competitive if you let it be.

OP - cooking party - DIY or outsourced - could be fab - we did one for DD's 5th birthday and everyone loved it (and it didn't cost a huge amount either). If you want something smaller, then a craft party with a small group - something like this would be nice.

we had a bun decorating party (ready made buns n biscuits), treasure hunt in woods, nail painting. the best party yet was ds' 5th. we had a party fire engine, an hour driving round on a fire engine, stopped in a field and all had a go with the hose and each got firemans hat. i also got a firemans lift from a very nice (pretend) fireman

a friend has booked the local sports hall and a bunch of battery operated go-karts for her 7yrold's birthday. sounds like loads of fun and she got quotes less than soft play parties. would love to link but don't know who it is. she just hit google with a this is what is wanted and found them.

The best party I ever did for my boys was DS2's "wilderness wood" party. They built a shelter, made a fire, then cooked sausages and toasted marshmallows. He was 8 but I think it would be ok at 6 with more supervision. Even the fact that it was freezing cold and raining (November) didn't spoil the fun.

A harry potter party? homeofficemum.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/how-to-hold-harry-potter-party.html

These puzzle people don't operate in my area, but I like the sound of it!

Erm... In the scandinavian country i live in, kids parties for all kids from ages 2 to 8 are: 2hrs long, hot dogs, chocolate cake, running round playing, fishing for sweet bags. That's it. It is quite refreshing.

jets? we're gonna have the red arrows at my dc's party!

A drama party, where children come dressed up in fancy dress, and an actor/actress comes at entertains the children. Imagination, drama games etc. try your local theatre school for kids. Stagecoach I think do parties too.