Waaah! Help! What can we do to celebrate our son's 3rd BDay?

[LoveAngel]

We'evedecided against a party, as he doesn't cope that well with groups of kids and just gets over excited and tears around (and usually has a tantrum!).

We were thinking of doing something nice - an afternoon out somewhere - with one other little boy and his parents. But as DS is a February baby, places like Legoland / farms / theme parks are all closed. We need an idea for something indoors we can do. He goes to the local softplay centre loads, so not that.

Help! (Thanks)

A good zoo? Or somewher undercover animal related, eg tropical world at leeds? What area do you live in?

I'm in London. He found London Zoo too overwhelming when we went a little while ago. He's got quite a short attention span, so nothing that would take more than a couple of hours. A meal out is a nice idea, but would also like to do some sort of outing / activity to go with it. Thanks! Keep 'em coming!

An aquarium of some sort! They are undercover and usually have big spaces for excited kids to run around?

We've got into a bit of a tradition of going and painting pottery. By 3 they can be quite artistic and you get something to keep.

Could go to the cinema - ds has sat through a film when 2. Or go bowling - ask for the sides to go up and use one of those chute thingys.

Ten pin bowling? You can have the buffer cushions up and they have ramps for the littlies to use, so its like pushing the bowls off the top of a slide. dd loved it. Don't eat there though - there's normally a decent pizza restaurant nearby.

loler - snap!!

Swimming baths at family swim when they have all the floats and toys out so he can be as noisy and splashy as he likes?

somersetmum - you said it so much better though!

How about natural history museum to see the dinosaurs. Would love to take my ds there but a bit far. Watch night at the museum before you go for some added interest or Harry and his bucket full

Science Museum and a meal at Deep Blue Cafe there - but if it is at the weekend it will be HEAVING and he may find it a bit much.

Kew Gardens is fun and has quite a lot of indoor stuff to do.

Or, if in W or SW London, the Lookout Discovery Centre in Bracknell is a quick blast down the M3. It's like a mini Science Museum, not so overwhelming as the big one, everything is interactive and there is an outdoor play area as well.

Whereabouts in London are you?

Hackney City Farm is open and has a fabulous Italian restaurant attached to it, also on a Sunday they have a kids pottery drop-in thing going on (so I assume you can just turn up and don't have to book, that way if it's too much for him at least you've got the animals and the meal...?)

link here

DD is 3 in February too - (un)fortunately she's a party animal so we're going down the church hall/bouncy castle/running around madly to music route with 30 kids.... double waaaah!

Hope you have a great day, whatever you end up doing!

Ds just turned 3 and we have just moved so don't live near his old friends. We had a family birthday party (with Grandparents and us) and he helped to bake and decorate the cake with sweeties himself which made him extra excited! Balloons and presents and he was happy. I agree that a trip out to a zoo is always a good experience, or a seaworld, or even a pottery painting place as someone suggested.

A while back we took ds to the theatre in Glasgow to see the Gruffalo's Child production and he loved it even though I was worried he might be a bit young (was 2.5 at the time). You could find out if there is anything like that going on at a local theatre, aimed at toddlers/young children)

London Aqauarium (in the old GLC building) then a trip on the London eye? DS was about three when we did it.