Being Savvy: Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers and kids in Greater Los Angeles, CA

Find out more about:

Archives

Parties and Playdates

Birthday Party Reviews

April 14, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's birthday party season in these parts, because a lot of the kids we know were born in the spring.  That means we are touring all the local party spots and then some.  Here is a quick collection of birthday party venue notes for locations in and around the valley:

1.  Danny's Farm in Altadena.  Perfect for some low-impact farm animal petting with your toddlers to older children, Danny's Farm has a little barn with picnic tables, books about farm animals, and space for your party goodies.  Staff points out that you must wash your hands before entering the animal area, because the animals just love to lick frosting from little kids' hands.  This location is a hike from the valley, but well worth it.

2.  McDonald's.  As a lifelong lover of McDonald's - I still list their French fries as my favorite food - I have no problem banning my children from ever entering one of their stores or eating their food.  Just read "Fast Food Nation" and you'll never eat another fast food burger again, much less serve them to your children.  However, in the spirit of good birthday cheer, I brought my kids to a birthday party at McDonald's Playland in West Hills.  Most of the kids had a great time.  The food was, of course, disgusting, but the playing was fun - for them.  The location had only a network of giant colored tubes to play around in, but for them that was enough.  For me, well.  The kids' room had high ceilings and hard floors, and with 30 kids and their parents, the echo became unbearable, and my two children refused to hang out near each other, so I was running back and forth between them the whole time.  Also, the location was not reserved for just our party, so anyone could come in and out of the door to the restaurant, and one especially rude mother crashed our party and let her rude child mess with our kids, raining on our parade quite a bit.  McDonald's?  I vote NO.

3.  The local park.  Not without its hassle for the organizing parent, having a party at the park is otherwise a brilliant idea, especially if you are lucky to live where the weather is always nice.  We recently went to Santa Susana Park in Simi Valley for a birthday party.  Attending with my two children as the solo parent, I was nervous that I would spend the day sprinting from one side of the park to the other, but the party tables were strategically located under a big shady tree and near the main play structures.  Also, the parents had rented a bouncy castle which bordered the other end of our party area.  Both of my kids had a great time and even though I was exhausted, the bonus was, so were they!  If you decide to throw a party at the park, take into consideration that the picnic tables and areas are open for reservations by the city.  If you don't want to get ousted by someone who has a reservation, you should definitely call the town's parks and recreation department first.  There may also be restrictions on what food you can bring (no alcohol) and special fees if you're renting a bounce house or other party trick.

4.  My Gym.  We have been to several of these parties over the years for different age groups.  The brilliant thing about having a party at My Gym is that someone else is in charge of leading the festivities.  The staff takes the children through a semi-typical My Gym class appropriate to the age of the majority of the guests, and the parents get to hang out on the side of the room and talk to each other, or they can participate if they wish.  You have to bring in your own food - usually pizza or other takeout - and the price for the party is expensive, but nobody's trashing your house and you don't have to clean up afterwards.  The other downside, though, is the risk of injury.  The kids see My Gym as an opportunity to go hog-wild and bounce all over the place, inevitably crashing into each other on multiple occasions.  If you want a calm arts and crafts party, this is not the location for you.

5.  Chuck E. Cheese.  Turn on all the lights in your house.  Crank up the kid tunes, as loud as you can stand it and then a little bit louder.  Also turn on every electronic, musical, talking toy your children own.  Then fill your kids with sugar and let them go.  That's what the Chuck E. Cheese experience is like.  Only worse, and you get cheap plastic crap at the end.  NO.

 Read more...

Give Local Gifts That Keep On Giving

by Kim Tracy Prince

December 16, 2008

Instead of another molded plastic toy from China, why not give your friends' kids a membership to a local activity? It's a gift of memories and time, and the parents will enjoy it too. Better yet, you don't have to go anywhere to buy them, because they can be purchased online. Museum Memberships: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County : One year membership for 2 adults and  Read more...

Seize the Day: Top 99 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Your Kids Grow Up

by Kim Tracy Prince

May 29, 2008

They keep wanting to be fed, so they keep growing, despite your wish that they stay babies forever. And while the hours between naptime and bedtime seem to draaaag...the months pass so quickly you find yourself saying "how did he get to be five years old already?" Don't waste the chance to see city through your children's eyes while they're still children. Be a tourist in your own town. I'll  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in greater los angeles

urbanjungle.jpg

Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

doremi.jpg

Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

artisticendeavors.jpg

Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues

roomtorun2.jpg

Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

rain.jpg

Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

localhistory2.jpg

A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories

naturalhistory2.jpg

Tot's Science Fair:
Science & Nature Sites

waterparks2.jpg

Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet

holdinghands2.jpg

The Most Fun in Life Is Free!

bestofcity2.jpg

The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

The Voice of Being Savvy greater los angeles:
Kim Tracy Prince

Read more Being Savvy for:

Recent Posts

Favorite greater los angeles Lists

Review Your Preschool

Join the hundreds of greater los angeles parents helping other parents find the right preschool for their child.

Review Your Preschool

View Preschools and Daycare Centers in Other Cities

View preschools in other cities