Best Birthday Parties for Kids
And they come right to your house!
By
Monica Sakala
Published Monday, July 11, 2011
Squeals on Wheels brings furry friends to your child's birthday party. Photograph by Annie Riehl
Planning your child’s birthday party? What could be easier than parties that come to your house? Here are five of the best we’ve found.
BEST FOR ANIMAL LOVERS
Squeals on Wheels, a mobile petting zoo, offers everything from 20 animals to just bunnies. Boys and girls from their first birthday on up will delight in the gentle creatures. Founders John and Jill Phillips set the animals up outdoors but are equipped for inclement weather—they’ve given pony rides in a kitchen, thanks to some brave homeowners. Squeals on Wheels books up about three months in advance. Party prices start at $175.
BEST FOR BUDDING SCIENTISTS
Mad Science entertains kids ages 4 through 11 with hands-on experiments ranging from indoor fireworks to how electricity works. The high-energy parties leave children with an appreciation for how exciting science can be. Kids also get to make something to take home. The most popular choice? Slime. Mad Science can book up four weeks in advance. Packages start at $250.
BEST FUN AND GAMES
Games2U is a 25-foot truck equipped with video and outdoor games that appeal to children ages six and up. Kids can compete in rounds of Wii inside the vehicle; outdoors, thanks to screens built into the truck’s exterior, they can play dance party or laser tag. Other options include rolling around in hamster balls. Games2U books up about ten weeks in advance. Packages start at $199.
BEST THEME PARTIES
Thumbs Up Party Planning has a loyal following thanks to its creative parties for all ages, from preschoolers to teens. The birthday boy or girl can pick from themes such as Girlfriend Glamour Spa, Dino-Mite Adventures, American Girl Doll, and even Team Twilight parties with a Robert Pattinson look-alike. Thumbs Up Party Planners often books up two months in advance. Parties start at $350 for a minimum of eight kids.
BEST FOR LITTLE ONES
The Bear Bus will dazzle toddlers. Children choose from an array of animals, stuff and name them, then select an outfit. The bus also appeals to tweens for slumber parties. The Bear Bus books up about six weeks in advance. Packages start at $19.95 a person for a minimum of ten kids.
This article appears in the July 2011 issue of The Washingtonian.
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Comments
If you child loves legos or robots, check out Adventures with Robots www.adventureswithrobots.com. Its a fairly new company started by a local mom and they have robotic legos (for all ages), crime science, and even hip hop birthday parties. My kids had such a blast with the robotics party! The instructors are certified in CPR, First Aid and have background checks. Most of them are engineers or backgrounds in science. They service MD, Va, and DC. You provide the space and cake/food and they provide the fun. www.adventureswithrobots.com
Posted by: Becky, Aug 22, 2011 08:25:39 PM
Squeals on Wheels was wonderful! They really made my daughter feel special and everyone really enjoyed it!
Posted by: Jenn, Jul 30, 2011 05:07:22 PM
We have tried "mobile petting zoos" in the past for my twins birthday party (4 yrs old) and it was overwhelming and really pricey. This year we went to the Reston Zoo and I would reccommend to others as well. They do the set up and clean up and my kids loved running around the real petting zoo. The basic package was a really good deal for us (under $200 total)
Posted by: Janice Arlen-Smith, Jul 29, 2011 07:09:45 PM
We have two kids’ birthdays on the horizon and I love these ideas; thanks for the great information!
Posted by: Rubisca, Jul 22, 2011 10:17:07 PM
We have two kids’ birthdays on the horizon and I love these ideas; thanks for the great information!
Posted by: Rubisca, Jul 22, 2011 10:16:50 PM
Great ideas!
Posted by: j9gini, Jul 14, 2011 05:57:44 PM
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