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Community Corner

FAMILY TIME: Get Ready to Party!

Here are some local ideas that will help take off the stress and pressure of planning your child's big day.

LAST JUNE, we decided to get coffee and bagels and head to beach beach for some morning playground time. It wasn’t beach weather, of course. It was damp and cloudy and about 55 degrees. (Sound familiar?) But, it turned out to be a great morning to get out. And, we weren’t alone.

Sharing the beach was a group of families gathered for a child’s birthday party. It looked like fun. The kids were digging in the sand, racing around the playground, throwing balls and munching on the remnants of brunch. The parents were huddled together with steaming coffee, enjoying the fresh air and time together. I’m not sure who was enjoying it more – the kids or the adults.

“Hooray,” I thought. “That’s my speed of birthday party: fresh air, good old fashioned playtime, fun for everyone, and a budget of maybe $75.”

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In a world bound and determined to keep up with the Jones (whoever they are), this seemed to be a refreshing return to simplicity.

I’d heard my friends with older kids complain about the competitive air surrounding birthday parties. You’ve got to have the right activity, serve the right food, hand out the right goody bags -- ugh. Isn’t it supposed to be about celebrating your child’s birth with other people who care? Goody bag angst, really?

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But I suppose I get it. With entire classes inviting the entire class to each of their parties, the birthday party circuit can get to be quite an obligation. Hitting a home run with your party not only makes for a fun day for you and your guests, it entices other kids (and their over-partied parents) to RSVP in the affirmative.

So, later in the year, when my preschooler’s birthday came around, I had some decisions to make. Being new to the area, we didn’t know too many people yet and had hardly started unpacking from our move. We needed a birthday party idea that would be fun for classmates we hadn’t met yet – and something easy and out of the house. I couldn’t believe it, but I – who had poo-pooed the fancy birthday thing – was sweating it a little. I wanted to have a fun celebration for my daughter. I wanted other kids to come. I wanted to get it right.

Turns out, I shouldn’t have worried.

There are a bunch of local businesses that cater to kids’ birthday parties. While not exactly offering a totally unique experience, the advantage of these places is that they’ve perfected the choreography for a winning, smooth-flowing party. And for the most part, they do all the legwork for you. For a bit more than that lovely $75 dollar beach party budget, you can invite your kid’s friends to a party almost guaranteed to be a hit without the grief of hosting the party in your home or providing your own supervision and entertainment.

We ended up having our daughter’s party at My Gym in Bellevue and we were thrilled. Fun and talented staff members played with the kids for a full hour, seamlessly offering a wide variety of physical and creative games to keep the kids hopping. From ball pits, trampolines, parachute games and a giant fort, to puppet shows, a zip line and a parade featuring our little star for the day, everyone had a blast and our birthday girl was positively glowing. Afterward, they moved effortlessly into food and cake time. They even provided the goody bags. Best yet, the parents seemed to have fun, too, watching and interacting with the kids.

Interested in letting someone else handle the legwork? Here are just a few fun options for birthday fun at businesses right here in Kirkland:

  • Jumping, sliding and climbing on giant inflatables at .
  • Arts and crafts at .
  • Pool and games at .
  • Bowling and games at .
  • Indoor Playland at .
  • Gymnastics, dancing, trampoline, jump rope and more at .
  • Indoor playthings at .
  • Martial arts lesson and games at Elite Martial Arts
  • Swimming at .

Or, if you’re ready to go it alone, the sky is the limit. Here are just a few fun ideas for your own birthday party blowout:

  • Reserve a picnic pavilion at any of the local parks or beaches and enjoy a family-friendly cookout complete with lawn games, yummy BBQ treats and time on the playground.
  • Celebrate the season with door-do-door caroling during the holidays, pumpkin decorating (painting rather than cutting, perhaps) in the fall or water games during the summer.
  • Get cooking! Pre-make dough for make-your-own pretzels or pizzas, followed by loads of yummy toppers for make-your-own ice cream sundaes.
  • With older kids especially, pick a service project near and dear to your child’s heart to do it as a group. Picking up litter at her favorite park, painting a fence for a favorite charity or raking a friendly neighbor’s yard can be fun as a group. Especially when it’s followed by a pizza party.
  • Plan an age-appropriate scavenger hunt.
  • Play good, old-fashioned games ranging from pin the tail on the donkey, to Pictionary, to charades.
  • Get your hands on a big screen and a projector, grab a bunch of blankets and popcorn and enjoy a night of movies in the backyard.
  • Hire some entertainment – whether a favorite character, musician, magician or clown.
  • Lead your own arts and crafts event. Just be sure to have sample projects completed, plenty of supplies and ideas for kids of all creative abilities.
  • Hold your own Mini Olympics. Have tricycle races, suitcase relays, crab soccer games and wacky versions of all kinds of sports.

No matter what, enjoy the planning and the partying on the big day. But most of all, relish the chance to gather with others who care about your child to celebrate his or her presence in your life. Because that’s what it’s all about. Not what’s in the goody bag.

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