Plan a Next-Level Birthday Party For Your Kid

We've rounded up awesome birthday party ideas to make this year’s event unforgettable.

CLAY PAPER SCISSORS STUDIO

You’ve done the Disney princesses and Marvel superheroes, the pool parties, the Chuck E. Cheese experience. Now you’re looking for more unique options guaranteed to earn you “coolest mom” status. To spark your creativity, we’ve put together some venues, vendors and services sure to get you—and your child—primed to host the best birthday bash ever!

BRING THE PARTY TO YOU 

Rev up the fun with these on-the-go options. A favorite with kids of all ages, GameTruck pulls into your driveway and kids get on board and choose from 120+ games to play. GameTruck’s high-definition TVs amp up the party atmosphere along with music, ultra-comfy seating and engaging game coaches.

Kids will have a blast with Bubble Man from NJ Bubble Parties, who’ll bring the play to your kids, especially those ages 3–5 years, with interactive music and dancing, bubble tricks and the ever-popular “kid in a bubble” finale.

Mobile Makers’ specialty is “art anywhere”— creatively adventurous DIY craft and sensory pop-up parties for all ages, brought to your outdoor space in their tricked-out trailer.

Offering high-energy parties tailored to kids of all ages, Party Maniacs come to you with fast-paced music and games like the crowd-pleasing toilet paper blower.

NEON CIRCUS

Neon Circus NYC provides Glow In the Dark Circus for home-based birthday parties as well as its space in Hackensack for celebrations and master classes. The show experience is an hour, followed by two hours to celebrate.

THE ART OF COOKING

If the kitchen is where your child’s creativity lies, you’ll want to see what’s cooking at The Art of Cooking, a company that will work with you to create hands-on, age-appropriate in-home cooking and baking parties; from pizza to cookies, parties are customized to your child’s favorite foods.

CURBSIDE CONFECTIONS

For after-party desserts, you can’t go wrong with the tasty treats from Curbside Confections, a mobile caterer that brings sweet treats to you. Be sure to check out their new Gourmet Cotton Candy mini Jeep and their physical store in Park Ridge.

ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS 

Little Hooves Farm creates a fun farm experience where kids get to groom ponies, play with goats, hold chickens and learn all sorts of fascinating farm facts.

At Hunter Brook Horse Farm birthday parties feature a petting zoo, a horse that does tricks, grooming session, arts and crafts, mini riding lesson, karaoke and more. With indoor and outdoor areas, the farm can host your party any time of year.

You’ll reap a rich harvest of fun at Alstede Farms. A real working farm, it offers activity-themed party packages, available seven days a week, or a basic rental option, available Mondays through Fridays, that lets you customize your event. Choose from year-round indoor parties or seasonal outdoor-tented celebrations; make your party extra-special with add-ons like pony rides, hay wagon rides and the sunflower maze.

For a wild and wonderful nature experience, check out the theme parties—Silly Scavenger Hunt (ages 2-5), BEARthday party (ages 6-8), Survival (ages 8-12) and Magical Beasts (all ages)—at the Tenafly Nature Center.

ADVENTURE ABOUNDS 

For a seasonal outdoors experience big on daring-do, embark on high seas thrills with Jersey Shore Pirates, which offers customizable parties on a “pirate” ship. Equipped with eye patches and swords, mini-mates will work the cannons, battle enemy pirates, hoist sunken treasure, and take home lots of loot and pirate yarns.

The sky’s the limit on the fun kids will have at Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park, an indoor trampoline center hosting open jump, Ninja obstacle courses, climbing walls and other test-your-limits activities for birthday groups.

For action-packed variety, you can’t go wrong at Arena STEM, an experience center where boys and girls can explore their inner heroes—speedboat racing to the rescue à la 007 in the Arena’s AquaZone, flying a fleet of drones to deliver a lifesaving vaccine to an Amazonian forest, fighting aliens in the Arena’s unique digital battlefields or conquering mountains on the Crawler zone.

Fast-paced variety is the name of the game at SkyZone, including ultimate dodgeball, SkyJoust, skyline, zipline and Toddler Zone.

As the name suggests, kids are in charge at Kids Rule Parties. Open in various NJ locations, partygoers can play glow ball, human bumper balls, laser tag and inflatable handball.

FIELD STATION: DINOSAURS

Kids will enjoy birthdays of T-Rex proportions at Field Station: Dinosaurs, an outdoor family attraction that combines science with movie-worthy thrills in a Paleozoic world of awe and learning.

GETTING CRAFTY AND PAMPERED

Messy hands and big imaginations are encouraged at Clay Paper Scissors Studio, a unique crafting destination offering hands-on creative parties for children 5+, including slime-tastic fun, jewelry making, tie-dye and pop art collage.

At Tie Dye Town Events, kids of all ages get to rotate through various arts and crafts stations such as making their own tie-dye T-shirt or other clothing article, decorating their own jewelry box and creating spin art pictures. Party with them in one of their locations in Englewood, New City, NY and Manhattan, or let them bring the party to you.

Birthday parties are works of art at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. Choose your art medium and the center will customize a themed project of your choice. Held on Sundays for kids ages five and older, the Visual Art Center’s parties feature an instructor, assistant and art supplies; you bring the refreshments, decorations and other extras.

At The Center for Contemporary Art, choose from several creative and educational art projects, ideal for kids, ages 5 to 15 years old. CCA parties, held on Saturdays and Sundays, consist of an art-centric activity with an art teacher and art supplies; you bring the birthday extras.

GLITTER & GLAM

Glitter & Glam in Paramus, Jersey City and West Nyack, NY, is a salon and spa where girls can indulge in mani-pedis and facials while wearing comfy robes.

At Flora’s Cottage teens and tweens celebrate their special day by making their own facemasks, bath bombs or lip balms in the shop’s pretty, intimate setting.

CALLING ALL BRAINIACS

If educational, entertaining, science-driven options are what you’re seeking, these birthday celebrations earn high marks.

Designed for kids 3-12, Mad Science of Northeast NJ offers diverse packages with optional add-ons. The Mad Lab’s two-hour experience has interactive stations, a unique show and a party room for food and cake. They also offer no-mess, no-stress home parties with spectacular chemical reactions, rocket launches, plasma balls and more.

THE OTHER TALES

Do your kids want to put their wits to the test while living out stories of mystery, magical lore and exploration? Then The Other Tales Escape Rooms are definitely a smart choice. Solve puzzles and explore stories in worlds that are immersive with authentic settings, logical puzzles and surprising storylines. All games (none scary or physically strenuous) are private. They’re designed with adults and teens in mind but the staff can set up easier versions of the games if you have 10- to 12-year-olds.

At Escapology Holmdel, you can choose from six games of varying difficulties and party packages to test your birthday group. Search for clues, solve puzzles and escape within 60 minutes.

Read More:
60+ Freebies You Can Get On Your Birthday

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