Continued from Choose Your Own Adventure.
TOY TOURS
At FAO Schwarz, guests are greeted by a toy soldier and then escorted into a private,
theme-oriented party room. Great for older kids, the Ultimate Late-Night
Party lets kids go on a candy raid, a scavenger hunt, watch demos of the
hottest selling toys and then cap it all off with a sleepover. Is your little
girl a fan of Madame Alexander?
Celebrate her special day with a tour of the historic doll factory and get a
behind-the-scenes view of the creation process, including a trip to the Doll
Hospital, a meet-and-greet with the design team and an exclusive shopping
session.
PARTY IN A PLAY SPACE
Customize
your party inside the 1,500-square-foot funzone at Citibabes. Kids can enjoy the indoor playground, art activities and
choose from themes like Barnyard Buddies, Day at the Circus, Jungle Safari or
Pirates & Princess. At apple seeds,
rent the entire playground and sports gym to let children make slime, cook up
goodies and enjoy free play, music and art through interactive party packages
like Build It! Break It! Fix It!.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?
In a world-class show by Fantasma Magic, the birthday child (AKA
the magician’s assistant) will float in the air in front of all of his friends after
witnessing a Houdini Museum. Storytellers will love the Galli Theater‘s interactive A Show & A Party package, in which guests
get to share the stage with actors in their favorite fairytale. At the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, kids befriend Freckleface and
enjoy thematic favors during a Freckle-taining Party, or meet the Amazing Max after
a stage show during The Amazing Magic Party. Moey’s Music Party lets kids rock out to musical versions of famous
fairytales, plus revamped versions of classic songs like the “Princess Pokey”. The
royal party receives a gift bag boasting tiaras, magic wands, boas and bling.
EXPERIMENTAL EXCITEMENT
With
mess-free Mad Science, ages 3-12 can
spend their birthday engaged in hands-on experiments that range from tornado
tubes, indoor fireworks and chemical reactions. All parties include a take-home
chemistry experiment. Kids can also choose from fun science themes at Liberty Science Center, like Kaleidoscopes
or The Heart of the Matter, which involves a staff-led dissection. Groups then
spend the rest of the day exploring exhibits like the pitch-black Touch Tunnel
maze. Or take a trip to the New York
Hall of Science in Queens and indulge in exhibit tours, science demos and a
hole-in-one party on the Rocket Park Mini-Golf Course. New York Kids Club offers a Spectacular Science Party for ages five
and older that lets kids participate in astronaut training and conduct two
experiments, all offered in a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility.
PAMPERED PARTIES
Treat your birthday girl
to a full makeover at one of the city’s Cozy’s
Cuts For Kids locations, where she’ll rock a jeweled tiara and enjoy
hairstyling, make-up and manicures with her friends. The private day also
includes music, dancing, pizza and beauty-themed arts & crafts. Or enjoy a
Princess Party at Let’s Dress Up! Ages 3-10 can get all dolled up with glamorous gowns, princess
accessories, sparkly tattoos and glittering manicures. A tea party is also
offered with flower-shaped sandwiches, candy served in glass slippers and pink
lemonade “tea”. Get Coiffed, a mobile hair salon, hosts
Rocker Girl Parties that feature—you guessed it—a rocker ‘do, make-up and nail
polish, temporary tattoos, hair feathers and accessories, plus Karaoke so kids
can rock out. Or get glamorous with a Glamour Girl Party at Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, where primping
goes down in private dressing room. The package includes a fashion show (with
snapshots!), mini-cure, make-up application and pizza.
CHILD’S POSE
How about a
Yoga Spa Party or Downward Doll Party where even toy friends are invited? At Karma Kids Yoga, learn kid-friendly yoga poses, breathing exercises and games. East Side Yoga offers a Pedicure Party
where kids can take a shortened, age-appropriate yoga class, get a foot
massage, paint their toes and take home a yoga mat. At Yogi Beans, the festivities include playful yoga poses, engaging
songs and novel games, held at a brand new studio located on the Upper East
Side.
MARTIAL ARTS MIXERS
At East Side Tae Kwon Do, children learn
techniques to break boards, kick and punch, and then actually cut birthday cake
using a real Samurai sword. Kids can also chop their way through the big day
with a party at Tiger Schulmann’s Karate,
which offers introductory course
certificates for guests. West
Side Taekwondo also offers
age-appropriate demonstrations of forms, sparring and board breaks while
letting kids run through an obstacle course.
D.I.Y.
Does your
child love chocolate? Celebrate by building a chocolate house or decorating a
chocolate box at The Craft Studio. Hi Art! also offers Arty Parties that lets kids turn candy into sculpture.
At the Children’s Museum of the Arts,
partygoers participate in art workshops ranging from animating a short movie to
Pollock’s action-style painting. Kids at
Art lets your child celebrate his birthday with plaster crafts and other
fun projects in a private studio. If D.I.Y. duds are your child’s thing,
consider Tie Dye Town so she can
make tie-dye slime, artwork, a t-shirt or bracelets. For something really
unique, head over to Make Meaning where
kids create their own glass plates, unique soaps, jewelry or ceramics. Has your
child always wanted to learn to weave? Loop
of the Loom teaches the basics, with a handmade scarf, purse or felted toy.
And at Kids at Work, kids can
literally make a mess at their bash, where they’ll dive into hands-on art
projects like murals or sculpture.
BIRTHDAY
KEEPSAKES
We can’t
think of a better way to preserve a child’s birthday than with personalized mementos
like books and calendars at Scribble
Press. MoonSoup offers
PortraitBug Parties, for girls ages five and up. This party combines a
30-minute photo shoot with individual and group shots and a crafting session in
which kids receive a scrapbook kit and photo book. Kids leave with a painted
frame or collage project including a photo from the shoot.
GOAL-WORTHY GALAS
If soccer’s
your child’s game, consider hiring the uber-flexible Super Soccer Stars for a party anywhere, indoors or out. Join in a
series of soccer activities during this 90-minute party, culminating in a
mini-World Cup tournament. Or book a bash with Soccer by Coach Fher, who offers all the equipment for two
fun-packed hours of activities, games and races with a 1:6 coach-to-child
ratio.
ONCE UPON A TIME
For kids who
love to read, The Scholastic Store
offers up a variety of themes from fashion to outer space. Consider the Young
Wizard party, where guests transform themselves into wizards, hear magical stories,
concoct potions, make wands and cast bewitching spells. An Imagination
Celebrations premium birthday party service customizes every detail down to the
guest list. StoryTime by Design
offers a great thematic experience for your child’s birthday party, based on their
favorite books. Choose from themes like a Beach Party or an ABC/123 Party. And
at Moomah Kiosk—creativity is the
word with customized parties. Often collaborated with Story Pirates, a group of
teachers, Improv actors and comedians, children are entertained by stories
written by other kids. Birthdays are celebrated in the café’s signature
ecosystem, the Funky Forest.
SPORTY SHINDIGS
Sports lovers
can enjoy an hour of playtime at the spacious facilities housed by Asphalt Green, choosing from party
themes like gymnastics, martial arts or the swimming pool. Ages 3-12 can celebrate
their special day with trained coaches at The
JCC in Manhattan with the choice of any sport including baseball,
basketball, gymnastics, soccer, hockey, tennis or golf. Kids In Sports specializes in baseball, basketball, football,
volleyball, hockey and soccer parties. Kids can also participate in
cooperatives games like relay races, tug-of-war and parachutes. Vanderbilt YMCA offers a pool party,
complete with custom party favors, a waterproof camera and one-hour use of the
swimming pool with lifeguard. SPORTIME Randall’s
Island lets little ones choose from multi-sports, tennis, rock-climbing,
dance or pool parties. And have your kids ever tried gaga? The newly opened Gaga
Center on the Upper East
Side combines the skills of dodging, striking, running and jumping in an
octagonal pit. A variety of birthday packages are offered with food, music,
cake, party favors and balloons in over 3,000 square feet of party space.
PARTY SUPPLIES & FAVORS
Crystal Party
Supplies
4306 Broadway
212-543-9463
Dinosaur Hill
306 East 9th Street
212-473-5850, dinosaurhill.com
Party City
38 West 14th Street
212-271-7310, partycity.com
The
Children’s General Store
168 East 91st Street, 212-426-4479
State News
1243 Third Avenue, 112 East 86th Street
212-879-8076, uppereast.com/state-news
