Kids’ Birthdays Parties in NYC: Venues, Themes and more
Birthdays are back and better than ever! NYC has an endless list of unique birthday venues, creative themes, and parties to suit all families and whatever your birthday child can imagine. We found amazing options for fun at home; open-air, outdoor celebrations; special in-person parties; and all birthday bashes in between so no matter how you celebrate your little loved one’s birthday, it will be the best. Bring on the birthday magic with these party options.
Here are our picks for Kids’ Birthdays Parties , venues, themes and more in NYC.
Birthday Fun At Home
Balloon Saloon will give your birthday child the royal treatment, bringing the birthday magic and tons of fun with their joyful balloons. Balloon Saloon’s cheerful and celebratory creations will make the big birthday extra special. Prepare to oooh and aaaah when their personalized arrangements arrive complete with balloon names, clusters, age numerals, organic columns, or the fan favorite, giant confetti filled balloons. Balloon Saloon has been bringing joy throughout Manhattan and offers curbside delivery as well as delivery service to the outer boroughs and suburbs like Long Island and the Hamptons.
Have the ultimate birthday sleepover with Teepee in the City. Their special sleepover packages like My Bestie and Me help make birthdays and other celebrations small, personal, and extraordinary. Teepee in the City setup includes your choice of theme (think mermaid, rainbows and unicorns, and tik tok) and corresponding teepees and décor, and follows a very strict cleaning protocol. The sleepover settings are sure to make birthday dreams come true with the sweet style, fun experience, creative themes, and additional activities like arts and crafts.
Rebecca’s Cake Pops are the sweetest addition to any birthday celebration. These delicious cake pops have innovative and artistic designs that are almost too cute to eat. From narwhals with melted ice cream cone horns to Mr. Met cake pops, every cake pop is a work of art that is also the tastiest treat. The cake pops are individually wrapped and beautifully placed in a complimentary display stand. Make sure to allow two weeks advance notice for custom orders.
The Great Outdoors of Birthdays
Create grand birthday moments at The Greens at The Rooftop at Pier 17, the perfect location for your next birthday celebration. Each mini lawn offers unmatched views of the city skyline while providing a chic and intimate vibe. Guests can enjoy a thoughtfully curated food and beverage menu or enjoy a rooftop movie while taking in the breathtaking views. Individual lawn reservation fees are available for lunch and dinner and lawns fit up to 8 people with options to rent several lawns, depending on party size.
The LeFrak Center at Lakeside provides families a number of festive ways to celebrate their next birthday bash. Centrally located in the heart of Brooklyn in Prospect Park, Lakeside offers kids summer roller-skating birthday party options al fresco. Birthday party packages include admission and rentals to the skating rink, exclusive use of a private party room for your guests, skating instruction, delicious catered food selections and a dedicated event party planner to help ensure all have a memorable experience.
The Skyline Drive-In is a drive-in (or walk-in) movie theater located right on the water in Brooklyn with an unbeatable view of the Manhattan skyline. This is an ideal birthday party spot! You can climb out of your car and create your own perfect movie-watching set up. There’s also the option to bring in your own food – or load up on concessions. Watch the sunset at this instagrammable spot, then relax and watch a weekend blockbuster or cult classic and celebrate!
NYC Parks for Birthday Parties
New York has many excellent parks to host a birthday party. Yes, there are some parks where you have to get there a bit early to claim your picnic table, but it is worth it once you are settled. They are also one of the ways to have a party in free space or keep costs down. A few of our favorite parks for parties are Brooklyn Bride Park-where you have plenty of room to sit on the grass, snag a table and have the kids hop on Jane’s Carousel. A fun thing to do is buy tickets in advance and have them to your party-goers when they arrive; not too far from the park, you’ll find Roller Skating at Pier 2. Skating at this park and skate rentals are reasonable, and the Roller Rink offers free admission skate time slots; check out the website for these designated times.
Of course, Central Park is where you can plan treasure hunts or take the kids on a hike, go to the zoo, and then enjoy a picnic or play at one of the many playgrounds. Hint, Heckscher Playground is our personal favorite for both little and big kids.
Keep in mind- especially for the popular parks, it is good to obtain a permit ($20) if you plan on having twenty or more people.
Indoor/Outdoor Hybrid Birthday Bonanzas
Graff Tours offers the coolest, most creative graffiti art birthday party. A birthday party includes a short street art tour of the Bushwick murals and is followed by a 1.5 hour unique hands-on graffiti workshop outside in their yard or inside the studio where kids learn the technique of aerosol art. Kids create their own graffiti projects to take home with the help of an authentic NYC graffiti artist. Learn the tips and techniques of aerosol art, from fill-ins to masterpieces, as birthday kids immerse themselves in graffiti art culture.
Classic Harbor Line is an excellent option for small groups looking to add a little magic to their celebratory outing on a public cruises (like the Around Manhattan Brunch Cruise, Sunset Cruise, or Statue and Skyline Cruises) or planning a private event. Plan a private cruise aboard one of the boats to completely customize the experience –all cruising routes are customizable too. This is a good idea for older kids who want to do something cool with their besties. Private event hourly rates vary depending on the day of the week and the boat. The sailboats offer a relaxing, fully outdoor event space with group size capping at 76 guests and others like Yacht Kingston and Full Moon are best for smaller groups. These celebratory cruises are perfect for those looking to celebrate and set sail for the big day.
Let your birthday girl or boy’s creative genius shine through and paint the birthday town in sizzling style with a party at The Craft Studio. There are parties for kids of all ages with crafts suitable for babies to teens! Choose from amongst a scavenger hunt party to black light bulb dance party to chocolate houses to paint and plant flower pots …there are tons of outstanding options and if your birthday child wants it, the Craft Studio will dream it up. The Craft Studio offers plenty of party options whether in their uptown or downtown studio; outdoors in the park or a location of your choice; or ordering to go craft kits as a great options for party outside of the studio.
Sweet and Special Celebrations
American Girl is the destination for an unforgettable birthday with your birthday child (and their dolls). Celebrate with all-inclusive party packages designed to minimize stress and maximize fun! Little ones will love these sweet parties and the themed packages like Deluxe Rainbow and Deluxe Sweet Sprinkles Birthday celebrations provide everything you need to make memories that will last a lifetime, including a delicious meal; signature cake and ice cream; digital invitations; special themed crafts and/or goody bags ad doll tiaras; and a special gift for the birthday girl. Private party rooms are available and take home celebrations are offered as well.
There is nothing sweeter than enjoying a birthday at the Museum Of Ice Cream! MOIC guides help create a fun and interactive way to explore 13 installations full of games and engaging activations in a completely immersive experience like enjoying a Sprinkle Pool sundae before diving into a pool full of sprinkles! They can accommodate an array of celebrations and events. “Ice cream for breakfast” morning/daytime celebrations afford a group the entire space privately one hour before Museum of Ice Cream opens to the public and evening celebrations allow a group to come in after the last public time slot and enjoy Museum of Ice Cream at their own pace. Guided tours and full buy-outs are also available with pricing based on the needs of the group.
At the Palisades Center in West Nyack, the newest children’s birthday party location is Jellio World, the area’s first Selfie Funhouse. Guests who purchase a ticket get to spend an hour going through all 20 interactive photography rooms, taking as many selfies and videos as they can. Jellio World is perfect for Instagram, TikTok or just taking great family photos. The Jellio World birthday room is open for all types of children’s birthday parties. Reserve an hour of time, allowing up to 15 people (10 children and 5 adults) access to the party room plus they can go through all 20 selfie rooms.
Adventurous Birthday Fun
Area 53 NYC has tons of party booking options with two different locations – Laser Tag, Paintball, and their Adventure Park! The laser tag birthday parties include a sprawling arena in the style of an old factory basement with all sorts of dystopian-esque abandoned remains acting like obstacles. In between battling your friends, head upstairs to the lounge area where they have couches, billiards, and all sorts of cool-down games for your group. Families can bring in their own food, or choose from great on-site concession-style options. The Adventurepark Birthday Party is everything in one – zipline, rollerskate, battlebeam, rope and ninja course, arcade games, and two story slides! It is truly an adventure, and with 3 hour time-slots guests have time to do everything – and eat cake, from a private room that overlooks the park, too! They also host plenty of Paintball Birthday Parties, and the indoor space is perfect for year-round, rain or shine gaming.
New York City Ninja Academy hosts exciting and memorable birthday events where kids are challenged with fun and safe ninja warrior obstacle training with their professional coaching staff. Party guests will train on ninja warrior obstacles with their professional ninja staff for 90 minutes, with a course run at the end, complete with lights, sound effects and the thrill of hitting the buzzer at the top of the Warped Wall!
CAMP, the family experience store, is a magical space for a super fun birthday celebration. Their celebration packages include private access to Campitheater, which will act as the home-base for the duration of your party. Every celebration has a dedicated Party Captain to facilitate a fun and safe time. The captain will lead the CAMPers through crafting, games, a dance party, and of course, singing Happy Birthday!
Big Fun for Little Ones
Twinkle specializes in themed birthday parties and open play for toddlers and preschoolers, so parents can capture their child’s most memorable moments and share the laughter and love in a unique play space. There are two birthday packages, a Basic Star package and a Super Star package which is a themed event, to experience the unique and innovative world of Twinkle that will enhance a child’s overall well-being through interactive play and allows their imagination to shine bright.
Playday will work with parents to customize a creative, imaginative, and exciting birthday party for their little ones and guests. Children will experience two hours of dynamic fun with three chosen art activities, food and cake provided by the family, and free creative playtime. At the end of the celebration, children get to take home their masterpieces as party favors!
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