MONKEYING AROUND

Active tots who love spending time outside might want to try the Ultimate Tykes Challenge at Chelsea Piers (designed for ages 3-5) where they can compete in potato sack races, play tug-of-war and enjoy a moon bounce. Exerblast offers an “out-of-this-world” birthday experience. Teams of birthday guests will “blast off” into a high stakes obstacle course, with the help of adventure guides. They’ll navigate geometric twists and turns in a light-censored jungle gym. After cool-down, they can enjoy cooking activities and a customized cake. The 92nd Street Y offers a Gymnastic Party package in which kids can get active with spiral slides, ball pool, air bounce and a spider net. At the West Side YMCA, kids can play on the new rooftop playground, replete with a slide and spongy surface. Or they can check out the Early Exploration Play Center and enjoy an indoor treehouse, climbing wall, pirate plank and more. Also, consider the 14th Street Y, where you can have a rooftop party and take advantage of Noah’s Ark playground, water sprinklers and riding toys. The McBurney YMCA also offers an indoor playground, pool and dance parties

ALL ABOARD!

How about a transportation-themed party? The New York Transit Museum offers a tour housed in a 1930s subway station. The party includes activities led by museum staff, use of the lunchroom for sugar-coated treats, and invitation inserts complete with directions on how to navigate the current transit system. Subway party packs are also available. Or choose a Taxi & Trains Adventure at the Museum of the City of New York, with activities including subway scavenger hunts and cup-stacking relay races.

FARM FUN

Who says you have to leave the city to experience a farm party? Art Farm in the City offers a number of themed birthday parties, including an Exotic Animal Party in which kids will meet live animals and partake in music and art activities. You can also get the full farm experience from April through October at the Queens County Farm Museum, where children can take a tractor-drawn hayride!

MUSEUM MADNESS

Kids ages 4 and up can choose from four birthday party themes at the American Museum of Natural History: Dinosaur Discoveries, Cosmic Blast-Off, Safari Treasure Hunt or Underwater Treasure Hunt. Or consider the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. You get to pick the entertainment from your very own costumed party host. Or, visit your favorite celebrity in wax form at Madame Tussauds and enjoy a “SCREAM” interactive thrill experience.

SWEET TREATS

Taste Buds offers ages 2-13 the opportunity to chop, mix, swirl and bake their way through the most appetizing birthday party. Enjoy pizza, sushi, cupcakes, and gingerbread houses in the Kids Kitchen in Chelsea or Taste Buds will come to you! Also, consider Home Cooking New York for your next party. They’ll help you host your own Iron Chef Competition to see which party guest can make the best Mac and Cheese. Kids go home with a recipe book. And at Dylan’s Candy Bar, enjoy games and crafts centered around sweets, a cotton candy machine, make your own cupcakes and more.

DISCO PARTY

Kids can turn back the clock with Three Little Birds’ newest birthday package, the Disco Dance Party! They can take part in a dance party complete with disco balls, 70s music, open play and a selection of food and cake. And at 74th St. MAGIC, kids can enjoy a disco party in a transformed private club! The day ends with the birthday child and friends leaping through the air in an exclusive flying swing.

BALLERINA BASH

At Ballet Academy East, the birthday child and friends can enjoy a personalized ballet class with a birthday theme of the child’s choice. After the lesson, guests will dance a ballet story told by the teacher and enjoy some party favors and refreshments. At Twinkle Party, kids can dress up in tutus, dance with a professional ballerina and put on a performance for their parents!

MOVING AND GROOVING

Create your own birthday party with classes in dance, movement and fitness, drama, musical theater and more at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. At Medieval Times in New Jersey, birthday party packages are available in which kids can travel back in time and cheer on a knight in a jousting competition. Spend your birthday in a ballet, jazz, hop-hop, modern, African or Salsa dance class at Peridance Capezio Center. You can even pick a “Glee” or “Michael Jackson” dance theme. Or celebrate your little one’s first few birthday milestones with music and craft activities for babies and toddlers at Poppyseed Pre-Nursery. At Reebok Sports Club & The Sports Club LA for kids, there are a variety of birthday party activities to choose from, including rock climbing, toddler gym, dance, movement, art, music and carnival-style parties.

BIRTHDAY PERFORMANCE

Enjoy a special afternoon of singing, dancing and acting at TADA! Theater. There will even be an original birthday song written just for you! At Discovery Programs, kids can choose from 8 different themes including a Broadway Bound party for ages 6-10 in which invitations, goodie bags, table settings and food and activities will all be included. At Kidville, kids can enjoy their own private performance from the Big Apple Circus or sign up for a “Calling All Future Oscar Winners” party, where they can create their own script and put on a play.

GLOW-IN-THE-DARK BOWLING

Choose from two Bowlmor Lanes locations for the ultimate bowling experience. Get rolling with glow in the dark lanes, “The Spare” and “Ultimate Party” package, which includes unlimited bowling time, shoe rental, an arcade card and custom cake.

WILD ZOO ADVENTURE

Kids can get up close and personal with a custom planned birthday party at The Central Park Zoo. While party planners handle the details, guests can go behind the scenes with live animals. Experience a meet and greet with a penguin, toss fish to sea lions and make treats for polar bears to eat! Or, choose from a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces to host your party at the Bronx Zoo, and explore over 4,000 wild animals.

MOVIE MAKERS AND MOVIE LOVERS

Kids can tap into their inner artist at Children’s Museum of the Arts with Animation Celebration—learn the basics of claymation to create a short animation movie! Applause NYC offers over 10 party package themes for your movie-lover’s birthday. Choose from “Peter Pan,” “Grease,” “The Wizard Of Oz” and more. The package even includes an interactive show and musical performance!

GYM’S THE WORD

Birthday parties are private at Jodi’s Gym, where kids have the dedicated space to balance on beams, spring from bars and tumble on mats under the supervision of trained professionals. Columbus Pre-School and Gym also offers private gymnastics and food, drinks and fun with the gym’s staff. At Gymtime Rhythm & Glues, kids can choose from themed parties in sports, Tae Kwan Do, Fabulous Foodies, sports or gymnastics. And at My Gym, the birthday child can choose specific games and songs and enjoy gymnastics, puppets and music in a range of birthday party packages.

RIDES & GAMES GALORE

Looking for the ultimate arcade experience? Head to Dave & Buster’s and receive a power card to use at a variety of games. Different packages are offered, but a meal is always included and the birthday child can trade in tickets for some awesome party favors at the gift shop. Victorian Gardens Amusement Park in Central Park offers all-inclusive parties, featuring unlimited rides and games.

BRING ON THE MUSIC

At The Early Ear, music teachers will introduce the birthday child and guests to musical instruments and lead them in song and dance. Little Maestros offers fabulous birthday parties with Broadway-level entertainers and a high-energy performance that features instruments, bubbles and a mix of kids’ classic songs and popular music. Parties at Moving to the Beat feature Robert the Guitar Guy, alternating music, humor, puppets, magic, instruments, singing and moving.

TOY TOURS

FAO Schwarz offers an Ultimate Late Night Party in which kids can explore the most famous toy store and then sleep over! Other birthday packages include scavenger hunts, tours with a Toy Soldier host and classic party games. Is your little girl a fan of Madame Alexander? Celebrate her birthday with tours of the historic doll factory and get a behind-the-scenes view of the doll creation process, including a trip to the Doll Hospital, a meet and greet with the design team and exclusive shopping.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN PLAYSPACE

From face painting and puppy-petting zoos to barnyard buddies and Under the Sea themes, you can customize your party at the indoor play space Citibabes. At apple seeds, the birthday child can choose from themes like “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Game On,” “All About Music” and more, while enjoying free play, music and art. At New York Kids Club, all-inclusive packages are offered that allow children more than an hour of exclusive facility use, kids’ performers and age-appropriate activities.

MAGIC AND FAIRYTALES

Kids can spend their birthday as a magician’s assistant and take part in a world-class magic show at Fantasma Magic. They’ll get hypnotized, enjoy pizza, an ice cream cake and more. Budding actors and actresses will also love the Galli Group’s “A Show & A Party” package, in which they’ll enjoy a fairytale show, meet with the actors and receive autographs.

EXCITING EXPERIMENTS

At Mad Science, kids can spend their birthday engaged in hands-on experiments that include tornado tubes and watch chemical reactions. All parties include a make-and-take chemistry experiment. They can choose from other fun science themes at Liberty Science Center, like making their own kaleidoscope or taking part in a dissection. Or take a trip to the New York Hall of Science and enjoy exhibit tours, science demonstrations and themed parties on the Rocket Park Mini-Golf Course.

PAMPERING PRINCESS

Treat your birthday girl to a full makeover at one of the city’s Cozy’s Cuts For Kids locations, where she’ll wear a jeweled tiara and enjoy glitter hairspray up-dos, make-up and manicures with her friends. The day also includes music, dancing, pizza and beauty-themed arts and crafts. Kids can dress up in glamorous clothes and jewels and strut down a catwalk in a birthday celebration at Let’s Dress Up! The day even includes a tea party with flower-shaped tea sandwiches, candy served in glass slippers and pink lemonade “tea.”

YOGA ANYONE?

How about a Yoga Spa party or “Downward Doll” party where even dolls are invited at Karma Kids Yoga? Learn kid-friendly yoga poses, breathing exercises and games. East Side Yoga offers a Yoga Mat Decorating Party, where kids can take a class, have fun decorating their mat, and leave with a card of yoga poses they can practice at home. At Yogi Beans, the festivities include playful yoga poses, fun exercises, engaging songs and novel games. And Yoga Stars throws 90-minute parties for little yogis and yoginis, which can include t-shirts, mats, balloons and catering.

MARTIAL ARTS FUN

At East Side Tae Kwon Do, consider a Board Breaking Party, learn techniques to break boards and then bring them home as a souvenir. Kids can also kick, punch, and chop their way through the big day with a birthday party at one of the city’s leading martial arts studios, including Tiger Shulmann’s Karate and West Side Taekwondo.

CERAMICS & CRAFTS

Kids can decorate a ceramic piece and take home their own creations at Color Me Mine. They can build their own chocolate house and more at The Craft Studio. Kids At Art lets your child celebrate his birthday with a mural painting and fun craft projects in a private studio. Or how about some plastercrafts, pottery painting and mosaics at Little Shop of Crafts? Kids will leave with a t-shirt signed by all the birthday party guests. If Tie Dye is your child’s thing, consider Tie Dye Town, where he can make his own tie-dye slime and tee-shirts. Or head over to Make Meaning, where kids can create candles, soap or jewelry. They can also make personalized keepsakes like books and calendars at Scribble Press.

PASS, KICK, SCORE!

Hire Super Soccer Stars to come to a public park near you for a Kick Off Soccer Package, which includes 90 minutes of time on the field, culminating in a mini-World Cup tournament. Or enjoy a bash with Soccer by Coach Fher, who ensures a 1:6 coach to child ratio and provides all the necessary equipment for a fun soccer game.

CREATIVE KIDDOS

At Hi Art!, kids turn candy into sculpture and work on creating live music. At Loop of the Loom, they will learn to weave and create a handmade scarf, dress or felted toy. Kids can literally make a mess at their birthday party at Kids at Work, where they’ll dive into messy art projects, jam with musicians or create a science project. And at Moomah, they can journey through the Funky Forest and will be guided through creative art projects.

PARTIES THAT TELL A STORY

The Scholastic Store offers up Clifford’s BIG Birthday Bash, featuring a special story time and craft project inspired by the Big Red Dog himself. An “Imagination Celebration” premium birthday party service that customizes every detail was recently launched. StoryTime by Design offers a great storytelling experience for your child’s birthday party, featuring original music, audience participation and themes including a Beach Party or Ice Cream Party.

PICK YOUR SPORT

Sports-lovers can enjoy an hour of playtime at the sports facilities at Asphalt Green, choosing from gymnastics, martial arts, a sports party, or a pool party. Or celebrate your special day with a trained coach at The JCC, where the party can focus on basketball, gymnastics or soccer. Kids In Sports offers parties including baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer, relay races, tug-or-war, and parachutes, and even a carnival-style party. Vanderbilt YMCA has sports celebrations like soccer, volleyball and fitness and other customized birthday experiences. SPORTIME at Randall’s Island lets little ones choose from tennis, rock-climbing, dance or pool parties.

PING-PONG AND BILLIARDS

Is table tennis more your child’s speed? Check out SPiN, co-owned and created by Academy Award-winner Susan Sarandon. The venue specializes in ping-pong and has plenty of tables to play on. A VIP party room is also available. At Slate, hang out in spacious lounge rooms, play billiards and enjoy a special meal prepared by expert birthday planners.

CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

SUSHISAMBA recently launched kids programming and parties that combine a kid-friendly menu with activities from SUSHISAMBA’s tri-cultural coalition of Japan, Brazil and Peru. Pair the delicious menu with a sushi-making class, origami craft workshop or capoeira dancing—an African-inspired movement that combines martial arts, music and dance.

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