Planning the ultimate
birthday party for your child can be overwhelming. But when presented with the
right tools—like themes and venues—it can be an experience worth “wow”-ing.
Here are over 25 categories, from barnyard animals to sequins and scrapbooks,
to make any happy birthday…just that.
MONKEYING AROUND
ExerBlast
offers an out-of-this-world birthday experience. Teams blast off into a high-stakes
obstacle course, racking up energy points as they climb revolving rock walls
and navigate geometric twists. The 92Y
offers a Gymnastic Party package where kids ages 2-12 get active with spiral
slides, a ball pit, air bounce and spider net. For a Sportacular Sports Party, enjoy
exclusive use of the 2,500-square-foot gymnasium. Gymnastics are the focus of
parties at 74th St. MAGIC, where a SuperHero Training Party
lets kids “fly” across the gym in a gravity-defying swing! 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 for a rooftop party and take advantage of their Noah’s Ark
playground, water sprinklers and riding toys.
ALL ABOARD!
How about a
transportation-themed bash? The New York
Transit Museum offers a kid-friendly tour of the museum, housed in a 1930s
subway station. The party includes a scavenger hunt and activities like Design
a Vehicle and Make a Mosaic. Or hop on the Taxi & Trains Adventure at the Museum of the City of New York, with a
bday celebration including subway scavenger hunts, taxi magnet invitations, an
NYC traffic obstacle course and a custom car craft.
FARM FUN
You don’t
have to flee NYC to experience life on a farm. The Art Farm in the City offers a number of thematic soirees,
including an Exotic Animal Party where kids meet live animals and partake in
music and art activities. TLB Music offers a Barnyard Bash, beginning with a
personalized music class inspired by farm friends. Kids dance, enjoy
farm-themed décor and use the playroom’s clubhouse, rock-climbing mountain and
play kitchen. Or get the full down-on-the-farm experience from April
through October at the Queens County
Farm Museum. Children ages 1-12 go on a farmyard tour, enjoy an animal
feeding and take a tractor-drawn hayride.
MAD ABOUT MUSEUMS
Kids ages four and up can explore various sections of
the American Museum of Natural History with their choice of five party themes:
Dinosaur Discoveries, Cosmic Blast-Off, Safari Hunt, Underwater Treasures or
Beyond Planet Earth. Or consider The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum,
where kids climb into the cockpit of a real aircraft, design their own NASA
flight suit or learn Morse code. At the world-famous Madame Tussauds, rent the Viewing Gallery for a few hours to
meet all of your favorite celebs or gain private access to the SportsZone and
shoot hoops among popular athletes sporting a waxy sheen. If you choose
to party at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, book an Eat Sleep Play bash so partygoers have private access to
their newest exhibit. Kids will learn how to keep their bodies healthy
and strong as they conquer an obstacle course, jump through hoops, crawl
through tunnels and test their balance. Or make any birthday special with
treasure hunts, green-thumbed detective work and touch-tank exploration at the Brooklyn
Children’s Museum.
CULINARY COOL
Taste Buds
offers ages 2-13 the chance to chop, mix, swirl and bake their way through an appetizing
celebration. Little ones whip up pizza, cupcakes, pretzels and quesadillas,
while older kids learn how to make a three-course meal that pulls from global
cuisines, chocolate or brunch themes. Or consider Home Cooking New York for your next shindig. Kids can battle it out
in a Risotto Challenge, or host their own Iron Chef Competition to see which
party guest can make the best Mac and Cheese. At
Dylan’s Candy Bar, host the perfect party
in a room filled with gumball tables and gumdrop ceilings. Kids can enjoy games and
crafts centered on sweets.
EN POINTE
At Ballet Academy East, the birthday child
and her brood bask in a decorated studio and personalized ballet class according
to a theme of the child’s choice. Following the lesson, guests dance a ballet
story recited by the teacher. Or bring Twinkle
Party to your home for tutu-tinged festivities in themes like the
Nutcracker, Fairy Princess and Sleeping Beauty. Movers and groovers can age
another year in a ballet, jazz,
hip-hop, creative moment, modern, African or Salsa dance class at Peridance Capezio Center. You can even
pick a High School Musical or Michael Jackson party.
BOUNCE & BOWL
A one-stop party shop, For
Kids Only at Reebok Sports Club/NY & The Sports
Club/LA-Upper East Side puts on parties
amplified by rock climbing, a toddler gym, dance, movement, art and music. Kids
will also love the 15×15 on-site bounce house. Active tots might want to try
the Ultimate Tykes Challenge at Chelsea
Piers, where they can compete in tricycle and potato sack relay races, play
tug-of-war and enjoy an oversized sports-themed moon bounce. The McBurney YMCA also offers a bouncy
castle in its indoor playground, which can be reserved for parties. For the
ultimate ten-pin experience, choose from two Bowlmor Lanes locations, offering unlimited bowling, shoe rental,
food and a souvenir pin that kids can sign.
BACKSTAGE PASS
Soak in a
special afternoon of singing, dancing and acting at TADA! Youth Theater. The full cast will even sing an original
birthday tune from the stage! Or, rent the entire venue during one of the
theater’s regular performance runs for the ultimate show. At Discovery Programs on the Upper West
Side, kids can choose from eight
different themes including a Broadway Bound bash for ages 6-10. Rent a
ballroom, gymnasium or fully equipped classroom. At Kidville, families love the Calling All Future Oscar Winners Party,
where petite partygoers design their own props and put on their own performance
or host a game show with a Zany-Zing-Zang Game Show Party.
PARTY LIKE AN ANIMAL
While party
planners handle the details, guests can meet-and-greet with penguins, toss fish
to sea lions and enjoy a Wildlife Theater performance at the Central Park Zoo. Or, enjoy a private
party room and up-close visits with wild animal friends, incredible exhibits
and age-appropriate activities at the Bronx
Zoo.
ALL THE WORLD’S
A STAGE
Applause NYC offers over 10 party package themes to let your child star in their
favorite movie or play—complete with acting games, dancing and a performance.
Choose from Peter Pan, Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Annie and more. Broadway
Birthday Bashes at The PIT offers private access to an Off-Broadway
theater, where kids will watch the city’s top comedic talent create a brand new
musical all about the birthday child. Red-carpet extras include karaoke, a
disco dance floor, carnival treats and more. Child’s Play NY lets kids
exercise their dramatic imaginations in parties led by professional performers.
Through theater games, storytelling and creative movement, the birthday child
can shine in themes like Angelina Ballerina, Red Carpet Bash and “Singing in
the Rain meets Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
GYM’S THE WORD
Birthday
parties are private at Jodi’s Gym,
where kids have a dedicated space to balance on beams, spring from bars and
tumble on mats under the supervision of trained professionals. Also offering a totally-yours
tumble space, parties at Columbus
Pre-School and Gym incorporate hoops, scooters, balls, music and trampoline
fun. At Gymtime Rhythm & Glues,
kids can choose from themed parties in Tae Kwon Do, Fabulous Foodies, sports or
gymnastics. And at My Gym, the
birthday child can request specific games and songs to up the fun factor in a
range of birthday party packages. Oh, and did we mention the gymnastics,
puppets and Space Flight?
GAME ON!
Looking for
the ultimate arcade affair? At Dave
& Buster’s, every guest receives
a game card to use. Different packages are offered, but a meal is always
included and the birthday child walks away with a memorable gift. Victorian Gardens in Central Park
offers all-inclusive parties, featuring unlimited rides and games, plus one hour
of private seating.
TURN UP THE MUSIC
At The Early Ear, music teachers introduce
the birthday child and guests to musical instruments as well as lead them in
song and dance. At Poppyseed
Pre-Nursery, celebrate your little
one’s first few milestones with music and craft activities especially geared
towards babies and toddlers. Little Maestros offers catchy celebrations
with Broadway-level entertainers and a high-energy performance that features
instruments, bubbles and a mix of classic kids’ songs and popular music. Famed Pottery
Barn Kids’ performer and certified teacher Robert the Guitar Guy hosts Moving to the Beat parties alternating
music, humor, puppets, magic, instruments, singing and moving for all ages. Tied
in with their popular BYOK (Bring Your Own Kid) concert series, birthday bashes
at 92YTribeca reap the coolness of a
live show on Sundays, followed by a celebration in a private room.
More more birthday themes, see Choose Your Own Adventure Part Two.
