If you want to celebrate your kid’s birthday without that last-minute scramble to clean the house or worries about ice cream spilled on the carpet, why not take the celebration elsewhere? From local parks to laser tag venues, you can easily find the perfect spot for a memorable birthday experience!
Location birthday parties also offer a great solution if you live in a small space like an apartment or condo. On top of that, hosting a birthday party for your little one outside of your home can remove the hassle of planning food and cleaning up afterward!
Of course, you can still personalize the party and make it special for your child by adding themed decor or bringing special treats.
Location birthday parties work great for kids of all ages! Check out this list of all the best places to throw a kid’s birthday party to help you find the perfect spot for the special day.
Birthday Party Places for Babies and Toddlers
The best birthday party places for a baby or a toddler offer plenty of room for little ones to move around, seating for adults, and an accepting atmosphere for lots of noise and excitement!
1. Playground
If your town or neighborhood has a playground, you have the perfect party venue close at hand! Playgrounds make one of the best party locations for toddlers because they have space to run around and fun climbing equipment. Many playgrounds provide benches to give the grownups a bit of a break, too.
You don’t usually have to make a reservation for your local playground. But do keep in mind that playground parties work best if your little one has a birthday during the warmer months!
2. Play Centers
Play centers for kids, such as The Little Gym, come with built-in play spaces like ball pits, obstacle courses, and balance toys. Depending on the venue, you can sometimes book a class for your whole group to enjoy together or just reserve a time slot to use the space.
3. Music Class For Kids
Nothing engages young kids as quickly as a musical experience! If you have a local Kindermusik, call and ask if you can reserve a private class. To make the experience even more memorable for your guests, send everyone home with a musical instrument like these adorable painted egg shakers!
4. Bounce House
If you have toddlers full of boundless energy, you can’t go wrong with a bounce house birthday party! Places like Sky Zone and Pump It Up provide a space for little ones to run and bounce on the inflatables to their heart’s content.
This venue offers an excellent alternative to an outdoor party if your child’s birthday lands during the cold winter months.
5. Chuck E Cheese
If you want an all-inclusive birthday package covering food, decorations, and a fun place to play, visit the Chuck E. Cheese website to book a birthday bash! Even the basic birthday package gets you pizza for everyone, a reserved table, and a fun show.
If you prefer to upgrade, you can add on extras like party hats for everyone, and Dippin-Dots ice cream to end the celebration on a sweet note.
6. Room to Rent
One of the simplest ways to host a birthday party for your kid outside of your home is to find a public space you can rent for a few hours. Many community centers, fire halls, churches, and even senior centers have rooms available for a low hourly rate.
Most of the time, these spaces come with nice tables and chairs you can set up however you want. All you need to supply is the decor and the birthday cake.
7. Local Orchard
Have you ever taken your little one berry picking, to an apple orchard, or to a pumpkin patch? If so, you know how much joy your child found in picking fresh fruit and eating it right there in the field!
Local orchards or farms often welcome birthday parties and provide other services like snack shacks, haybale seating, and the big draw of fresh fruit.
Call ahead to find out if the farm offers a convenient place to sit and eat. If not, you can always bring your own adorable picnic blankets for an al fresco birthday lunch!
8. Petting Zoo
Petting zoos and children’s farms may also allow you to book a private tour and a place to sit and eat after the kids finish playing with their furry friends in the zoo.
Sometimes the zoos offer cute craft projects for the kids to make and take home. If not, you can easily find animal crafts like these for all your little guests to enjoy!
9. Restaurant
Many restaurants have private rooms you can reserve for a large gathering, like a birthday party. While a restaurant environment may seem challenging for a group of toddlers, it offers one of the best possible venues for a baby birthday party!
After all, a baby’s first birthday is really for adults. The grandparents, aunts, and uncles simply want a chance to coo over the baby and shower them with presents!
You may want to bring in fun balloons and centerpieces for the tables, but the restaurant will handle food that your adult guests will appreciate, as well as a nice atmosphere and comfortable seating.
Birthday Party Places for Older Kids
The best places to throw a birthday party for older kids offer activities your child and their friends can enjoy together, like watching a movie or exploring an interactive children’s museum.
10. Zoo
Kids love animals, and many zoos have interactive child-friendly exhibits besides the many amazing animals they can observe. Most zoos offer a website that will list group rates and let you know if you can book a private room or picnic table as well.
Other parents will thank you for providing matching explorer hats and vests for all of the kids so no one gets lost in the crowd!
11. Aquarium
If you are lucky enough to live near a city with its own aquarium, consider hosting a calmer birthday party in that quiet and educational venue. Many aquariums offer classes for students on interesting topics like squid ink or shark teeth that your young scientist will love!
Check with staff before you bring in cupcakes or balloons, though, as the aquarium may have rules to protect the sea animals.
12. Skate Rink or Roller Rink
Ice skating rinks or roller skating rinks provide a wonderfully vibrant atmosphere for large or small groups of active kids. The best thing about these venues is that you really don’t have to prepare much at all — most rinks have snack stands and private rooms you can book for giving presents.
13. Martial Arts Class
Many martial arts studios, such as dojos and dojangs, allow you to book birthday parties where the instructor teaches the kids a few basic skills. Most martial artists will also coach the kids about the core principles of personal safety and respect for others.
You may want to pair this activity with dinner at your favorite pizza joint, as most dojos don’t allow food inside.
14. Laser Tag
For kids who love thrilling adventures, you can’t get more exciting than hosting a laser tag birthday party! You can often find a laser tag venue in your local mall or in a nearby strip mall.
Besides the high-octane thrill of booking your own private laser tag adventure, this venue has the added benefit of safety from the weather and (usually) a snack bar for yummy treats.
15. Water Park
If your kid loves water and has a birthday during the summer, why not pack up the whole crew and head to a nearby water park? Your kids and their friends will gleefully zip down water slides while the parents snap pics and have a few moments of peace to chat with each other.
Some water parks offer a discounted group rate, so call ahead to see if you can make a reservation!
16. Children’s Museum or Science Center
Children’s museums and science centers often provide private rooms and classes for children’s birthday parties. Most museums allow you to make a reservation through an online form on their website.
The great thing about an educational venue like a science center is that your kid and their friends could explore the interactive exhibits all day without getting bored!
17. Bowling Alley
Looking for an old-school birthday celebration? Teach your kid and their friends how to bowl! Most bowling alleys have a snack bar and tables where the grownups can hang out.
18. Movie Theater
Movie theaters provide another great all-inclusive birthday experience for you and your guests. Most big-name theaters like Regal Cinemas allow you to reserve a theater for a private screening of your kid’s favorite movie. Depending on your price point, you can often purchase a food package to accompany the movie.
19. Arcade/Pinball Arcade
An arcade is one of the best places to hold a birthday party for a small group of kids who like to game! You can find arcades with all kinds of games today, even vintage-style pinball machines.
You can check your local chamber of commerce website to see a list of all the businesses in your area, but the easiest way to find a nearby arcade is to Google it.
20. Escape Room
Escape rooms offer a fun indoor activity perfect for birthday parties hosting ten or twelve kids. The kids have to work together to solve clues and put together puzzles in order to escape a themed room before the timer goes off.
Most escape rooms offer kid-themed challenges and allow you to book a private adventure for birthday parties.
21. Planetarium
If you have a space-crazy kid on your hands, why not hold a birthday party at a planetarium? Like children’s museums, most planetariums will offer private tours or classes for a birthday party and possibly a private room for food and presents as well.
If you don’t think other parents will hate you for it, you can even hand out containers of this sparkly galaxy slime after the event as party favors!
22. Art Stores
For the budding artist in your family, consider attending a private art or craft class in place of a birthday party. Many art stores hold regular classes to teach everything from painting pottery to how to use a sewing machine. Smaller joints may even allow private bookings complete with snacks!
Best Budget Birthday Party Places for Kids
If you need a free or affordable venue for your kid’s birthday party, check out this list of the best budget birthday party places for kids!
23. Local Park
The absolute best place to hold a budget-friendly birthday party for kids is a local park! Of course, you must watch the weather for this outdoor festivity, but that is the only downside.
Many parks offer pavilions you can reserve for your party, and they often come with hiking trails and playgrounds, too! You can find parks on the National Park Service website, at your local state or county parks and rec website, or even by calling your town hall or HOA.
Keep in mind that some parks do charge a small admission fee per vehicle, but many community parks allow you to stay all day for free!
24. Hiking Trail
If your birthday boy or girl loves the outdoors, you can stage a boy scout or girl scout style party on the trail! Shove some granola bars and water bottles into a backpack and head into the forest for a few hours of adventure.
To make the event more challenging, why not buy this fun set of nature scavenger hunts for the kids to complete along the trail?
25. The Beach
Depending on where you live, you may have a free beach or lake shore nearby where you can set up an umbrella and spread out some beach towels for a birthday party in the sun! You can wow the other parents by providing all your young guests with beach-themed shades as a party favor.
26. Ice Cream Shop
Your favorite small-town ice cream or frozen yogurt place may allow you to bring in a birthday party for free or for a small fee. Call ahead to find out if you can get a group rate on the sweet treats, or be sure to let your guests know everyone will pay their own way!
Some bakeries will even hold cake decorating birthday parties for kids, for a small fee.
27. Community Pool
Pool parties and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly! Call your town or your HOA to see if you can reserve the community pool for an afternoon of birthday fun. Many community pools have snack vendors on the premises, but you can always ask if you can bring in a homemade birthday cake or cupcakes as well.
Pools always have lifeguards on hand for safety purposes, but for younger guests, you may want to provide animal-themed fun pool floaties as well!
28. Board Game Cafe
If you have a group of quiet kids who like sitting still to play games, check out your local board game cafe to find out if you can book a private party.
Board game cafes let visitors play hundreds of different games, usually for just a small entrance fee. They also keep game experts on staff who can explain the games and encourage kids to have fun while playing.
29. Fire Station
Many local fire stations will happily host birthday parties as a chance to educate kids on fire safety while providing an entertaining experience for the young guests! Make sure you call the station to find out if they have enough staff to offer this service, though.
30. Community Garden
Even if you live in a city environment, you may have access to a community garden! This totally free venue gives you the chance to take kids outside for a hands-on nature activity. Depending on the season, you could plant carrots, pick tomatoes, or learn about compost and mulch.
To make the tasks more fun for small hands, you can order cute garden tool sets for kids, like this one.
How to Personalize a Location Birthday Party
You can add a personalized touch to a location birthday party by bringing in your own decorations and special treats. Themed decor like tablecloths and balloons lend a festive air to a rented room or picnic table.
Plus, you can still celebrate your child’s favorites like mermaids, llamas, or Baby Shark by picking party decor that matches that theme.