Celebrating Cleveland-Style
Make Your Kids’ Birthdays Distinctively Cleveland
It’s time to plan your kid’s birthday party. Doesn’t it raise your blood pressure just to hear the words? Sure, it might be easy just to take the kids over to Chuck E. Cheese for an afternoon of pizza and overstimulation, but why not use the opportunity to create a birthday party outing that exposes your cool kids to everything cool Cleveland has to offer?
To that end, we’ve compiled the best destinations and party planning tips to get you started in creating a distinctively Cleveland birthday party that both you and your kids will enjoy. Just remember to save a piece of birthday cake for us.
Tip #1: Make it educational.
Today’s time-pressed parents are on the lookout for new and different ways to celebrate their children’s birthdays that require minimum time and hassle. As a result, many of Northeast Ohio’s cultural institutions are getting into the birthday business with birthday party packages that entertain, educate and attract new patrons.
Not surprisingly, one of them is the Children’s Museum of Cleveland (791-KIDS /
http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org) which offers party packages that include a private party room and admission to the museum’s exhibits, from the current space exhibit “Blast Off!” to permanent exhibits like “Splish! Splash!” Coming soon are Superhero and Silly Tea Party themed birthday parties.
Have a fun and educational scavenger-hunt birthday party at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (231-4600 /
http://www.cmnh.org) with a “Down with Dinosaurs,” “Animal Safari” or – coming soon – “Birthday Under the Stars” theme. Guests get free parking – hard to come by on a busy University Circle weekend – and free admission to the entire museum.
Another option is the Great Lakes Science Center (694-2000 /
http://www.greatscience.com), which offers six theme packages for birthday boys and girls, ranging from “The Science of Magic and Wizardry” for all those Harry Potter fans to “Flower-Power Spa Science” for the girly girls. Parties are held in a private room adjacent to the center’s kid-friendliest area – Polymer Funhouse – but guests can enjoy the rest of the museum all day.
For the animal lover’s birthday, check out birthday party packages at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (661-6500 /
http://www.clemetzoo.com), where your guests can enjoy an animal-themed party in one of four locations around the zoo, as well as free admission throughout the day. What’s more, this summer’s “Dinosaurs!” exhibit has brought “DINO-MITE” birthday parties to the zoo through Sept. 2. If you’d like the wildlife to come to you, consider one of the traveling live animal shows that make the birthday party rounds in Northeast Ohio, including Jungle Terry (440-275-1331 /
http://www.jungleterry.com) with his snakes, frogs and alligators, or Outback Ray (381-1130 /
http://www.outbackray.com) with his kinkajou, Argentine boa and alligator snapping turtle.
Tip #2: Give back to the community.
Tired of the gift glut that comes with every new birthday? Then why not use the opportunity to create a philanthropic birthday party that gets all of the kids involved in your local community? Catherine Holloway of Etiquette Consulting Services, which provides etiquette training to children and adults, suggests asking your guests to bring a gift that will be donated to patients at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital or Akron Children’s Hospital. “It’s great modeling, and what a great act of charity for the birthday child,” said Holloway. “Asking people to make a donation to a charity is more of an adult thing, but to donate the gifts is a wonderful thing for kids to do. Then you know you’re getting a gift for someone who really needs it.”
Tip #3: Make it active and interactive.
Take 10 active six-year-olds and add sugary birthday cake and you’re sure to have chaos on your hands in no time. If you don’t want that hyperactivity wreaking havoc on your carpets, head outside or to one of Northeast Ohio’s indoor play-oriented centers to let your party guests burn off that sugar high before handing them back to Mom and Dad.
CHABAM (464-8500 /
http://www.chabam.com) is an educational playcenter in Woodmere whose acronym name stands for “Children Have Active Bodies and Minds.” Those active bodies will have the chance to run, climb, make music and make art projects in their 90-minute birthday party experience.
Native Clevelanders will get a trip down memory lane when they host their child’s birthday party at Memphis Kiddie Park (941-5995 /
http://www.memphiskiddiepark.com). Guests get unlimited rides for two hours, plus popcorn, a drink and a balloon.
For those lucky kids with summer birthdays, head outdoors for a party at one of the reservable picnic areas in the Cleveland Metroparks (635-3389 /
http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com), Lake Metroparks (440-639-7275 /
http://lakemetroparks.com/parks/facilities) or the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (330-657-2909 /
here'''). For older kids, have a pool party at one of the picnic areas at Ledge Pool in the Hinckley Reservation.
There are any number of children’s entertainers who can come to your home or party center to create an fun, interactive birthday party experience that kids will remember for a lifetime. Check out Parma’s Bob and Sue Durante, better known as Zap the Wonder Chap and The Bubble Lady (440-843-8749 /
http://www.zaphq.com) who can amaze your kids and their friends with magic, balloons and acrobatic bubbles. The Durantes also serve as brokers for children’s entertainment ranging from stilt walkers and face painters to clowns and cartoonists.
Don't forget Holcomb's KnowVille
http://www.knowville.com, the brand new facility founded by local school/teacher supply experts Holcomb's and fellow local company V2V Design. Read our recent
Cool Cleveland article about it
here and see what the buzz is about.
Tip #4: Call in reinforcements.
If you simply can’t do it on your own, don’t worry. Help is out there.
Delores McCollum, a retired Cleveland schoolteacher and now owner of Majestic Butterfly party planning service offers this advice for all the party-stressed parents out there: “When you plan a party, you’re making an investment of time and talent, not just treasure,” she said. “You might save some money but lose your sanity. The key thing in any event is to organize. If you’re just not that type of person, you may want to consider hiring someone.”
McCollum recommends starting the planning process six months in advance and writing the plan down, giving careful thought to budget, location and size. “You can have a nice event on any type of budget, but you have to plan for that,” she said. “Have a plan and have a budget, and say to your child, you can have a very nice birthday party without bringing in Ronald McDonald. Listen to what the child has to say, but you are the parent and you have the final say. Too many parents just cave in and have a party they can’t afford.”
From Cool Cleveland contributor Jennifer Keirn jenniferkATwowway.com
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