Have your next party at Kid's Street!

I love planning parties, but I honestly I haven't thrown a party in years. If you follow me on Pinterest you might think I plan a different party every week with all the fabulous birthday party ideas I keep pinning! You would be wrong, of course. Hubs and I have thrown some good ones in the past - my favorite being Festivus of 2007, and yes there was a metal pole, and no, grievances were not aired. When kids came into the picture we traded in the matchbook favors for balloons and stickers. But in the last two years I have had to cancel kids parties because like clockwork my kids get very ill on their birthdays.

M in the amazing indoor climbing structure!

So, this year we chose to do something different (for us) for M's 4th birthday party. I decided to put all my amazing Pinterest pins aside (gulp) and have her party at an indoor play space called Kid's Street in Needham, MA. The kids are getting older and need more distraction than a ball pit in the basement, and while I love throwing parties I loathe cleaning up after them, so we thought this would be a great alternative.

After M's party this past Saturday we walked out of Kid's Street and my Hubs said to me "so we are going to have all our girls birthday parties there right?" We were beyond happy with everything Kids Street did before and during the party. All I had to do was tell them how many guests and they ordered the food (I was able to somewhat customize the food to my liking) and cake, they set up, they cleaned up, and they took incredibly good care of my guests the entire time.

And speaking of time, they have this party thing down to a science at Kids Street. The entire party lasts only an hour and a half. Initially I was concerned that it wouldn't be enough time, but it was perfect. The time was broken into thirty minute increments - 30 minutes on the amazing indoor climbing structure, 30 minutes in the "gym" (a giant room with a rock wall, gymnastics equipment and other fun games for the kids to play) and finally 30 minutes in the party room where we had pizza and cake. And scene.

M and her birthday crew against the rock wall

The gracious staff cleaned up the room, gathered the extra food and even offered to put it in our car. It was the easiest party I have ever thrown!

If you are in the Boston area and are looking for an indoor location for your child's next birthday party please be sure to check out Kid's Street in Needham! I can't recommend it enough.

PS. Instead of gifts I asked that each parent bring a wrapped book for each child they were brining to the party. At the end of the party each child chose a different book than the one the brought, to bring home as a party favor. It was a huge hit!

(Oh and yes, M was actually sick on her birthday again this year, so I apologize if any party guests have stuff noses now.)




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Watertown Indoor Playspace (A Mama Rant)

I seem to be ranting about a lot lately on the blog...these pregnancy hormones are getting me all fired up about something new every day (and they made me cry at last night's Gossip Girl for crying out loud!). Today's rant is about the state of Boston area indoor playspaces, with focus on the Watertown Indoor Playspace that I just visited for the first time.

In South Florida there is this fabulous place called Latte Fun. It is a fancy indoor playspace for kids, combined with a great coffee bar for the parents. The space is large and clean. There are things for the kids to climb on, ball pits, bouncy floors, slides, etc. And the cafe area has lovely couches and tasty food (from what I have heard.) I have walked by it many a times, even before I had kids, and thought, "damn, that is a great idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

Let's compare this to the Watertown Indoor Playspace...
The location is sketchy - in this big warehouse next to a place that sells cement blocks. You walk around the back of the building to enter. Outside you see the saddest swingset ever behind a busted gate. I was suspect right from the start.

You enter into this giant space (with so much potential) and are immediately in the eating/waiting area. Pay $10 to the kid at the gate (more on him later), take off your shoes (I refused to leave my bag up front for fear it would have been tampered with in the little kid-height cubbies), and enter the playspace.

Here is what the play area consists of:
- 2 blow up bouncy things (one a bouncy house, the other a maze type castle thing)
- a Step 2 mini climbing thing with a slide
- some mini ladder slide thing (circa 1970)
- a metal contraption that four kids can sit on and spin around (circa 1960)
- a shitload of crappy ride on toys, that look like they were purchased from a secondhand shop.

In the back there is a playspace for toddlers that consists of a ball pit (that while we were there was being used by rambunctious 7-ish year old boys), some busted kitchens, giant scary baby dolls that have been around the block, random toys strewn about, and a bin full of dress up clothes that I am sure have never been washed.

I paid $10 for this?