EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
|
| ||||
|
Advertise
With Us
Click here to request more information.
OC Family reaches:
- Active & educated parents
- Growing families
- And more...
SPECIAL FEATURE: PARTY PLANNING
|
||||
 Here is one example, an awesome idea for a girl’s 10th birthday: Club 10, a girl’s dance party. It’s sort of grown up, but still offers a lot of little-girl fun. For more great options, see the pages that follow. 1. Theme – Tween girls disco 2. Invitations – Pick something to convey the fun – neon, glitter, music and so forth. 3. Dress – Wear fun dancing clothes. 4. Decorations – Convert your living room into a dance club with a disco ball, strobe lights and string lights. 5. Party favors – Glow necklaces and light-up accessories are given out as each guest arrives. 6. Menu items – Try easy-to-eat finger foods with theme-related names. 7. Refreshments – Serve festive drinks in colorful plasticware with glow glass charms 8. Cake – Give the kids a giant “10” decorated to look like it has lights all around it. 9. Music – The birthday girl creates her own playlist. 10. Entertainment – Dad plays DJ and grants requests. 11. Games – Play music-related games, such as dance contests, freeze-dance, etc. 12. Prizes – Give away more glow necklaces and glittery accessories. 13. Crafts – Create accessories or t-shirts with puffy paints, glitter and glow sticks. 14. Costumes – Bring out a costume box with wigs and other theme-related outfits. 15. Photos – Document the entire party. 16. Keepsakes – Print out photos and add the date and time on each, so everyone has a souvenir of the fun. 17. Videos – Let the attendees get behind the camera if age warrants, or upload a video so all the guests can watch it later. 18. Hire a professional – If your time and creativity are completely tapped out, professionals can help with any aspect of the party. 19. Take the party elsewhere – Not ready to convert your home into a disco? (And, worse yet, don’t want to clean up?) No worries: Check the following companies (see next page) that will create the perfect party experience, no matter what your needs. 20. The bottom line – Keep your child’s age, your budget and your sanity as your top priorities. Orange County has a bounty of party-planning companies and venues to choose from, each geared to something different. From mobile beauty salons to rock-climbing walls to entire kid-sized cities, you are sure to find something creative and fun for your child’s special celebration. Turn the page for some of the best. ADVENTURE CITY Want to give your child the theme park experience at a fraction of the cost? Adventure City in Anaheim offers all you need, from a rollercoaster to a balloon ride to a genuine firefighter experience – and a lot more. At $199 for 10 kids, this party won’t break the bank, but is sure to provide hours of entertainment. HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR GIRLS Does your daughter ask to be made over, but the extent of your hairstyling abilities is the basic ponytail? If so, Hollywood Glamour Girls may be just the fit for your daughter’s birthday bash. The company, based in Lakewood, is a mobile one-stop beauty shop serving most of Los Angeles and Orange counties. Owner Jessica Becerra was inspired by storefronts providing similar services, but saw a market for doorstep service that puts customers at the front of the line every time. “It is hard to take the family and friends to the venue, so with three daughters, it made sense to come up with a venue like this,” says Becerra. In addition to the child’s hairstyle and makeup of choice, party attendees sing karaoke and get to take home a goodie bag full of accessories. The day of beauty concludes with a strut down the red carpet to the tune of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Ideal for girls between the ages of 6 and 10, the Hollywood Glamour Girls trailer combines the right mix of convenience and individuality. The private beauty birthday costs $35 per girl, excluding tax and travel fees, which start at $25. “We offer the ultimate glamour experience to illuminate the star in every girl,” Becerra says. “We are dedicated to providing children with the classic Hollywood experience that encompasses a combination of modesty, class, starlet novelty, individuality and old-fashion fun.” Looks vary, from the girlie-girl princess to the vintage retro diva, the tomboy to the rock diva. There is even a leading-man look for boys. PARTYOPOLIS Partyopolis in Lake Forest promises to be the ultimate kid fun center. Complete with a warehouse full of giant inflatable slides, an obstacle course, rock wall, foosball, air hockey and 52-inch plasma TV, the venue is sure to knock your kids’ socks – or shoes – right off. PRETEND CITY If playing pretend is your child’s favorite activity, then look no further than Irvine’s Pretend City Children’s Museum. Opened last year, Pretend City offers a glimpse of the adult world, kid-size. Visitors have free reign of the 15,000-square-foot city, featuring a marina, café, post office and bank, among other municipal landmarks. “These days, children don’t have a lot of places they can go and have open play and still be learning,” says Megan Tiedge, Pretend City marketing and public relations coordinator. “It teaches them how to be a productive member of society – how all the pieces need to work together to be successful.” Costumes are available for all of the exhibits, allowing the children to really “own” their positions, whether they are a farmer yielding crops or a grocer putting the crops on the shelves. Pretend City is ideal for infants through 10-year-olds. For $385, up to 30 guests – composed of 15 children and 15 adults – enjoy the private party room for an hour and unlimited access to the museum until closing. Costs to rent the facility for up to five hours begin at $1,900. WOWZVILLE Created by a man with 12 years of experience in NASA, Wowzville brings the perfect balance of engaging technology and fun interactivity. Geoffrey Bruce and his sister founded Wowzville more than two years ago in Laguna Hills. Bruce studied intuitive learning in virtual reality during his graduate study days and thought he could bring something unique to local partygoers. “Kids are more technologically savvy,” says Bruce. “It’s nice that they are familiar; they are less fearful and more used to the immersive aspect.” Choose the Fairyland, Racing Zone, Crime Division or Space Adventure theme. The 5,300-square-foot building is complete with a parent lounge with live video streaming of the playrooms. Investigator hats, face paint, goblets and other accessories are available for purchase as party favors. Rates start at $295 for two hours in one themed playroom and celebration room. Food is additional, and ideal group sizes range from 16 to 20. Whether sniffing out the rogue informant, racing cars with friends, helping fairies return to Fairyland or preventing an alien attack, Wowzville offers something for everyone. BROADWAY ON TOUR Does your child love wonderful timeless classics, such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Peter Pan” and others? How about seeing them come to life onstage in a theater production? Broadway On Tour, located in Santa Ana, is an all-volunteer organization that’s been serving Southern California for more than 21 years. True to their motto, “Children Bringing Theater to Children,” the actors are typically children but range from 8 to 20 years of age. But that doesn’t mean they are amateurs. One attendee commented on Broadway on Tour’s Web site: “Thanks for providing a magical first-time live theater performance for my 4-year-old daughter. … [It] was funny and moving, and had terrific performances across the board.” The cost is $20 per child for show admission, a goodie bag and a tea party an hour prior to show time. Birthdays will never feel the same year by year, whether taking in a Broadway-like show, stepping into a virtual game-lover’s haven or getting a glamorous makeover. With a wave of personalized and engaging parties sweeping the region, Orange County families are not short of unique and reasonably priced birthday options that will create lasting memories. For more great party professionals, go to our Party Planning page. •> HELPFUL TIPS « Start planning a month in advance, so you can research, shop online, order cakes and book a venue. « How many? For children under 8, invite the child’s age, plus one. « Parties for young children will include family members. As your child gets older, invite only your child’s closest playmates. « Be discreet when sending invites, so there are no hurt feelings. « Everyone gets a prize. Plan a treasure hunt or piñata where everyone shares the plunder. « If staying home, prepare all activities ahead of time, so you can focus on the kids when the party begins. Enlist other adults to help. « With party favors, try to find favors that go with the party’s theme, like a flowerpot for a garden party or molding clay for an art party. Have your birthday child hand out the favors, reminding them to say thank you. Source: amazingmoms.com •> WHAT TO CONSIDER « What is your budget? « Will it be at home or at a venue? « How many kids are you planning on hosting? « What will you serve? « Is food part of the venue’s services? « Is my venue age-appropriate and versatile? « How long will the party last? « Who will make the cake? « Do you know the parents of your child’s guests? « Who will help you? |
||||
RSS SubscribeSEARCH THE SITE
