As a parent, there are few things more exciting than watching your little ones celebrate another year of life. As we all know, the birthday parties have gotten bigger and bigger with the arrival of Pinterest and the social media invasion into our lives. So much to keep up with! But, good news today ladies! We have put together (with your help and recommendations!) a list of the top 5 places to host kids’ birthday parties in the Iowa City area! We hope that this list will help the planning process easier for you, and also will help you enjoy your little one’s birthday, instead of running around worrying about all of the details! Without further ado, and in no particular order, here it is…
Iowa Children’s Museum
Without a doubt, one of the favorites among our readers. Located in the Coral Ridge Mall, the Iowa Children’s Museum is an amazing, fun-filled facility for our little ones. With tons of activities, interactive learning stations, and special events, the ICM should be at the top of any Iowa City family’s list when it comes to a birthday bash! To learn more about what the museum offers for birthday parties, click here. Members of the museum receive a 10% discount on the price of a party, and if you aren’t a member at the ICM yet, now is the time to sign up for a membership! During the months of March, April and May, everyone who signs up for (or renews) a membership will receive 3 FREE months! (that’s 15 months for the price of 12!) Be sure to check out their website and head on over to sign up soon!
Mercer Aquatic Center
Also high on the list of favorites is Mercer Park, located on the east side of Iowa City. A joint facility with Scanlon Gym, Mercer Aquatic Center is a recreational facility that contains a large pool, a 12 person spa, a gymnasium, a fitness room and a meeting room. They also have an outdoor wading pool that is perfect for toddlers and kids alike. What better way to celebrate your kiddos’ birthdays than a swimming party? Be sure to check out Mercer this summer with your family!
Lower City Park
Hiding in the middle of City Park, you will find the most adorable little amusement park you have ever seen. With actual amusement park rides (but toddler sized!), a super-cute train that goes around the track with your little ones in tow, and a nearby playground to finish it off, this is the perfect spot for an outdoor birthday for the littlest of Iowa City’s citizens. Our children have enjoyed these rides many times, and have always asked to go back for more! If you haven’t discovered this little gem yet, be sure to do so soon!
Sweet Feet Yoga
We can tell you first-hand how amazing the ladies of Sweet Feet Yoga are! They are so patient and kind with the little ones, and they have the most creative, fun, and entertaining yoga programs for kids! Sweet Feet offers birthday parties for toddlers to teenagers, with different programs and activities based on the age of the birthday boy/girl. Check out their website for more information on birthday parties, as well as their regular classes for all of the “sweet feet” in your family!
Synergy Gymnastics
Synergy Gymnastics is another favorite in the area for hosting birthday parties for the little ones. Birthday parties at Synergy feature 1 hour of play time, which includes a structured obstacle course, free time, and super fun bouncy castles (along with 30 minutes of sit-down time to eat and open presents). And the best part? No need to clean up, and the Synergy staff will help supervise your kiddos! Just relax, take pictures, and have fun! (Also, ask about JJ’s Cupcakes and their special discounts on cookies and cakes when you book your party at Synergy!)
In addition to birthday parties, Synergy also offers Parents Night Out on the first Saturday of the month, when you can take your kids to the gym and let them play while you enjoy an evening out! They also have Open Gym for kids on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 10:30-11:30. Cost is $5/child.
**Surprise Giveaway!**
2. Share this blog post on your Facebook page, telling your friends and family about all of these great locations for birthday parties in our community! {after you share, be sure to leave a comment here telling us you did!}
3. Re-tweet the following: “@ICMomsBlog is giving away 5 free passes to open gym at Synergy Gymnastics! Click here: http://bit.ly/1gMDCUy” {and be sure to come back and comment here after you re-tweet!}
Good luck everyone! We hope that this list helps you in your quest to give your kiddos the best birthday parties they can get. Here’s to many happy parties this year in Iowa City!
Speaking of which…WE are having a birthday party this weekend (Sunday April 6th), and we’d like to see YOU there! Ticket sales for our Birthday Bash end TOMORROW at midnight, so get yours now while you still can! {there will NOT be any ticket sales at the door, so don’t miss out!} We are looking forward to seeing all of you for an evening of fun, food, and pampering! Click here to purchase your tickets and for more information on the event.
*This is a giveaway post. We have been given something, either monetary or in-kind, to write it. However, the opinions are solely our own.
I would LOVE to win these passes to take my daughter and some friends to try out synergy! I REALLY hope I win this one!
I have a 4 year old daughter and a 2 year old son who have MONTHS of pent up energy and would love to try out Synergy!
Shared on Facebook:)
Ooh, we would love to go to Synergy open gym! My daughter climbs everything in sight. Maybe at Synergy I won’t have to worry so much about her cracking her little head. 🙂
(post reTweeted and Facebooked!)
Oh – and one last thing – Ghurties Gourmet Yoghurt in Coralville also has a fantastic party room. The owner is very nice, and they have a wonderful space:) We know from recent personal experience!! Happy Birthday Party-ing everyone!
I re-tweeted!
My daughter has a birthday this summer – and she would love to have a gymnastics party!
I shared it on Facebook. 🙂
We’ve been stuck inside a lot since just having a baby. My 22 month old boy has more stored up energy than I know how to deal with! 😉
Since I had to go back to work I try to make the most out of my time with my 18 mo old very very active daughter. Our goal is to get out and move at least once each day either with me after I get home or give my husband a list of ideas of things to do with her during the day in his new position as stay at home dad. We recently started going to the tot play place at NL Community Center thanks to your blog post from a while back and I have been really wanting to try out Synergy. We would love so love to win the free tickets! I don’t have twitter but will share on Facebook!