need ideas: birthday away from home in Feb

returnhomegnome

Hey all, my second girl will turn two in Feb, but by then I will have a two month old baby.

I'm looking for ideas to have a birthday NOT at our home... if it weren't february I'd just do cupcakes and balloons at the local playground or something very low-key like that, but it'll be too cold to do anything outside. My pregnant mind is a blank, suggestions please!  TIA!

dufferoo

You can always do the classic/easy/cheap McDonald's party if you have a Playland near you. Even though the food is pretty gross, most toddlers love to climb around in those play structures!

returnhomegnome

I love the idea! There are no fast-food places w play structures anywhere near me (trust me I've looked! ha!), but there is a Chic-fil-et about 35 min away that has one, so maybe I'll do that. Thanks for the suggestion, that didn't even cross my mind!

allardr

eh I don't like the fastfood idea, how about at the YMCA you can maybe get the gym or pool area for the kids. Those inside climbing places are great too-we took just DD there for her 1st bday. Zoo is a great idea too ours was open year round and clearly dead most of the winter so fun for a group. Plus inside area you could probably rent for cake.

cattynine

I may be in the minority here, but I don't see why kids need to have a big birthday party between the ages of like 1 and 6. We did the requisite 1st birthday party with friends and family, but probably will just do cup cakes and ice cream with family until DD gets to the age of 5/6 and wants to have friends from school over to celebrate. But maybe that's just me. 

JENandJEH

I would ask at the YMCA about a pool party or if you have a local gymnastics studio, we went to a 2-year old party at a gymnastics place that was a ton of fun!  The kids got to run on the spring floor and play in the foam pit and they had lots of gymnasts around to help supervise.  We've been to a Chick Fil A party and my kids had a blast playing.  

allardr

cattynine said:

I may be in the minority here, but I don't see why kids need to have a big birthday party between the ages of like 1 and 6. We did the requisite 1st birthday party with friends and family, but probably will just do cup cakes and ice cream with family until DD gets to the age of 5/6 and wants to have friends from school over to celebrate. But maybe that's just me. 

I agree before kindergarten-ish age "friend" parties are unnecessary. I prefer just family, and maybe a close family friend. But none of this invite 10 toddlers to do something. I'm also a SAHM so it's not like DD has more than 1 or 2 friends. For her 1st we took her (and only her, no friends) to an indoor play place. Much more fun to do something as a family with her.

Netty_3

Gymboree or my gym have options...or an aquarium or a rec center have rooms to rent.

JENandJEH

allardr said:

cattynine said:

I may be in the minority here, but I don't see why kids need to have a big birthday party between the ages of like 1 and 6. We did the requisite 1st birthday party with friends and family, but probably will just do cup cakes and ice cream with family until DD gets to the age of 5/6 and wants to have friends from school over to celebrate. But maybe that's just me. 

I agree before kindergarten-ish age "friend" parties are unnecessary. I prefer just family, and maybe a close family friend. But none of this invite 10 toddlers to do something. I'm also a SAHM so it's not like DD has more than 1 or 2 friends. For her 1st we took her (and only her, no friends) to an indoor play place. Much more fun to do something as a family with her.

 It's completely fine if people don't care for bigger parties for younger kids but I don't think it is unnecessary or silly for a younger child to have a friend party with 10 toddlers if that's what the parents (and kids) would like.  We live 9+ hours away from family so my kids have always had friends parties (and have never had a family member at any of their birthday parties).  Even kids of SAHMs can have more than 1 or 2 friends. 

At age 3, DS1 had was attending a preschool 3 days a week and had lots of little friends.  He had a friend party with 7 other kids and it was a blast.  When we asked what he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted to have his friends come play and eat cake.  When it came time for DS2's 1st birthday, my friends (even those without kids) were excited to celebrate his birthday so we had a big party.  There were no games, no activities and everyone had a great time.  Everyone looks at and celebrates birthdays differently and that's ok.  

cattynine

JENandJEH said:

allardr said:

cattynine said:

I may be in the minority here, but I don't see why kids need to have a big birthday party between the ages of like 1 and 6. We did the requisite 1st birthday party with friends and family, but probably will just do cup cakes and ice cream with family until DD gets to the age of 5/6 and wants to have friends from school over to celebrate. But maybe that's just me. 

I agree before kindergarten-ish age "friend" parties are unnecessary. I prefer just family, and maybe a close family friend. But none of this invite 10 toddlers to do something. I'm also a SAHM so it's not like DD has more than 1 or 2 friends. For her 1st we took her (and only her, no friends) to an indoor play place. Much more fun to do something as a family with her.

 It's completely fine if people don't care for bigger parties for younger kids but I don't think it is unnecessary or silly for a younger child to have a friend party with 10 toddlers if that's what the parents (and kids) would like.  We live 9+ hours away from family so my kids have always had friends parties (and have never had a family member at any of their birthday parties).  Even kids of SAHMs can have more than 1 or 2 friends. 

At age 3, DS1 had was attending a preschool 3 days a week and had lots of little friends.  He had a friend party with 7 other kids and it was a blast.  When we asked what he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted to have his friends come play and eat cake.  When it came time for DS2's 1st birthday, my friends (even those without kids) were excited to celebrate his birthday so we had a big party.  There were no games, no activities and everyone had a great time.  Everyone looks at and celebrates birthdays differently and that's ok.  

I didn't mean to imply that it was silly , just that its okay to skip all that for a smaller party if its going to be too stressful for whatever reasons. If you want to have a 2nd birthday party with friends, that's fine, but I don't think parents should feel obligated just because its the new norm. 

returnhomegnome

Our take on parties for younger kids is that the party is as much for us (parents) as for our children. We do not have any family in the area (all live 13+hrs away), but we have several families which we are quite close to with kids our kids ages. So it's really an excuse for us all to get together and hang out.

If I were up for hosting at home we'd probably just have a cook-out and balloons inside for the kids to chase. Food and friends for us, and the kids always have a blast just being kids together.

Otherwise, like I said, I'd just do cupcakes at a local playground. We live in a city so there are tons of outdoor playgrounds and lots of people do that. BUT I think it'll be way too cold to have 2-year-olds outside to play.