Birthday - Fort Worth,TX

If you are from lubbock the caboose on 50th has a good deal for 5.99 you get invitations cake and tokens for their games for 8.99 you get the cake ice cream invitations and the kids meal and tokens.I have never tried it but we eat there all the time and the food is great and the games are too.good luck

We had my son's 4th at Northstar Gymnastics on 380 in McKinney. They did everything - all I had to provide was the kids and cake. And I thought the price was reasonable.

Good luck

J.

Hi S.,

You might try The Zone in McKinney at Custer Rd. and Virginia, Pkwy....depending on where you live. Kids that age love the bounce room. They have a party room and also serve great pizza. The price depends on what you want. Good luck.
C. B.

My son is now 11, but when he turned 4 he had a huge fascination with fireman/firetrucks. You can go to the local fire station and plan a time for you to take a tour. It is free as it is a public service. For his birthday we had everyone meet at the fire station, they took a tour and all the kids got to climb in the driver's seat of a fire truck and try on one of their suits. The fireman are usually very friendly and like to show off their place as this is your tax dollars at work. We then went to our house nearby and had cake/ice cream and presents there. The only downside is if the fireman have a "call" they will kick you out immediately and have to take off to respond to that
It was a big hit with the parents as well as the kids.

S. (mom of a 11 year old competitive athletic boy and a 7 year old girly gir)

If you live in FT. Worth , TX ... Glenveiw Baptist church has a three story treehouse inside the children's building. The parties are 2 hours with your party on the playscape for one hour, and then 45 minutes in ta party room for cake and presents. Call the church ###-###-#### or go to their website at glenveiw church.org

I would try Pump It Up. We did my oldest sons third birthday there and it was a hit. They take care of EVERYTHING for you. It was so EASY! All you have to do is bring yourself and the cake. The kids had a blast and so did the adults. Plus, no messy clean up for you! They even write down who gave what gifts. Have fun!

There is no better party than at the Fort Worth zoo! they bring in live animals and have a geat set-up. then your guests (up to 30 i think) get tickets to go to the zoo. it is around 250.00 for non-members and less for members. I don't think that is bad considering i paid 180.00 last time at Chuck E Cheese. Good luck!

Have you tried The Little Gym? They do everything for you from providing and mailing the invites, to organizing everything and cleaning up when you're done. :)

I liked having my son's birthday party at ASI. It can be geared toward his age. They have a bubble machine, a big foam pit, trampolines, etc.

alley cats in arlington, peter piper pizza

I just went to a party at KELLER POINTE and my kids loved it, by the way it's a water park. T.

I've taken my grandchildren to Pump it Up parties and they are loads of fun. The price seem not bad for what you get. It is in doors with inflatable slides, jumping, etc. Check into it.
A.

You might think about takeing him to a place called Pump it Up
they have a lot of different tampolines and they hold a lot of parties their. There is one in Arlington on Eden Rd.

The kid would enjoy it .

Good Luck
P.

What about the Jumping Party? It's full of inflatables and slides. We have alot of fun there.

I had my son's 4th birthday party at Grapevine Mills Mall at the Lunar Golf. It was only $3.00 per child for as many rounds of putt-putt as they wanted to play. It also included a glow necklace. They have tables for the party reserved for you. You bring your own pizza, cake, drinks, etc... I had the party on a weeknight from 6-8 and we were the only ones there. It was great!! Weeknights are good for parties. I look at it this way- we all need to eat dinner and play with our kids in the evening. Might as well go to a birthday party!!! Hope this helps.

I live in a small community and we rented the community center - which has a building and a really big empty park. My kids were turning 2 & 4 and I rented 2 of those blow up jumpers and also had bubbles and pinatas for them that we just hung in the trees - everyone had a blast - I thought they might get bored with the jumpers and thats why I planned other things to do but they never did! My kids birthdays are in September and I rented the building for $25 so that we could use the bathrooms and kitchen ( for ice and things) and we also had this really big building just in case in rained or got too cold! I spent a little more than having one at Chuck E Cheese - but it is for 2 kids instead of just one! Hope that helps!

We called the local fire station, and scheduled a tour (FREE) of the fire house. I bought little red fire hats at the dollar store and passed them out at the fire station, which really added to the birthday pictures. The children (2-6yrs old) thought it was great! It took about 30 minutes, and then they got a fire call which was very exciting (maybe that was staged?)
We went to nearby park and had finger foods, cake, etc.
No mess at home, virtually no expense, and a great treat for the little guys. (Mom's too)
A friend of mine did the same thing, in colder weather, but went home for the food.

Well, compared to some things, this may not sound very elaborate, but my son's 4th birthday party was at the park. It was BYOB...Bring Your Own BIKE! He talks about it now, and that was last September. We just had cake and drinks, but you could have hot dogs or burgers. The kids had fun. There really wasn't much clean-up afterwards, and it was pretty much FREE! You wouldn't have to limit your numbers of guests. The only thing to worry about is rain!

Peter Piper Pizza is a good one, its cleaner than Chuck E. Cheese. Also, you could have it at an indoor pool (we live in Plano and they have public pools) or at a park. Hope that helps!

There is this place in Lewisville called Bonkers, it is fairly new. It is in the parking lot where Vista Ridge mall is and is very resonably priced. I do not know if you remember when discovery zone was around but it is like that. It has a place where the kids can play, eat and even play games.

S.,
I had my daughter's party at Bouncin' Bonanza in Crowley. It was GREAT!!! We bounced first, then went into our party room. They have 13 different bounce houses that we were just able to run wild in. They have an Alligator obstacle course, a long obstacle course, one that has an octopus on it and many more. Prices were good and my kids just loved it! They got the party room available in some of the exact colors of my cake. The hostess served the children and adults pizza, cake and drinks. They even took my child's gifts to the car. I didn't have to do anything. I am definitely having her party again this year. Her school friends love it also and have parties there too!!!

Seems like birthday parties are getting more elaberate every day, and at four sometimes a bunch of party games that they haven't got to experience with a bunch of friends is a lot of fun for a four year old, in a park or if you have a big back yard. Start too big too soon, and you may run out of party places when he gets older and would be more impressed by then.

Don't know where you live but for a 4 yr. old b-day party, Clubhouse 4 Kids off of Central Dr. in Bedford is great. My kids love the rooms and treehouse but the rock climbing wall is their favorite.

How about build a bear - that was a fun place for my son, but he was turing three. It may be a little young, but we had kids there ranging from age 2-9 and they all had a blast. It was $10 per child with no minimum. Thats been two years ago, so hopefully not much has changed.
SPerry

If your son is into Fire Trucks and who's isn't then call your local fire department. Frisco offers to hold b-day parties in the station and the kids get to meet the firemen and see the truck. Of course if they have a call they have to leave but otherwise it's a good option.

Not sure how you budget is?
I do a petting zoo and pony ride business
Your son is the perfect age for this!
Cost is $150 per hour for petting zoo
$150 per hour for pony ride.. hand led
OR $250 for both. IF your close to my
area Red Oak. would give you $25 discount.
IF...you dont want it at home and are close
to waxahachie area.. you could take the kids
to FLying G Horse ranch and do a pony party
there. Cost is $160 for up to 6 kids.. $10 for
each addiditional rider. and have a picnic
area to do the food thing.
Kangaroo kate
T.
If you want more info contact me
kangaroo ____@____.com

Hi!
You might try Googly Eyes! It's a wonderful new craft store in Irving, over by the "old" Sack n'Save, now the Carnival store off of 183 and MacArthur.

They have a wide variety of crafts and lessons.
Check them out!

S. B

There is a place in Crowley called the Bounce House - it has lots of bounce things, all indoors. I haven't been there but know lots of moms who have and they all agree their children had lots of fun (plus adults can bounce too).

We recently went to a birthday party for a four year old at a bounce house place. I know there is one in McKinney & we went to the one in Prosper.

These are just some suggestions. We have close to us: the zoo w/ outside covering, the park, the playground at school, a skating place, gymnastics sports center, & putt-putt golf. I think McDonalds still does parties too. Have a good day.

I know this may sound a little "cheesy" but we had a b'day party for my daughter when she turned 4 at a McDonalds that had a huge play area. It was very inexpensive and we had several guests plus siblings. I think it was $60 or something close. This included Happy Meals for all the kids, ice cream, a b'day cake and a melamine b'day plate. She loved it and so did her friends. I did another party a different McDonalds for her sister when she turned 2 but it had a much smaller play area and though the kids had fun anyway, it was a little cramped. Hope this helps a little. :), R.

My son just turned 3 this weekend and we went to Going Bonkers in Lewisville. It's right by the Vista Ridge Mall. Parties there are $8 or $9 per child. We just did the general admition for our party. Which is: under 1 is free, children are $5, and adults are $1. If you do this you can bring in a cake but you have to supply your own cups, plates, and forks. The kids had a great time. Here's the website: http://www.goingbonkers.com/

it is not too early to research it at all..especially if you have a specific place in mind...if you have a small party four yr olds are easy to entertain in your home because on the invites you say one adult must attend and you can all to a craft..very cheap..and if you want something besides chuck's then you can try little gym..they are great! there is one in rowlett...my kid goes to school with the owner and they are neat!!
____@____.com

I recommend Inflatable Insanity on Greenville ave just north of Legacy. (www.inflatableinsanity.com). It will probably run around $150 but you can have up to 25 kids at that price. We had my son's 3rd and 4th birthday there and it was a huge hit. The room has 3 different types of bounce houses in it and the nice thing is that your party is the only one there at the time. You don't share the space with several other parties so keeping track of the kids is pretty easy. They get to jump for an hour and then there is a seperate party room that can be used for cake and ice cream or pizza. Inflatable will supply juice boxes and paper products as well. I think age 4 is a perfect age for this type of party.
Good luck.

If you are looking for inexpensive, why not find a local park with a pavilion...rent a bounce house, order pizza, and have cake and ice cream...a friend of mine has done this for her son's birthdays, and they are a blast...

I had my Granddaughters 4 year old party at Incredible Pizza in Euless. It almost reminded me of an Indoor six flags. There were alot of things for all ages. My son's and husband really enjoyed the indoor track where they could ride the cars. And they have an all you can eat buffet, desserts, and drinks. Check it out!

We went to a "Jumping Party" this past weekend that my 2 year old and 4 year old really enjoyed. I think that it was $225 for 25 kids. All you bring is the cake - they provide everything else once you tell them the theme you would like. They even had someone to cut and hand out cake and keep a list of all gifts. The mom had to do basically nothing! The one we went to is in Granbury on Bob White Rd. Hope this helps.

What about the local park? As a mother of 3 (9,6,4) I find that its one of the cheapest ways to go. The kids are able to play and they are still able to help with the decorating, you can plan fun outside games, a pinata and depending on the weather: water balloons! I've done a little of all the above with my kids and their birtdays are in October, September and July. And the Cupcake Cakes are the way to go, that way each child get the same size piece of cake!! You just have to watch out for the red and blue icing- they stain.

Try the Lil Gym or Alley Cats

Planet Pizza in Plano, The Zone in Mckinney, ASI, Metroplex Gymnastics, Build a Bear, Slappys at the Galleria, Pump it Up in Frisco and Animal House Parties in Mckinney. Hope this helps give you some ideas. They are all fun!!

I had a friend that had a party at a local skating rink. It was a blast and she rented by the hour and did not have to pay by the person like you would at most places.

We have been to 2 really great parties at the miniture train by the FW zoo. If you start at the half way point and have a picnic/party then you get on the train and pay when you get to the station and then ride back to the cars.

mcdonalds actually puts on pretty good small children birthday party's. One of the Mcdonalds in our area(I believe it is in Lewisville) actually had a caboose they used for party's. They have a party host that helps with the games and kids, and has party favors for the guest. It is not nearly as expensive as chuck e cheese.

Depending on where you live, there is a place in Keller called "Lets Jump", we took my 2 year old son to an 8 year olds party there and he had a blast. You get 45 minuts of jump time in one big room, then move to the 2nd room for 45 minuts more, then another room for cake. It costs more to add the food and you can not bring any in except for cake and Ice Cream. It has big infaleable mazes and obsticle courses and a huge slide. We had to help my son, but it was still fun. They charge by the kid but the adults "jump" free. and it is fun for adults too. If you do not live near Keller, you might look in your area for something similar.

The Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is really awesome... We paid $399 for 2 adults and 2 children to stay 1 night in family suite. The kids had their own room with a set of bunkbeds designed to look like it was a tree. There were 2 televisions in the suite one 27" in our room and a flat screen 17" in the kids' room. I actually got to watch something on the tv that wasn't animated!! Included in the package were passes to their 80,000 square feet indoor waterpark. The kids had a ball and I got to relax and enjoy the wave pool. It was a great investment and I know that my son will always remember his 9th birthday.

Some of the indoor inflatable playgrounds (Pump It Up, etc.) have great rates. Another idea is to have a "beach theme" party in your back yard, with kiddie pools and beach balls, etc. Have fun!

Gymnastics centers are great. Well organized and they keep the children busy. Also, I went to a party at Kids and Art in Frisco. It was a blast for the kids. They each took home their own canvas painting. It was well organized and they would not let the parents lift a finger. My four year old had a great time.

S.,
My daughter and I own a place in Crowley called Bouncin Bonanza. We are located in about 15,000 square feet, an old Eckerds building, and we have about 13 bouncies to play in. We have an obstacle course, an alligater, jousting ring, slides and many more...We are a great place to have birthday parties. We also have times for "open bounce" so you can come in and play and check us out...You can visit us on the web at www.bouncinbonanza.net or you can email us at
____@____.com We hope to hear from you.
M.

S. I just had my daughter (3) and son's (4) at Nickleroma. They charge $2 per person to reserve a table for 2 hours. And the great part is you bring in your own food and drinks. We had 25 people that cost $50.00 we spent another $40.00 on pizza and another $15.00 on drinks. Then we took $40.00 for nickles for the kids. Since all the games cost a nickle it was well over enough for everyone to have a great time. So for just over $150.00 we had a party for two kids. As I was checking around everyone thing else cost between $250.00 and $300.00.

There is a place called Little Gym that sends out invitations, has a cake, food, and basically it is a huge gym with tons of toys, and activities for them to do. I believe it was around $200 for everything included and 90 minutes total.

We did my son's party at one of those Bounce house facilities and it was a big hit. The kids at all ages enjoyed it tremendously

The Dallas Flight Museum near Love Field is a great place to have a party. The kids can run around and check out the planes on display, play in an indoor bounce house and play area. I think it was around $150 for a 2 hr rental + die cast plane giveaways, plates, cups, utensils and setup/cleanup. Love the fire station idea.....might have to do that this year....

ASI (Gym for children)in Rockwall or Firewheel

There is a relatively new place called Hero's over on Morse and Mayhill in Denton. It is the best place for a child his age. The website is www.herosdenton.com and the phone number is ###-###-####. The best way to see the place is on a Sat. when there are kids running around having fun. Good luck!

S.,
i dont know where you live but there is a place in plano, i believe its called "pump it up" or something like that. its an indoor bounce house. they have birthday parties there all the time. the kiddos love it and the adults love it too. the kids get to really romp and play all in a save invorment. the set up is nice and the cost ( as i recall ) is reasonable. its unique and kids love it! Hope that helps.

~ A.

In my experience, pre-school birthday parties have gotten way over the top. In the past several months, my kids have been invited to Pump It Up, Main Event, Win Kids and others that I can't remember. It seems each parent tried to top the other. The last party at PIU was for boy/girl twins, but I think they had face painting, balloon animals and over 40 kids plus accompanying parents. It was so incredibly chaotic. I don't think my son got to see the birthday kids at all. The best parties are the ones with just a few playmates, so the kids can really enjoy themselves. Honestly it looks like the parties are meant to impress the parents rather than keep the focus on celebrating the birthday.

Here's a couple of low cost ideas:

One parent from out pre-school invited the kids for play in the park, had pizza delivered and brought drinks and cupcakes. It was all done last minute, the playtime was already scheduled. All she did was "reply to all" on the email list saying that they would be bringing the party to the playground. She even specified no gifts. A couple of kids that knew the birthday child brought gifts, but they were not opened at the park. My kids loved it.

I just received an invitation from a friend whose son turns 4 in March. Her son's really into Cars (the movie). She used a regular Cars invitation, but on the top she printed out this information:
On Your Mark, Get Set... RACE!

J***** is really into racing and "Lightning McQueen" right now, so we'd like to invite you to the Rosemeade Cup! Start your engines... We'll set up the track if you can bring your drivers! And if you happen to have a motorized kids car (Hummer, Jeep, truck, etc) that you don't mind sharing for the party, bring it charged up and ready to go. Look out Moms & Dads --- it's goint ot be a glimpse of our future - 12 years from now!

See you at the Rosemeade Cup!

They live near Rosemeade in Carrollton, hence the name of the race. We haven't gone yet, but I think this is a great idea, so creative. The party will be at a park, taking the pressure off of having it at home, no cleanliness and seating issues. Plus the Dads can get involved helping the kids race. Plan for a time between meals (this party is 3-4:30), just provide drinks, cake, papergoods and you're set. You can probably get away with less than $100 and a really memorable party.

The last idea is to have an old fashioned party in the back yard or park, the kind we used to have in the early 80's. Invite a small number of friends and family. Have it at home and have games like pop as many balloons as you can in 1 minute (pre-fill balloons, store in large garbage bag, kids sit on the balloons to pop them), pin the tail on the donkey, and musical chairs. Think pre-school, nothing too involed or competitive. Plan for after lunch, before dinner so you don't have to feed a crowd. Just serve juice boxes, cake and ice cream. Keep the theme really nostalgic and I think the parents will really appreciate something that reminds them of their own childhood.

Good luck in September!
K. C.

What about a park shelter? There is a park in Allen near Bethany & Allen Heights. They have a nice play ground area & a picnic shelter. You could have a picnic with sandwiches & chips, have pizza delivered, or grill hot dogs. Maybe the dads could help the boys fish in the pond? (I think adults do need fishing licenses for that though...) Play games like Duck, Duck, Goose, Red Rover, Tag, etc. You can rent the picnic shelters-- not sure of the cost. Have fun & good luck!
A.

I would totally recommend TJ Harfords which is a restaurant on 35 in Lewisville. It has a game room with 5 cent games and then you can bring your own cake and order food for the kids off the kid menu which is less than $5 and comes with a coupon for the ice cream machine which is in the gameroom.

As a mother of 3 (18, 12, 11) I've had a lot of experience with birthday parties, from Chuck E Cheese, to indoor playlands, skate parties, bowling parties, swimming parties at public pools, you name it... What I have found from my children is what they truly enjoy the most are HOME parties, inviting all their friends and family. Decorate the house, have your son help you bake and decorate a cake (I know he's only 4, but they really like helping to make this). Have the kids play Rover or relay races, pin the tail on the donkey, have a Piñata, cook hotdogs, hamburgers or grill. The children really prefer this over being rushed at an establishment. As they get older, you can take them to the movies, toilet paper houses, have sleep-overs. I ask my kids each year what they want for their birthday and every year they tell me they want it at home. Another idea for serving food would be to have the kids make their own individual pizza's. They really get a kick out of it! Remember one thing, each year you're child is going to consistently want a bigger and better party until they get a little older. Listen to what your child likes, but keep the expectations to realism. Otherwise, birthday parties can get really expensive!!! Good luck!

My daughter has 2 baby girls ages 2 and 3 both their birthdays are in january so we combined their birthday party at Mac Donalds. The cost was $60.00 for 10 kids. All kids got a happy meal. Macdonalds provided a party person and they played games, got a toy and a balloon.Then had play time in the play area. It was a wonderful birthday party.Good luck.

I have three children and the best cheapest party we had was an indian party. I went to walmart bought face paints, those cheap bow and arrow with the suction cups on the end. Bought some cheap bandanas, and a bag of long feathers. We did this in our yard but you could do this at the park. Along with creating little indians, these little indians were going to on a scavenger hunt. Mom you create hints or clues and hide them where they have to look to find the next clue, until it leads them to their prey, and for us we hid a large bag of candy up in a tree. These little indians had to use their bow and arrows to shoot down the bag of candy. Paint each ones face and give them all brand new indian names, that they must go by the entire party. The birthday boy is the only one that gets the name cheif and whatever else you choose to go along with that, and he should be the only one to lead his indian party. Make head bands with the bandanas and one feather in the back of the head. If you feel comfortable and if it is allowed where you live make a small bonfire for them to dance around so they can make indian sqawks. We got a cake in the shape of some kind of mystic animal and we looked up indian stories that pertained to that aminal and what the indians believed about these creatures, so before we cut into the cake we thad the kids sit indian style while you read or tell the story to your new little tribe. Then they can come get cake and sing happy birthday, if thats what you want to do, but by this time its not going to matter to him, he'll be completely amazed by all that has happened. It was so cheap but it was the very best party we ever threw. You wont have to buy party favors, cause these kids can take home all their indian stuff and they will be exstactic at that alone. It was the best party we've ever had or been to. Its all about imagination so nothing could be better than that for a child. He'll think you are the best mom in the world, and plus the adults will have a blast too.

The Wiggly Play Center in Frisco on Preston is great! It is a wiggles theme play area--we loved it for our son's 5th b-day.

I agree with the local park idea. We have always had our daughter's party at the park. The kids have a great time and it is inexpensive.We made hot dogs and cupcakes and turned the kids loose on the playground. I don't have to worry about having enough space or enough planned to do. Last year, I did a couple of party games. At this age all the kids want to do is play together anyway.

Paint 'n Play if he is an artsy boy. There is a gymnastics, Infinite Bounds, place at the NE corner of Spring Creek and Independence. It's a very good place to have a party, they have structure for the party, do lots of playing on the gym stuff and have a good sized room to serve cake. -Nita

We just had owr twins' b-day at Pump It Up in Frisco.

It was a total success!

We didn't have to share the bounce houses with older kids, the staff did the set up and clean up. I was able to just be with the children and have fun! They even made arrangements for the pizza, balloons, placeware and a festive party room. They sent us party invitations as well. A great package!

If you have the party during the week, it costs much less than a Sat/Sun. You are also allowed to bring drinks and your own cake.

Good luck!

We have created Outdoor Adventure Parties - www.AdventureTeamKids.com - that have become very popular in the area. Those that have chosen to have parties with us have said they are unique, different, and a great change to the norm. We charge $225 for up to 10 and create a party around your child's interests - we have treasure hunts, obstacle courses, archery, geocaching, outdoor games, and more. Feel free to check out our site and call me if you have any questions. We work with all ages - young and old :-)

I have been to several parties at The Little Gym and I think it is wonderful. My sister in law has her sons parties there and we both get our cakes from Target, they have cupcake cakes and they are delish. But, The Little Gym keeps things going, sets the pace and you can just breathe. It is great.

Hi S. -
I work for the Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas and our group does birthday parties. I am not trying to sell, just trying to inform you about it. We have a really great area in the museum that has just been completely updated for the kids under 7 with a lot of hands on activities. If you are interested at all, take a look at www.natureandscience.org.

Thanks -

L. B

Hurst Skateland has birthday parties for 40 dollars. They are held on Saturday when the place is not open to the public. I took my children there for a birthday party two weeks ago and the were two parties going on at the same time. No crowds to worry about and the snack bar is open.

Not sure where you live, but there is a place in Grapevine called Paradise Pond. It's a big indoor play area with bouncehouse, mini climbing wall for toddlers, dress up area, huge slide and play structure like at a Chik Fil A (only larger) and other fun stuff for the kids. The fee is $150 for 1 party room and 1 hostess. I think you have to provide snacks, cake etc. Their web site is www.vinekids.com and the phone number is ###-###-#### ext. 247. Have Fun!

Hi S.,

There's a place in Frisco called The Wiggles. I know it has different play areas for different age groups from infants to bigger kids. I have never been there, but just heard about it from a friend this past weekend who has a 3 year old and a 6 year old. They had a blast!!! Also, there'a place in Coppell on Beltline Road that I can't remember the name of. It has all those gigantic blow-up type toys that kids love to play on. Also, check on dfweverythingfamily.com, they have lots of information for things like this.

Kristi

Planet Pizza on Parker and Custer in Plano is great for that age!

S.,

I'm not sure where you live, but when my son was that age we had his party at the local firestation. It was awesome, and free! Frisco does not charge residents (or at least they didn't) but you need to call right now as they do (did) book up fast. The next year my son had his party at Rick's Kick's Martial Arts - another awesome and not too pricey one. If your not in Frisco try calling some of the martial arts centers near you! Good luck and have fun!

Putt-Putt is fun and priced deservingly.

Try My Gym in Colleyville, Pump it Up in Grapevine, Gymboree in Soutlake, Emler Swim School in Colleyville. These were all great parties when my son was younger. Not sure where you are located. However, you are going to be hard pressed to find anything for a party under $200 in this area. You may be better off having it on your house and just inviting a few friends and renting a bounce house or something. Best of Luck!

I have had my daughter's birthday party at Pump It Up (North Dallas location) for the past 2 years. She turned 4 in december and absolutely LOVES the bounce house party! And it seems that the bounce house thing is a good choice at this age as we are attending 3 of them in the next several weeks!

The Dallas Child website dallaschild.com has GREAT ideas. There is a section on the homepage called "The Source" that links to names of b-day party places.

One place I heard about is Natales Restaurant. They do a pizza-making party that is really cute. There are TONS of choices of other types of parties for all ages on there though.

Hi, I know you don't want Chuck E. Cheese but have you heard of Peter Piper Pizza? I have three kids and they love that place. My little girl who is turning 4 wants to go there...it has pretty decent pizza and coupons online. They do all of it for you, the table cloth, hats, balloons, tokens and server. Also, for a little extra they will provide the gift bag at the end for each kid with an additional 100 tickets towards the prize. $10 per kid for drinks and pizza and the gift bag...you bring your cake and they will serve it for you.

Also, Little Gym has a good deal check out there website, I think it's about $250 for 15 kids...but no food.

My friend had her son's 4th at the local firestation in Frisco. That was very educational and fun for the kids. They were able to go inside the fire truck and they have cake in the station. They each got a fire hat!
Hope this is helpful!

When I lived in Michigan last month we did Pump It Up for my son's 4th birthday party. It was AWESOME. The kids LOVED every minute of it and adults can get in the bounce things with them. After bouncing, they let you have a room for 45 minutes to do pizza and cake and they setup everything. They serve the food, setup all the party favors and clean up. Everyone told me what a great time they had and I didn't have to lift a finger. It was really nice. It wasn't that cheap to have it on a Saturday (about $400) but it accommodated about 25 kids and their parents which was a lot of people! That cost was for pizza, goody bags and rental of the rooms for the time.

I know there is pump it up's nearby here. You may want to check it out as an option if you want something that is organized well and doesn't need a lot of effort on your part (which is always good to me!).

Jumping Party is a great place. www.jumpingparty.com
It is a great place for parties. My 2 year old has been to two and he never wants to leave. They have several in the metroplex, we have been to the one in Granbury. The prices very by location, but they include the decorations and more. I am thinking about having his 3rd bday there. Plus, the parents get to jump and slide too, so we all have a great time.

Hey S.,
If you're anywhere close to Frisco, try Pump It Up. A huge room full of the bounce house "stuff". A giant slide, an obsticle course, a football field/basketball court, and of course - THE BOUNCE HOUSE!! Its loads of fun for the kids AND the adults. We had my niece's third birthday there last year and I know I had at least as much fun as she did. The staff takes care of the set up of the party room while your little ones play, and then they take care of the clean up. My sister-in-law said it was reasonably priced - especially for the load it takes off of mom and dad. There is a similar place in Plano - I think its called Jump Town or something like that. Good luck. Also, think about bumper bowling.

I hope you don't take this wrong but . . keep a perspective! For starters, this is a 4 year old. Think about what you are trying to teach the child. Do you want him to think every Birthday is suppose to be a big bash where people owe him gifts or do you want him to know he is special and loved and that is what makes the day special? Do you want to start teaching him early to keep up with the Jones'and that Birthday parties are the perfect time to select a best friend based on who gives you the best gift? A 4 year old really does not need some huge affair with a bunch of people. Have a smaller gathering at home or at Grandma's of those people who are truely invested in your child and will be there and love him for his whole life. Keep the gifts to a minimum but make them special. There will be plenty of time for other parties with grade school friends. Also, big bashes and parties like Chuck-e Cheese really just overstimulate the child as well as other children involved and often end in the honoree either acting like a complete brat and getting in trouble. The Adults involved are generly polite but can not wait to get it over.

S., A few years ago we had a birthday party for my son at Grisham Farms www.grishamfarms.org/ in McKinney. The kids really loved it and they did a great job of putting it together. It wasn't really expensive and was fun and educational for a small group of kids. This year we did the Plano Super Bowl and it too was great fun and pretty affordable. All the kids (8) got to bowl, then enjoy pizza and I only had to provide the cake and party favors. Hope that helps. B. Burt

I had both of my boys' birthday at the fire station when they turned 4. One is about to be 7 and my other son is 4 1/2. We live in a small town (Krum, TX) so it is acutually free to have a birthday party there but they do ask for donation to their fire fighters association. It was really awesome the firemen gave them a tour of the fire station, let the kids play on ther fire truck and explore the ambulance. In their community room we had cake and opened presents. I also had the kids dress in the fireman's coat, boots, and hat and took polaroid (I know old fashion but my mother-in-law has a polaroid camera) and the kids decorated the card to put the picture in and that was their party favor. The firemen also prepared items for the kids to take home - like coloring books about calling 911, stickers, pencil, etc. For my oldest son, I ordered firemen hats from US Toys but I didn't have enough foresight with my younger son. Anyway I highly recommend checking into your fire department - it was an awesome birthday party. All parents raved about how much fun their kids had and it was educational also. I have also done parties at the park and gymnastics place in Krum. Another great place we had my son's 3rd birthday was at the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainsville. The cost was $6.50 per child and that included cake, ice cream, drink, prize and admissioon into the zoo (which is $2). I think the maximun is something like 12-14 kids. My younger son is an animal lover so he loved it. I can understand not wanting the party at your house. I am the same way. We're planning at my oldest son's 7th birthday party at a local church (First Baptist in Denton) that has a gym with a bounce house and slide and a party room for cake and presents. We are not members of this church and able to use for a little bit more than a member could. Something like that may be another option.

We had my son's 3rd birthday at The Zone in McKinney, and he loved it so much he wants to do it again for his 4th in October! It has a HUGE room with bounce houses and an obstacle course, an arcade where you get tickets for prizes (a la Chuck E. Cheese) and you will get a private room for the party. The staff takes care of almost everything and while it is not super cheap it is pretty reasonably priced.

We loved it a lot so I just wanted to share that with you!

Good luck planning the party!

C.

Hi S.!

Infinite Bounds Gymnastics Center in Plano has been a hit for us 2 years in a row. The staff is friendly, organized and the kids have a great time.

Good Luck to you!

L.

I've heard of the fire department letting you have a party at the station or at least coming by to check out a fire engine. You might check with your local station. Could be free! Can't get much cheaper than that!

Another idea: a petting/wildlife zoo.