Fun Places to Have a Birthday Party - Birthday Party Venues

Mall Scavenger hunts are lots of fun for older kids, tweens and teens! Meet at the mall for the scavenger hunt then have dinner at one of the restaurants.

Arts and Crafts Studio - There are many arts and crafts places that will set up everything needed for a craft project (like making necklaces or picture frames) and clean up too!

Batting Cages - Let them hit a few rounds of balls each and cheer on the other guests. Take the party back home or to a park and play an improved game of baseball!

Peach/Berry Picking - Take your guests out to pick peaches, apples, blueberries, pumpkins or strawberries. There are lots of pick it yourself farms all over the country to choose from. Let them take home what they pick, or bring it back to the house and teach them how to make a pie with what they picked and eat it with ice cream!

Bowling - Bowling is still fun and the newer bowling alleys have made it exciting for the kids with lots of lights and music. Some have glow in the dark bowling where they turn out the lights and the pins and balls glow. They have bumper bowling for smaller children and electric scoring makes it easy for everyone to enjoy the game!

Build a Bear - Fun workshops let the guests build and design their own stuffed bear.

Ceramics - Guests will have fun painting their own ceramic piece. A pottery party is fun too where guests get to throw their own clay pots on a potter's wheel.

Day at the Spa - Many spas now have packages for older children.

Dodge Ball - There are many places that sponsor dodge ball tournaments and games. This is gaining popularity and some have kids night twice a month. Look for indoor gyms or YMCA's.

Fishing - It's not about catching the fish, it's about the experience! Take 3 - 4 guests on a fishing outing and they will remember it forever! Borrow or buy inexpensive rods so everyone can fish at the same time. Take them to a lake, pond or nearby pier and teach them to bait the hook and cast their lines. Remember the insect repellent and sunscreen and don't plan on doing a lot of fishing yourself!

Go Karts - Go Karts are fun for older children. Most cities have a mini speedway.

Gymnastics - This is a fun idea for children to try out all the fun gymnastic equipment and learn some new skills. Many gyms have party packages and even let you serve cake at the facility. Most will require that the parents sign a waiver before the party, so send it out with the invitation.

Hayride - Lots of fun for a fall birthday party! Some places will also let you pick pumpkins while you are out on the ride.

Horse Back Riding - This is a fun party and a lot of places have party packages that will include cake, balloons and decorations. Some even have a petting zoo that kids can do for free with the purchase of a party package.

Hotel Stay Shopping - Great for tweens or teens! Pick a large hotel next to or adjacent to a large mall. (Use bonus hotel points so the rooms are free). Give the girls, usually 2-3 plus the birthday girl, a little money each and let them shop the mall. Eat a birthday dinner at the mall if there is a nice restaurant and swim in the hotel pool afterward. You can also play mall scavenger hunt for extra fun!