Summertime birthdays seem like a breeze to plan. Just bring the kids to the park, fire up the grill and let the good times roll. But in Oregon, summer is a short affair, which can leave parents of kids with birthdays the other 10 months of the year scrambling for a space to throw a great party. The good news is there are plenty of options for those kiddos who have outgrown the whole birthday party at home deal. Got kids who need to move? There’s a place for that. Got party-goers of various ages? There’s a place for that. Got kids who like to jam? Well, there’s a place for that, too.
Sellwood Community Center
If hosting a crowd of wiggly youngsters in your home gives you the willies, consider booking a birthday party at the Sellwood Community Center’s mat room. Ideal for the preschool set, the mat room is padded with gymnastics-worthy mats and stocked with exercise balls for kids who like to roll. You also can rent the adjacent kitchen, which has table and chairs, when it’s time to cut the cake. Individual rooms are available for rent, but you’re better off taking advantage of their birthday party packages for kids ages 5 and under, which gets you two hours in the gym or in the mat room with access to a whole bunch of toys for your little partygoers to play with.
Sellwood Community Center
1436 SE Spokane Street
Sellwood
503-823-3195
SCRAP Portland
Word on this street is this center, that reuses materials to make art, is a hit with the next generation. SCRAP hosts birthday parties for children 6 and up and includes projects lead by the staff. The staff will decorate for the party, too, and parents can opt to add on cupcakes, party hats and just about anything else needed for a great birthday. Their Basic party for 10 children costs $100. The Works party includes face painting, goody bags, face painting and party hats for $175.
SCRAP Portland
2915 NE MLK Jr. Boulevard
Portland
503-294-0769
Portland Children’s Museum
Some kids like to run and play, others like to sit still and tinker. If the guest list is long and includes a wide range of interests and ages, a birthday party at the Portland Children’s Museum might be a great fit. There’s a theater with dress-up clothes for the little drama queens and kings in the group, a clay studio for budding artists and the water play room for anyone who feels like splashing around. That’s just a few of the exhibits at the museum, which also includes a closed-in space especially for little ones under 3. Party packages come with a 90-minute room rental for opening presents and birthday cake. The Basic Blast party package includes admission for 33 guests (15 kids, the rest adults) costs $160 for members, $200 for non-members.
Portland Children’s Museum
4015 SW Canyon Road
Portland
503-223-6500
Sherwood Ice Arena
It is winter after all, so consider embracing the wintery cold with a party at the Sherwood Ice Arena. Party packages include admission to the skate rink, a short lesson, skate rental, party decorations and cake and drinks, as well as a gift for the guest of honor. The Bronze package includes admission for 9 guests plus the birthday host for $150. The Silver package also includes pizza for $180. The Gold package admits 19 guests plus the party host and one-hour rental of the party room for $265.
Sherwood Ice Arena
20407 SW Borchers Drive
Sherwood
503-625-5757
Mimosa Studios
Winner of The 2011 Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Award for best birthday party venue in Portland, Mimosa Studios invites you to experience life in color, with novel and fun design ideas in a cozy atmosphere. The studio offers over 200 pottery and painting options, with coupons and discounts offered daily. Their 1.5 parties are usually divided up into an hour of painting and 30 minutes of gifts and partying with the birthday boy or girl. Their $12 birthday party packages let your partygoers paint a small figurine of their choice; their $18 packages let them paint a large figurine of their choice. And do they have choices! They’ve got got snakes, bears, cats, dogs, ballerinas, cars, butterflies, monkeys, penguins, dinosaurs, and more.
Mimosa Studios
1718 NE Alberta Street
Portland
503-288-0770
What is your go-to spot for throwing an awesome winter birthday for your kiddo? Are any of these venues on your list?
—Tamara Miller
Photo credit: Tamara Miller (photo is of a Sound Roots Rookie Rock Show)