Why Take Your Child’s Birthday Party Out of the Home?

Kids really do grow up fast, which means it’s time to prepare another birthday celebration. Send out the invitations, decide on a theme, clean and decorate the house, buy all the food, plan hours of fun activities, keep 10–20 excited kids happy, and clean up everything afterwards. No big deal.

Everybody knows that throwing a kid’s party isn’t easy. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. It can be messy, loud, stressful, and chaotic. You try your best to make sure everything goes smoothly; after all, as TV likes to point out, kids remember birthday parties gone wrong for the rest of their lives. So don’t blow it.

If the pressure of hosting an amazing kid’s birthday party is too much for you (and who can blame you?) why not try moving the party somewhere else. There are tons of great kids party places in Toronto and there are also tons of benefits to taking the party out of your house. We asked a few local birthday party experts to help us come up with the following list of reasons why taking your child’s party out of the home might be the right choice for you:

Less mess, more space

Everyone agreed that taking the party out of the house means less mess and more space for fun. As Michael from Right Choice pointed out, those are the first two reasons why you should take the party elsewhere. Taking the party out of the house “leaves less cleanup after the party, and allows you to have more space and parking for your guests,” he said.

Just because you have kids, doesn’t mean you have an entire birthday party worth of play space inside your house, and even if you do, you might not be keen to clean it up after a group of kids has demolished it.

Alysha from Mad Science added that taking the party out of the house means, “No muss, no fuss! Your home might not have space to accommodate all the guests you wish to invite, or you’re worried about the clean up afterwards.” Either way, taking the party out of the house fixes both those problems.

Mitch from Everblast summed it up quite nicely, “A lot of families we work with choose to take the party away from their homes because they don’t have enough space at home to host all the kids and have room for activities. Other families just prefer to take the mess and hassle away from home so that the parents can relax and enjoy the party as much as the kids are enjoying the special day!”

More time for fun

Mitch brings up another important reason why taking the party outside of the house is a good idea: it means you might actually get to enjoy the party. Parents often end up pulling their hair out from the stress of managing a kid’s party, which means they don’t actually get to have fun with their kids. If you take the party to a venue, you’ll have less work and therefore, more time for fun.

Jelena from Fairytale Land said, “Parents nowadays with hectic lifestyles prefer structured parties. Nothing nicer than to just show up with your camera and enjoy your child’s party with your family and friends without thinking about any party logistics.”

There is less work for you to do because you have hired somebody else to do it for you. Alysha (from Mad Science) said, “Having your party at an alternate location saves you from having to worry about those details, and they often provide additional facilities that will aid your party.”

Alison from Sky Zone added, “Event teams take care of the details, planning and hosting of the best birthday ever. This allows parents the time to enjoy this special day with family.” Having somebody else take care of the details is a great way to make sure everyone (including you) has a fun, stress free party. It also leads to the next reason why parties outside the home are a great idea: a jam-packed schedule.

No idle time

When it comes to kids, free time can lead to trouble. The best way to ensure the kid’s don’t fight with each other, or end up with their fingers in the birthday cake, is to keep them busy. As Courtney from Hockey Hall of Fame said, “Throwing your child’s birthday party at an attraction is a great way to keep everyone entertained!”

Venues that host birthday parties are prepared, they know what they’re doing, and they know how to keep the kids (and your adult guests) busy and entertained. Kristina from Avenue Road Arts explained, “Having an experienced artist/educator create a memorable party for your child and his/her friends can take the pressure off. Program providers design activities that are both fun and age appropriate, which ensures that the birthday child and guests are participating, engaged, and learning.”

Removes any home field (dis)advantages

Kids behave differently when you take them out. Without the comforts of home, they are forced to try new things. Donna from Beach Blast said, “Hosting your child’s birthday party out of the home is a great idea as it generally involves more communication, patience, and cooperation from all the kids.” It’s not just your child that will be on their best behavior, but the other kids at the party will also respond to their new surroundings.

“Often,” Donna continued, “the birthday girl or boy has ‘home field’ advantage, and can slip into the comforts of home – like throwing a tantrum when they don’t get their way. The beauty of taking the party out is that all the kids are in unfamiliar territory, and explore, discover, and play as a team, having only the comforts of each other, and not the home turf!”

So basically, taking the party out of the house means less mess, less stress, non-stop entertainment, better behavior, and more time for fun. Of course, there are two sides to every coin: Check out Why bring party entertainment to your house for your child’s birthday? to see the reasons why staying home can be just as fun.