If you have a child, you’ve surely been to the same party a dozen times. Go to the celebrant’s house, a bowling alley, an arcade or a movie theater. Year in and year out, the same scene plays out, leaving kids and parents alike wanting something fresh. If you and your child want something different this year, why not check out one of these 12 unique types of venues?
Explore Beneath the Waves at the Aquarium
The mysteries of the ocean are at the fingertips of each child who comes to a birthday party at the Glen Echo Park Aquarium (Glen Echo, Md.), with guided interactive tours, opportunities for craft making and a chance to see a shark fed live.
Play Mini-Golf by Blacklight
An indoor mini-golf course with spooky theming and striking blacklights, Monster Mini Golf (Gaithersburg, Md. and Chantilly, Va.) also has an arcade for guests to enjoy.
Visit the Children’s Museum
Young children will delight in a party at the National Children’s Museum (Washington, DC), as it’s a space made for kids to explore STEM and the arts in interactive ways. Kiddos with all interests will be able to find something that piques their curiosity.
Learn Parkour in a Safe Environment
Parkour is still having a moment. The movement play gym Scramble (Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church, Va.) has play structures designed to be, as the name suggests, scrambled all over, giving budding acrobats a place to show off their skills without crashing into concrete.
Feel All Grown Up in a Kid City
A party at a kid city like Little Towns Children’s Museum (N. Bethesda, Md.) lets children celebrate getting older by exploring a facility built for simulating life as an adult in a fun, safe way.
See a Live Theatrical Performance
Movie parties are done to death, but live theater is another thing all together. Celebrating a birthday by seeing a show somewhere like Adventure Theatre (Glen Echo, Md.) supports the local arts and exposes the whole party to a form of entertainment that can’t be had anywhere else.
Take to the Skies with Indoor Skydiving
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Humanity has yet to master self-propelled flight, but the closest we can get right now is with indoor skydiving at locations like iFLY (Ashburn, Va. and Gaithersburg, Md.).
Hold a Gaming Tournament
Game shops and game trucks are tween- and teen-friendly birthday party options sure to be hits. Bring the venue to you with the mobile game theaters from Next Level Gaming (serving the entire DMV), transporting guests to a video game wonderland.
Make a Puppet and Bring it to Life
Puppetry is something everyone has tried, even if it was just with hands and shadows. Parties at the The Puppet Co. (Glen Echo. Md.), for example, let you both see a show and learn how to make and move puppets of your own.
Crack the Puzzle of an Escape Room
A party both older kids and chaperones can enjoy, collaborative puzzle solving on a strict time limit is the name of the game here. There are many escape rooms in the DC area, including Bond’s Escape Room (Fairfax and Arlington, Va.), Escapology (National Harbor., Md.) and Escape the Room (Washington, DC)
Build at the Birthday Party
Building things holds appeal for kids of all ages, so check out places that offer this type of fun STEM opportunity, from play centers to science centers. At a National Building Museum (Washington, DC) party, children can explore and build trains, castles and even books, using LEGO and Duplo bricks and many more materials.
Enter the World of VR
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You can only ask guests to travel so far for a party, but with virtual reality at places like VR Zone and VR Arena (Rockville, Md. and Washington, DC) the whole party can leave reality itself behind for a gaming experience unlike any other.
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Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
