6 Sweet Birthday Party Ideas for Your Little Sweetheart

6 Sweet Birthday Ideas for Your Little SweetheartPlanning your child’s birthday party can be stressful. It’s not easy to come up with the perfect place that will dazzle your child and her guests without breaking the bank. Plus, there’s the added pressure of finding a venue that’s unique, personal, and “Pinteresting.” As the mom of a little girl, I admit that my experience with birthday parties is limited to the “sugar and spice” end of the spectrum. And since I don’t want to speculate on what I don’t know (I’ve heard my friends talk about their sons’ obsession with Minecraft…or is it Mindcraft? I’m a total novice when it comes to the likes of little boys!), today I wanted to blog about something with which I am very familiar: birthday parties for little girls. Here are six suggestions if you’re looking for some fun and original ideas and San Antonio venues for your daughter’s next birthday party…

The Magik Theatre

My birthday girl posing with the stars of "Llama Llama" after the show
My birthday girl posing with the stars of “Llama Llama” after the show

Perfect for little play-lovers or budding theater buffs, the Magik Theatre is a super cool venue in the heart of downtown San Antonio near Hemisphere Park that promises for a distinctive birthday experience. Guests are provided with reserved, lower-level seating during one of the Magik’s fabulous kid-friendly shows and use of the lobby for cake and party fun after the play. Also included in the party package: recognition of the birthday child during a pre-show introductory speech, clean-up and set-up by the Magik staff, and a birthday gift for the guest of honor (either a tee-shirt or book with autographed cast photo). With the Magik Birthday Party Package, hosts provide food (including cake), drinks, party goods, and table coverings, and the cost is $15/person with a minimum of 15 people (children and adults). For those who would rather not worry about party details, the Ultimate Magikal Package allows you to sit back and relax as the Magik provides everything—invitations, decorations, cake, ice cream, and punch—for $30/person with a 15-person minimum.

We just hosted my daughter’s fifth birthday party at the Magik Theatre during a production of “Llama Llama” a few weeks ago, and we had an amazing experience. The kids all had a blast during the show—which, incidentally, was adorable and had plenty of punch lines to keep the parents entertained—and the staff couldn’t possibly have been more helpful. For more information on how to book your child’s party at this “magikal” spot, call Angela Reed Moore at (210) 227-2751 or check out the Magik Theatre’s Web site.[hr]

Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids

If your daughter loves to play dress-up, consider a birthday party at Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids for an extra special “Glamour Day” event! Sharkey’s pampers the birthday girl and all guests like true prima donnas, with hair-styling, mini-cures, and make-up sessions. Afterward, girls are allowed to pick out dress-up clothes and put on a fashion show complete with music and pictures by the “parent paparazzi.”

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Four-year-old “Pop Stars” eagerly awaiting their makeovers…

To customize the experience, hosts can select one of four themes that form the basis for make-up, hair, and costume selections: Glamour Girl, Pirate/Princess, Pop Star, and Pretty Princess. All-inclusive parties at Sharkey’s start at $350 for 12 girls and include all services, use of the “Glamour Lounge” for two hours, pizza with your choice of juice or sodas, party favors, invitations, and all paper goods; hosts simply need to provide the birthday cake while Sharkey’s takes care of the rest. Mini-birthday packages start at $250 for six girls and include all services and 1 ½ hours of party time in the Glamour Lounge, as well as snacks and drinks.

Birthday girl Kyndall all glammed up after her Sharkey's makeover!
Birthday girl Kyndall all glammed up after her Sharkey’s makeover!

Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids conveniently has two locations in San Antonio—one on Bandera and another at 281/1604. For more information on birthday party packages, click on the links to access each store’s individual Website, or call Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids’ 281 location at (210) 496-9200 or Sharkey’s Bandera store at (210) 745-2866.[hr]

Cookie Party Time 

Have an aspiring baker on your hands? Check out San Antonio’s Cookie Party Time on Nacogdoches Rd. for a unique venue that allows your birthday girl and friends to decorate delicious cookies and arrange spectacular cookie bouquets! Guests also get a chance to tour the bakery facilities to see exactly how much work goes into making their amazing cookie creations. Each cookie party can be customized with a select theme of your choice, and three affordable party packages are available to work with your budget and guest list.

At $175, the Basic Package includes a 1 ½-hour party for 10 kids, three cookies for each child to decorate and take home, a balloon bouquet, and a 12” personalized pan cookie for the birthday girl. With the Premium Package—which starts at $195—you get everything included in the Basic Package as well as an additional 30 minutes of party time, plus all guests receive their own clay pot to arrange cookies into bouquets to take home. Finally, the Super Package includes everything mentioned in both the Basic and Premium Packages but has the added bonus of 2 ½ hours of party time and aprons for each child to customize and decorate during the festivities. For more information, visit the Web site or call Cookie Party Time at (210) 804-1123.[hr]

Young Chefs Academy

Birthday girl Avery getting some hands-on measuring instructions from a YCA chef
Birthday girl Avery getting some hands-on measuring instructions from a YCA chef

Does your daughter have a passion for cooking? For a truly unique, hands-on cooking party experience, look no further than the Young Chefs Academy off of Huebner Rd. in Stone Oak. Voted number one in Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks Awards for Top Kids Party Places around San Antonio, the Young Chefs Academy has all the tools to make your daughter’s birthday party a one-of-a-kind event. A number of party packages are available, each with its own unique theme. For example, at YCA’s “Pretty in Pink” party, little girls will delight in making pink pizza, drinking pink lemonade, and decorating pink cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles. Or, at the “Rock Star” party, your daughter and her friends can have a blast rocking around the kitchen to their favorite jams while creating a CD-shaped pizza and edible microphones!

Measuring out their ingredients to make the perfect pizza dough!
Measuring out their ingredients to make the perfect pizza dough!

Parties at the Young Chefs Academy range from 1 1/2–2 hours and vary in price from $250–$375 depending on the package selected; however, some party themes have designated age requirements, so be sure to keep that in mind when booking. All parties include custom printed invitations, two chef instructors to keep the kitchen activities on track, a Young Chefs Academy tee-shirt for the birthday girl, paper products, balloons and decorations, drinks, chefs hats, and recipe cards. Check out the Young Chefs Academy’s Party Packages online, or call (210) 402-0023 for more information on how to book your daughter’s party at this awesome birthday venue.[hr]

Clay Casa 

Have a creative little girl who would love nothing more than to channel her inner-Monet? Consider Clay Casa for your daughter’s next birthday party. A paint-your-own pottery studio located in Embassy Oaks off of Bitters Rd., Clay Casa was voted as one of San Antonio’s Top Kids Party Places in 2010 by Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks Awards and offers three options for birthday parties. The “A” Package costs $15 per child and allows each guest to select a clay figurine to paint. For $17/child under the “B” package, guests can choose to paint a bowl, plate, or specialty mug. And finally, under the “C” package, which costs $22 per child, guests may choose their paint project from a large selection of clay keepsake banks. All party packages require a minimum of eight or more painters and include use of the party room for 1 ½ hours. Hosts supply cake, drinks, and paper goods, although Clay Casa can arrange for pizzas to be provided via Julian’s Pizza for an additional cost. Check out the Clay Casa Web site or call (210) 402-6656 for more info.[hr]

Fairytale Friends of San Antonio

Question: What could be more thrilling for a little girl than to have her favorite princess show up on her doorstep at her birthday party? Answer: Absolutely nothing! With over 14 different character options (yes, “Elsa” & “Anna” are available!), Fairytale Friends of San Antonio provides an at-home princess experience that your daughter will never forget. The Princess Party package consists of 1 ½ hours of fun with the princess of your choice (Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, the Frozen princesses—you name it!) and includes party games, a special gift for the birthday girl, face painting, and autographed character photos for the maximum of 15 guests for $175. Customized packages are also available.

Our guests had too much fun playing games with "Cinderella"!
Our guests had too much fun playing games with “Cinderella”!

My husband and I welcomed “Cinderella” (aka: Tara of Fairytale Friends of SA) to our house in honor of our daughter’s fourth birthday party last year, and I have to say, the preschool-aged girls weren’t the only ones who were impressed! “Cinderella” transformed into her on-screen character from the second she walked in our door. Her voice and mannerisms matched that of the real Cinderelly almost exactly, and she was not only warm, personable, and interactive with our party guests, but always extremely patient despite being constantly swarmed by a sea of Disney-clad four-year-olds. It was an incredible experience that I highly recommend to anyone looking for the perfect princess to make their daughter’s day. For more information on party packages, check out Fairytale Friends of SA’s Web site or email the princess herself at [email protected].

A bunch of happy princesses with Fairytale Friends of San Antonio's "Cinderella"!
A bunch of happy princesses with Fairytale Friends of San Antonio’s “Cinderella”!

Where was your daughter’s most memorable birthday party? We’d love to hear about your experiences!

Taylor
Taylor is a San Antonio native and stay-at-home mom to two daughters: Harper and Hayes. She and her Okie husband, Jeff, have been married 12 years despite their Texas/OU rivalry. Taylor is a former Clark Cougar, a devout Texas Longhorn, where she studied English, an active MOPS member, and often feels like a professional juggler. She relishes trips to the theater, loves embarking on new adventures with her family, and admittedly spends too much time on Facebook. A former contributor, Taylor’s posts center on parenting her tenacious, strong-willed first-born and the challenges she faced along the way to becoming a mom of two. She also served as ACM’s editor and resident proofreader, and as such, cares way too deeply about the use of Oxford commas.

1 COMMENT

  1. Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment
    but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up.

    Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

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