NW Kids Magazine September 2016

L I V E • PLAY • DO

magazine

2016-2017

Birthday Party Guide

nwkidsmagazine.com

2 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 3

Editor’s Note When my younger brother was turning six, all he wanted was a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party. Our mom booked the party, and the excitement and anticipation began to build… until one by one, the RSVPs came back “no” because all but one of his friends would be on summer vacation. The party was cancelled, and his little heart broken; he never asked for another big birthday party again.

I tell this story not to make you sad (though, it is so sad!), but to emphasize how important birthdays can be to our little ones! It’s a day of celebration, not just of the special birthday kid, but also of family, community, milestones, growth and most of all, love. Whether it’s a small gathering of close friends and family or a spectacular bash at an event space, the attention and energy put into a birthday party goes a long way toward a kiddo’s overall experience of growing up, one year at a time.

So we’re back with our annual Birthday Party Guide, a carefully chosen collection of tips, ideas and resource listings to help you pick and plan your kid’s next celebration, no matter what age range, budget, energy level or season. (Those summer birthdays, though!) For a comprehensive party experience, consider Punch Bowl Social (p. 8); for your firecracker of a kid and their bounce-off-the-wall friends, check out our roundup of high-action and extreme sports party spaces on p. 14. Going for something a bit simpler? We’ve covered DIY and gift alternatives, too.

Go forth, plan away and party hard!

Karel

P.S. That sad little six-year-old from the story up top? He turned 30 this year, and our older brother and I flew to San Francisco and surprised him, complete with Chuck E. Cheese ears and tokens. Better late than never.

4 | NW Kids Magazine

Contents

SEPTEMBER 2016 8 Win at Birthdays with Punch Bowl Social 10 DIY BDAY 4 ways to party on a budget 14 Party to the Extreme!

6 high-energy spaces for action-packed birthday play 17 Resource Guide: Sweet Eats 20 Resource Guide: Goody Bags & Party Supples 22 Bucking the Birthday Gift Culture: Gifts that cost your friends (and the environment) nothing!

27 Resource Guide: Places to Party

Cover and Contents photography by SHELBY BRAKKEN for SIT STILL SALON shelbybrakken.com, sitstillkids.com

34 Resource Guide: Entertainers

NW Kids Magazine | 5

magazine Publisher Michelle Snell michelle@nwkidsmagazine.com Connect With Us: • Phone: 503.282.2711 • email: contact@nwkidsmagazine.com • Facebook: facebook.com/nwkids • Instagram : @nwkidsmagazine • Twitter: @nwkids • Pinterest: pinterest.com/nwkids

NW Kids is published monthly

by Miche Media, LLC. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy; sometimes we make errors. Please let us know when we do and accept our apologies.

Printed locally; Please recycle.

Editor / Client Services Karel Chan karel@nwkidsmagazine.com Advertising Director Laurel Carrasco laurel@nwkidsmagazine.com Graphic Designer Robyn Barbon robyn@folkloremedia.com Advertising Inquiries: 503-282-2711, ext. 1 sales@nwkidsmagazine.com Accounting & Business Services Heather Rex heather@nwkidsmagazine.com

Listings Academy Theater...........................................25 All Families Surrogacy...................................31 Art of STEM....................................................24 Barre3............................................................... 9 Bennett Suzuki...............................................11 Brain Balance................................................... 3 Bull and the Bee.............................................17 Chinook Book................................................... 9 Circuit Bouldering Gym..................................11 Echo Theater Company..................................24 Evergreen Aviation........................................... 2 Farber Swim School.......................................11 Fazio Farms.....................................................25 Friends of Ridgefield......................................33 Garden Home Montessori..............................25 Goddard School.............................................35 Goodtime Chinese School............................... 9 Hello! Good Morning!....................................33 iFLY Portland..................................................36 Just Between Friends.....................................21 6 | NW Kids Magazine

K12.................................................................30 Little Fruit Farm..............................................31 Lumberyard....................................................24 Mad Science...................................................20 Merry Kitchen................................................25 My Masterpiece Art Studio............................25 Naydenov Gymnastics...................................25 Nectar Frozen Yogurt......................................16 Nothing Bundt Cakes.....................................19 NW Children’s Theater....................................26 Oaks Park........................................................11 Omega Gymnastics........................................24 OMSI...............................................................35 Oregon Children’s Theatre..............................23 Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation..................21 Out of this World Pizza...................................13 Parties Inc.......................................................13 Penny’s Puppets.............................................25 Pietro’s Restaurant Group..............................16 Pop and Paint.................................................13

Portland Children’s Museum.........................12 Portland Parks and Rec..................................17 Portland Trampoline........................................ 7 Pottery Fun.....................................................12 Saturday Academy.........................................31 Serpa Audiology............................................31 Sit Still.............................................................. 2 Sky High Sports..............................................33 Smallfry..........................................................33 Smart Baby Preschool....................................33 Spanky’s Legendary Consignment................31 Spielwerk Toys................................................12 Sunshine Montessori.....................................26 The Kids’ Backyard Store.................................. 7 ThriftMouse....................................................21 Tree to Tree Adventure Park............................12 Trinity Lutheran..............................................26 Vivid Eye Care.................................................30 World of Smiles..............................................13 Zenana Spa....................................................33

NW Kids Magazine | 7

Planning a birthday party can sometimes feel like taking on a fulltime job: coordinating food, drinks and decorations, choosing a space and – perhaps the most stressful – deciding on entertainment and activities that all of the kids (and their chaperones) will enjoy! Take a load off and let Punch Bowl Social save the day. With its central Downtown Portland location and customizable party packages, this hip yet accessible venue takes care of all the details, so all you need to worry about is the guest list.

Photography by PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL

Win at Birthdays with

Punch Bowl Social by KAREL CHAN

8 | NW Kids Magazine

Punch Bowl Social’s activities are suitable for a variety of ages, so go ahead and invite siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles – there’s something for everyone with bowling, shuffleboard, ping pong, karaoke rooms, skeeball, a vintage arcade and more.

You can also feel good about providing fresh, delicious food from their scratch kitchen, with options ranging from a la carte bites to a buffet (they even do breakfast, for a daytime shindig!), and several packages for serving adult beverages. Or keep it familyfriendly with non-alcoholic fare, including their namesake punch bowls, fresh-squeezed juices and milkshakes. Mmm! A super cool and inviting party space, tons of activities and a menu full of yums – what more do you need for a birthday celebration to remember?

PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL 340 SW Morrison 503-334-0360 punchbowlsocial.com/portland

NW Kids Magazine | 9

DIY BDAY by AFTON NELSON

4 ways to party on a budget By definition, birthdays only happen once a year, but when you’re the one tasked with planning the bash, it can seem like they creep up faster and faster. With Pinterest and those darn Joneses constantly raising the party bar, the price tag for a fun birthday can grow faster than the kid you’re celebrating.

You don’t have to break the bank to host a fun get-together. Impress the Joneses and make memories with these budget friendly birthday party ideas.

Location, Location, Location No need to rent out a fancy venue for your child’s party, since you already live in one.

Okay, maybe it’s not fancy, but it’s a venue, and it’s free. Once you dress it up with a few decorations, kids won’t care that they’re in your living room.

If your home isn’t feasible, head to your nearest park or rec center. You can usually reserve a space for a nominal fee, or have someone arrive early to save a spot. Space rental sometimes includes use of toys or sports equipment as part of the package.

Décor Rather than buy licensed (read: expensive) coordinating plates and décor, look to replicate your theme in other ways. For your super hero themed party, choose 10 | NW Kids Magazine

primary colored plastic tablecloths, plates and balloons from the dollar store. Does your little princess want a party fit for royalty? Just pick pink and silver décor.

Entertainment On a sunny day, organize relay races or a game of duck, duck, goose. Blow bubbles, play Frisbee tic-tac-toe or outdoor Twister.

For indoor parties, try a craft. Have kids decorate paper sacks with markers to make their own “goody” bag. Make puppets, and then put on a show. Make light sabers out of pool noodles and fight to defeat the Dark Side.

Recruit your friends and family to entertain and pay them with cake. Know someone who can face paint? Can your brother tell cheesy jokes and do a few magic tricks?

Give your coworker, who was an amazing

“Elsa” at Halloween, a second chance to wear that great costume!

Good Eats Planning the party around meal times means you don’t have to prepare a big spread to feed guests. A 2pm party is perfect for cake and snacks like cheese, crackers, fruits and veggies. Instead of individual water bottles for your guests, use a pitcher of water with a few lemon slices and pour drinks into cups.

Flex your inner baking muscles and make your own cake (it can even come from a box)! Unless you have some skills, don’t worry about trying to recreate the latest online sensation. Most kids are impressed enough with a generous frosting to cake ratio. Keep it simple.

A DIY party might be a little more work, but you’ll find you can make happy memories even if you’re on a budget.

Afton Nelson is a Portland writer and a veteran of 18 years of birthday parties for her three boys.

Learn more about her at aftonnelson.com.

NW Kids Magazine | 11

12 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 13

by RUTH PLOURDE

Alright gang: we’re here with the low down on how to take your next birthday to the max. That’s right, we’re talking about a ramp ridin’, rope swingin’, slam dunkin’ birthday extravaganza – extreme sports style! Read on to find the most bomb-tastic birthday venue for your party. Warning: some readers may experience an extreme adrenaline rush!

Photograph by SKY HIGH SPORTS

PARTY TO THE EXTREME! 6 high-energy spaces for action-packed birthday play iFLY Ever wonder what it would be like to soar through the air, without, you know, needing to jump out of an airplane?

Using wind turbines to create a powerful tunnel of wind, iFLY enables anyone from Little Sis to Grandpa to experience the magic of flight.

14 | NW Kids Magazine

Packages include: Private party room with pizza, snacks and drinks, birthday decorations, pre-flight training session, flight enhancements like the High Flight experience and G3 professional helmet upgrade, hi-definition videos and pictures and catering and bar service.

Prices start at: $659.95, custom price packages available iflyworld.com

Impact Action Sports What’s more extreme than shooting paint globs at each other in an obstacle course? Impact Action Sports offers standard parties for ages 10+ as well as low impact parties for kids 7-10 – great for first-timers (and weary grownups).

Packages include: 3 hours of fun, paintball guns, masks and chest protectors, dedicated referee, exclusive field access, private staging area and unlimited ammo!

Prices start at: $300 impactactionsports.com

G6 Airpark Let’s get some air! G6 has it all: a wall-towall jump arena, trampoline dodgeball, a slam-dunk basketball station, a trick zone where you can bust a move and a special jump area for the little ones under 8 years old. Locations in Portland and Vancouver.

Packages include: Two hours at G6, grip socks for each jumper, handmade family size pizza, bottled water or unlimited fountain drinks for everyone, table settings, party host and unlimited access to all the awesome G6 activities.

Prices start at: $135. g6portland.com, g6vancouver.com

Sky High Sports The folks at Sky High Sports are experts in jumping off the walls. This indoor trampoline park is packed with fun, whether you’re showing off your moves on the Freestyle Court, playing airborne dodgeball, rope swingin’ into the Super Size Foam Pit or slam dunkin’ on the Sky High Hoops.

Packages include: Two hours of fun and run of the whole facility, party host, reserved party table, two large pizzas, a bottle of water for each jumper, party invitations and a special birthday pass for the kid of honor.

Prices start at: $150 skyhighsports.com

iFLY

The Lumberyard This indoor bike park boasts over 40,000 square feet of totally gnarly, professionally designed BMX and mountain bike courses, with beginner to intermediate pump/jump tracks, a technical trail line, a BMX park, a street course in the basement (which is also scooter friendly!) and a more advanced outdoor setup which opens when weather permits.

Packages include: Ride time, party hostess, table setting, personalized birthday card and one bottle of water for each rider. Catering menu from Pulehu Pizza, too!

Prices start at: $125 lumberyardmtb.com

Tree to Tree Adventure Park Monkey around at Tree to Tree Adventure Park’s Aerial Adventure Courses high in the trees. These selfguided adventures contain lots of obstacles to navigate, including Tarzan rope swings, wobbly bridges, tight ropes, balance beams and more.

Packages include: Access to the Junior Adventure Course and one other Mini Adventure, gift bags, table settings and party hats, pizza and drinks, use of a Go Pro camera and a very special gift for the birthday kid.

Prices start at: $12/guest plus admission tree2treeadventurepark.com Ruth Plourde is a writer and barista currently living in Portland, OR. She is a lover of words and poetry, travel, music, and food. Currently, the most pressing item on her agenda is to move to Kauai, Hawaii. From there she plans to spend the next several years seeing the world, writing poetry, and loving life.

NW Kids Magazine | 15

16 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 17

Sweet Eats Candy

Custom Cakes

Candy Babel candybabel.com

Baker & Spice bakerandspicepdx.com

Quin quincandy.com

Beaverton Bakery beavertonbakery.com

Rocket Fizz rocketfizz.com

Bliss Bake Shop blisscupcakeshop.com

Sweets Etc. sweetsetc.com

Helen Bernhard Bakery helenbernhardbakery.com

Frozen Treats

Le Cookie Monkey lecookiemonkey.com

Bassotto Gelateria bassottopdx.com Cloud City Ice Cream cloudcityicecream.com Eb & Bean ebandbean.com

Lovejoy Bakers lovejoybakers.com Mehri’s Bakery & Cafe mehris.com Miss Zumstein misszumstein.com

Fifty Licks fifty-licks.com

New Cascadia Traditional (Gluten Free) newcascadiatraditional.com

Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge nectarfroyo.com

Nothing Bundt Cakes nothingbundtcakes.com

Roses Ice Cream rosesicecream.com

Piece of Cake Bakery pieceofcakebakery.net

Ruby Jewel rubyjewel.com

Serious Cake seriouscake.com

Salt & Straw saltandstraw.com

Sweetpea Baking Company (Vegan) sweetpeabaking.com

Scoop scooppdx.com The Maple Parlor themapleparlor.com

18 | NW Kids Magazine

The Cake Goddess portlandcakegoddess.com Tula Gluten Free Bakery CafĂŠ tulabaking.com

Sweet Eats Donuts Blue Star Donuts bluestardonuts.com

Pie & Cupcakes

CoCo Donuts cocodonuts.com

Bipartisan Cafe bipartisancafe.com

Delicious Donuts deliciousdonutspdx.com

Cupcake Jones cupcakejones.net

Donut Byte Labs donutbytelabs.com

Lauretta Jean’s laurettajeans.com

Pip’s Original Doughnuts facebook.com/pipsoriginal

Pacific Pie Company pacificpie.com

Tonalli’s Donuts and Cream facebook.com/Tonallis-Donuts-andCream-193412440730652

Pie Spot pie-spot.com

Voodoo Doughnut voodoodoughnut.com

Saint Cupcake saintcupcake.com

NW Kids Magazine | 19

Goody Bags & Party Supplies Balloons on Broadway balloonsonbroadway.com

Final Touch Balloons finaltouchballoons.com

Boom Boom’s Balloons boomboomsballoons.com

Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts finneganstoys.com

Cargo cargoinc.com

Parties Inc. partiesinc.com

Child’s Play childsplayportland.com

Presents of Mind presentsofmind.tv

Collage collagepdx.blogspot.com

Spielwerk Toys spielwerktoys.com

Fancy That shop-fancythat.com

The Lippman Company lippmancompany.com

20 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 21

Bucking the Birthday Gift Culture:

Gifts that cost your friends (and the environment) nothing! by MANTU JOSHI

Do we really need so much material stuff at a birthday party? (Okay, I can already tell that some people reading this are flexing their ocular muscles, readying themselves for some major eye rolling.) This may seem like one of those caricature crafting moments out of a Portlandia episode. You know, like I’m going to tell you to “put a bird on it” or “we can pickle that!” at any moment. But I would argue that we Portlandians are moreso about wanting to challenge cultural norms for reasons of communal character. Our raison d’être.

I have noticed in my little corner of Portlandia that more and more people are questioning our material gift-giving culture and trying out some birthday gifting alternatives. Here are some ideas for an alternative birthday bash, including a few I have experienced firsthand this year.

1. Book Exchanges

Ask everyone to bring a used book to exchange.

Kids get new (at least for them) books and can even have shared story time at the close of the party. Keep a few books stashed aside for anyone who forgets to bring a book. Our book party had a Big Bird theme, so I guess technically we did put a bird on it!

2. Outdoor “Olympic” Games

Invite everyone to your local park and encourage them to bring a favorite outdoor game. Make your own “Olympic” events on the spot, the sillier the better. Draw “Olympic” 22 | NW Kids Magazine

rings on a few balloons and play the theme on your phone. Use bottle caps and ribbon to make all the kids medals. Exchange your lawn games at the end (to be returned in a month or at a future playdate).

3. Food making adventures galore

Encourage everyone to bring their own jars and have a soda pop making party.

You provide the fruits and the fizzy water, letting the children blend the flavors in bowls. Everyone gives one of their finished product to the birthday kiddo as a gift. The rest of the sodas are to take and enjoy at home (with full bragging and burping rights!)

4. Cards for other kids who have it tougher

Make get well cards together at an artsy birthday party. Coordinate with a children’s hospital ahead of time and instruct the party goers to write neutral messages like “You Rock!” and “You’re Awesome.” A very lucky birthday kiddo gets to deliver the cards made at the party.

5. Used toy and board game swaps

Every child brings a board game and a used toy to the party. They also bring their pillow case from home. As the kids leave, they each get a game and a toy in their own pillow case tied with a bow, to be opened as a surprise at their own home.

Mantu Joshi is a stay-at-home dad in Portland, OR where he is learning to be human, trying to do the dishes before they pile too high and fall out of the sink altogether, and is learning true fashion from his three-year-old who wears everything backward these days. He supports families with kids with special needs and is author of the book,“The Resilient Parent: Everyday Wisdom for Life with Your Exceptional Child.” Contact him at theresilientparent@gmail.com or facebook.com/theresilientparent.

NW Kids Magazine | 23

24 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 25

26 | NW Kids Magazine

Places to Party Art, Craft & Cooking Animals

CeramiCafe Art Lounge ceramicafenw.com

A Walk on the Wild Side wildsideoregon.org

Confection Crafts confectioncrafts.com

Oregon Coast Aquarium aquarium.org

Kids Central Kitchen cookincolor.com

Oregon Zoo oregonzoo.org

Let It Bead letitbeadportland.com

Arcades, Fun Centers & Theme Parks

Merry Kitchen themerrykitchen.com Mimosa Studios mimosa-studios.com

Big Al’s ilovebigals.com

My Masterpiece Art Studio mymasterpieceartstudio.com

Dizzy Castle dizzycastle.com

Pop and Paint popandpaint.com

Electric Castle’s Wunderland wunderlandgames.com

Portland Child Art Studio portlandchildartstudio.org

Enchanted Forest enchantedforest.com

Pottery Fun potteryfunpdx.com

Family Fun Center fun-center.com

SCRAP scrappdx.com

Oaks Park oakspark.com

Spark Arts Center sparkartscenter.com

Safari Sams jungleoffun.com

The Craft Factory craftfactorypdx.com Vibe of Portland vibepdx.org

NW Kids Magazine | 27

Places to Party Bowling Allen’s Crosley Lanes crosleylanes.com Grand Central Bowl thegrandcentralbowl.com KingPins mykingpins.com Milwaukie Bowl milwaukiebowl.com Punch Bowl Social punchbowlsocial.com/portland Sunset Lanes sunsetlanes.com Super Play superplayor.com Tigard Bowl tigardbowl.com

Climbing Circuit Bouldering Gym thecircuitgym.com ClubSport clubsports.com/oregon Portland Parks and Recreation portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/430541 Portland Rock Gym portlandrockgym.com Stoneworks Climbing Gym belay.com

28 | NW Kids Magazine

Dance, Gymnastics & Performance BodyVox bodyvox.com DanceWorks Performing Arts danceworksperformingarts.com Echo Theater Company echotheaterpdx.org The Gym-Nest thegym-nest.com Metro Gymnastics Center metrogymnastics.com Naydenov Gymnastics ngymnastics.com OMEGA Gymnastics omega-gymnastics.com Oregon Gymnastics Academy ogagym.org Precision Elite Gymnastics precisionelitegymnastics.com The Children’s Gym childrensgym.com The Circus Project thecircusproject.org Tumble Bus tumblebuspdx.com Westside Dance and Gymnastics Academy westsideacademy.com

Places to Party Karaoke, Music & Movies

Miniature Golf

Academy Theater academytheaterpdx.com

Glowing Greens glowinggreens.com

Ambassador Karaoke ambassadorkaraoke.com

Safari Mini Golf safariminigolf.com

Family Cinemas familycinemas.com Punch Bowl Social punchbowlsocial.com/portland Voicebox Karaoke Lounge voiceboxpdx.com

Laser Tag, Paintball & Go-Karts Bazooka Battle bazookabattle.com Impact Action Sports impactactionsports.com Malibu Raceway maliburaceway.com Splat Action splataction.com Sykart Indoor Racing sykart.com Ultrazone Lazer Tag ultrazoneportland.com Y Not Laserport ynothavefun.com/laserport

Museums & Science A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village acgilbert.org Evergreen Museum evergreenmuseum.com Mad Science portland.madscience.org Oregon Rail Heritage Center orhf.org Portland Children’s Museum portlandcm.org

Pizza Parties John’s Incredible Pizza johnspizza.com Mississippi Pizza mississippipizza.com Out of this World Pizza outofthisworld.net Papa’s Pizza Parlor papaspizza.net Pietro’s Pizza pietrosrestaurants.com

NW Kids Magazine | 29

30 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 31

Places to Party P lay Munchkin Playland munchkinplayland.com Play Boutique playboutique.com Playdate PDX playdatepdx.com WeVillage wevillage.com

Salons

Sports, Jump & Active P lay Archers Afield archersafield.com G6 Airpark g6portland.com, g6vancouver.com iFLY iflyworld.com Lumberyard Bike Park lumberyardmtb.com

Phagans School of Hair Design phagans.com

Playground Gym theplaygroundgym.com

Pigtails & Crewcuts pigtailsandcrewcuts.com

Sky High Sports skyhighsports.com

Sit Still Salon & Shoppe sitstillkids.com

Tree to Tree Adventure Park tree3treeadventurepark.com

Skating

Swimming & Water P lay

Gresham Skate World greshamskateworld.com

Evergreen Waterpark evergreenmuseum.org/waterpark/

Lloyd Center Ice Rink lloydcenterice.com

Farber Swim School farberswimschool.com

Mountain View Ice Arena mtviewice.com

North Clackamas Aquatic Park pdxsurf.com

Mt. Scott Community Center portlandoregon.gov/parks/60409

Portland Parks and Rec portlandoregon.gov/parks

Oaks Park oakspark.com/roller-skating.html

Safe Splash Swim School safesplash.com

Sherwood Ice Arena sherwoodicearena.com

Tualatin HIlls Parks & Rec thprd.org

32 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 33

Entertainers Balloon Artists

Face Painters

Joe Mishkin joemishkin.com

Fancy Faces by Amy fancyfacesbyamy.com

Joy Entertainers joyentertainers.com

Mystique’s Fancy Faces mystiquesfancyfaces.com

Slightly Twisted Balloons slightlytwistedballoons.com

Nicole’s Face Painting nicolesfacepainting.com

Tuxedo Jimmy tuxedojimmy.com

Shining Faces shiningfaces.com

Clowns & Puppeteers

Magicians

Bizzy the Clown bizzytheclown.com Brown Clown facebook.com/BrownClown-186967534690476 Cha Cha The Clown chachatheclown.com Dragon Theater Puppets & Princesses oregonparties.com Olive and Dingo oliveanddingo.com Penny’s Puppets pennypuppets.com Red Yarn redyardproductions.com

34 | NW Kids Magazine

Alexander, Master of Marvels parlorofwonders.com Dave’s Killer Magic Shop killermagicshop.com Magic with Hart magicianportland.com Presto The Magician prestothemagician.com

NW Kids Magazine | 35

36 | NW Kids Magazine