A Hoppin' Good Time

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by Carly The Little Man will turn six in August, but because it can be hard to get school friends together in the summer, we decided to have a small party  to celebrate the momentous occasion before classes ended.

We recently won a birthday party package from Tiny Hoppers and  while we hadn't done anything like that before now, we figured this would be a great time to take advantage of our winnings.

I was actually a little hesitant at first because after visiting their East End location it was clear they catered more to toddlers and preschoolers than school aged children.  So we talked it over at length with Jake and he decided he wanted to go for it.

Tiny Hoppers Standard Birthday Party Package Includes:

* Up to 16 children * Ages 1-10 * 1.5 hours in length * 45 minutes of structured activities with the children * 45 minutes of free play, time for cake, snacks and presents * Various themes available * Balloons for each child * Set up and clean up * FREE Class Passes * $150

We arrived  about 15 minutes before the party was due to start, to put out Jake's cake and speak with the staff on hand.  The two women who facilitated the party were lovely and accommodating.

The kids spent only about 30 minutes (instead of the 45 minutes indicated in the party package) doing "structured" activities.  They used different musical instruments, hopper balls and ribbons to sing and dance around to different songs.  The facilitators were really enthusiastic and animated, and all the kids enjoyed themselves.  They wrapped up that part with some parachute games and we followed that up with some free play, cake, and the gift opening.

Overall I was really happy with the staff and their willingness to help and support our needs.  The songs were silly and fun and the kids really enjoyed the ribbons, drums, hopper balls and the slide.

I do think the party would have been better geared toward younger children and I was happy that only six children in total could make it to our party because the space was really small for children of that age.  As it was, our guests were bumping into one another a fair bit and there were a few scraped knees and backs from climbing through the small-ish tunnels and slides.

The structured activities were great, but with a smaller and older group (less chaos, more listening to instruction) they took less time than anticipated and I do wish the staff had allowed for that by planning some additional games or songs.  In the end I stepped in and led the kids in a few rounds of musical chairs when I saw their enthusiasm for the free play lagging.

Because the space was small, the parachute couldn't be fully opened (though the kids had a blast anyway) and the floors were pretty dirty, both the surface of the foam mats that covered the floor and underneath them), as evidenced by the black feet the kids had by the end of the party.  Everything else was spotless and it was handy to have bathrooms with nice low sinks and the like for the kids to wash up in.

From a customer service perspective, it was a wonderful experience and I'd certainly go back for another party.  The East End location is primarily used to accommodate a full time daycare and the space is set up as such, so I'd definitely recommend their party package for children 3 or 4 years of age and under.

In the end, Jake had a blast, which is really all that matters.  I was really pleased that their facility was strictly peanut/tree nut free and whole egg free as the Little Man is allergic to both..

What are some of your favourite places to have birthday parties?

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Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband and her 4 year old son, Jacob.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Birthday parties: Bowling Bash

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by AmandaY A few weeks before his birthday J and I were discussing what kind of party he would like to have.  He started by saying he wanted his grandparents and aunt and uncle to come over for supper.  I told him we would do that too, but I was really asking what kind of kids party he would like to have.  His eyes nearly popped out of his head, such was his surprise.

"A kids party?  I can have my friends at a party?"  He was so happy about that simple fact that he really had no clue what kind of party he should have.  So I gave him a few choices (based on my cost analysis research) and he ended up picking a Bowling Party at Merivale Bowling Lanes.

First of all, bowling is a great activity for kids.  It is active, fun, and really not all that hard to do.  They put bumpers on the lanes for kids so there are no gutter balls to discourage them.  This way, they hit the pins a lot more making it more fun for everyone.

The bowling balls are smaller, not as heavy so the kids can handle them fairly easily.  I don't recommend it for kids under 3-4.  There is music blasting, lights are low and the shoes glow in the dark!  Such simple things to enhance the experience. (Young or very sensitive children may be a bit scared or overwhelmed by the music, lights and noise of the bowling alley.)

My son invited six of his friends, 3 boys from school and 3 kids he's known since he was very little through my friends and daycare.  The kids dove into bowling with lots of enthusiasm, they picked up quickly when it was their turn and how to keep track of their scores, and at one point we had a mini mosh pit of little boys rolling around on top of each other.  Birthday boy was at the bottom, of course.  His friends were all so excited that they just piled on top of him to wish him happy birthday!

Merivale Bowling lanes did a really great job with my son's birthday party.  They were well organized, had a hostess assigned specifically to our party to facilitate our experience there.  We had one hour to bowl and one hour in the restaurant for lunch and cake.  Our hostess organized all the kids with their shoes, programmed all the lanes with names and such and checked in with us regularly to make sure things were going smoothly.  When we were done with bowling we went to the restaurant and the table was set with all the gifts at one end, and the food was ready so the kids didn't have to wait for anything.  They could dive into their pizza, bash open their bags of chips (yes, there were chips everywhere!), and they were all thirsty and so there was apple juice for all sitting at their places.  Presents were opened and cake was served.  Overall, the food was really good and they did a great job on the cake.

We would definitely go back again, both for just family bowling and likely for another birthday.  The cost was really very reasonable, it saved me a whole lot of work, all we had to do was bring the loot bags for our guests.  We bought gift bags in bright colours and filled them with fun items from our local Dollarama.  At the end of the party everyone seemed happy and the birthday boy was thrilled with it, which was, above all, the whole point.

Have you taken your kids bowling?

Amanda was born and raised in Ottawa where she continues to live with her husband and son “J”. Amanda is bilingual and interests include reading, blogging, socializing, and advocacy on children and teen issues.

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Flashback post: Being aware of food allergies: how to host a child with food allergies

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by an Ottawa mom I am a mom who has been dealing with multiple severe food allergies now for two years (the anaphylactic-Epipen-ambulance rides to CHEO kind). These two years have been the most stressful period of our lives. It has turned me into a total Mama Grizzly on the topic of food allergies and awareness. I am always protecting my little cub at home and outside – constantly on the lookout for crumbs, suspicious food labels and food wrappers left in the park (and more).

The tricky thing with food allergies is that once you’re outside of your safe zone, you rely on your friends and the people around you to be sympathetic to your needs and demonstrate compassion by taking your child’s medical needs seriously.

Here’s a recent (bad) example. One day last month there was a birthday in my son’s daycare and the children had a surprise treat of ice cream (it was a surprise to me too as we have an agreement about giving notice for birthday treats). Because of my son’s egg, milk and nut allergies, he cannot participate in these special activities. When I collected him at the end of the day shortly after the ice cream had been gobbled up by his classmates, I found my little boy in a high chair eating one of his homemade muffins. He looked miserable. His emotions were on his sleeve and he reached up for a big hug and slung his head on my shoulder. I felt horrible for him. And guilt. Then rage. A birthday party shouldn’t be the worst part of your week.

You might not think it’s a big deal, but it is when it happens repeatedly. This is just an example from last month. Month. Typing this story out is making me cry at my computer screen. Food allergies comes with a lot of emotional baggage.

You can show your respect towards a child with food allergies (and their parents) by creating safe situations for them when you invite them to playdates or birthday parties. Hosting an inclusive get together doesn’t have to be complicated.

Here are some tips :

  1. Ask your guests if there are any food or environmental allergies in advance.
  2. Understand the severity of the allergies. Is it sniffles and red eyes? Or is it “911 epipen hives and can’t breathe ambulance ride to the CHEO” allergies? Does the latter scare you? It should.
  3. Before the party:
    • Talk to the allergy parent about your menu plan. This allows the allergy parent to decide if they can allow their child to eat the same food or whether they will pack similar food to bring along. If you are the “allergy parent” offer to send recipes or even bake/cook something to bring for everyone.
    • Ask is there are any food items that should not be offered at all.
    • Let all of your guests know about any special considerations. Some parents may ask that children not have peanut butter or nuts before arriving or ask that they brush their teeth and wash their hands beforehand. You may also want to ask guests not to bring any food to avoid any awkwardness if their offering is not safe.
  4. Make the party venue allergy-friendly. Give the place a good clean sweep. Wipe down surfaces such as play tables, kitchen tables and countertops with a clean cloth. Inspect any toys that will be shared for food residue and wash them if necessary.
  5. Avoid cross contamination when preparing foods. If you are cooking a separate item for an allergy child, always use clean bowls, utensils and ingredients. Cover any baking sheets with tinfoil if you’ve baked with the allergen on them before.
  6. Confirm any ingredients and food with the “allergy parent”. Allergens can be lurking even in products that don’t have the allergen on the ingredient list. Have you ever seen warnings that read, “This product has been manufactured in a facility the processes peanuts? ” To many (including our family), that warning is THE SAME as having the allergen included in the ingredient list. And here’s the tricky thing, that warning is OPTIONAL. Processed foods, even things like cereal, may not be safe.
  7. Condiments. If you think there is a chance that a knife may have dipped into peanut butter and then into the jelly jar or onto the stick of butter, open a new package or jar. Play it safe.
  8. Hosting a BBQ? Have you ever made a peanut sauce marinade for your meat and cooked it on the grill? Shrimp skewers? Maybe? Then your BBQ may still have that food protein residue on the grill. Cook any food for the allergy sufferer on a piece of tin foil and use separate tongs.

Make it a safe party for everyone. And have fun!

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