They only turn five once! And six, and seven, and eight… And there’s no reason your little one’s birthday party shouldn’t be a once-in-a-lifetime event too.
Where to host it
Fun City
Lets face it, this is probably exactly where your kids want to have their birthday party anyway. Fun City has three party packages. They’ll plan the whole thing and personalise it for your child. Parties take place in a private room with a host and include a meal, three party games with prizes, a special t-shirt for the birthday boy or girl, and invitations. The Fab party also includes theme decorations, balloons, and goodie bags for the guests. The Ultimate Party–on top of what’s included in the Perfect Party and the Fab Party–includes face painting and a piñata.
Parties at Fun City cost from Dhs55 per person to Dhs144 per person, depending on the package and the day of the week. The Perfect Party lasts 90 minutes and the Fab and Ultimate Parties last 180 minutes. www.funcity.ae, City Mall Madinat Zayed (02 887 0689), Dalma Mall (02 550 7407), Marina Mall (02 681 5527).
Abu Dhabi Pottery
Budding sculptors will get a kick out of Abu Dhabi Pottery parties. The centre hosts parties for eight-15 children where they will make a pinch pot or animal or small teapot. They use air-dry clay, so the items will be ready to take home at the end of the party. There is no food or drink allowed in the studio though so prepare the snack plan ahead. Pottery birthday parties cost Dhs55 per child and include all materials. Children can keep what they make at the party, which last for one hour.
www.abudhabipottery.com, Al Khalidiyah (02 666 7079).
How to plan it
TOAD spoke to some of the UAE’s most popular party planners about what makes a great birthday party. Here’s what they had to say:
Sophie Bogdis, from Special Occasions:
What makes a great birthday party?
Proper planning! Most people who have never organised a child’s birthday party think it’s the easiest thing to do, but this is children we are talking about! You need to make sure they are entertained and supervised, well-fed and leave the party satisfied! It’s also very important to make sure the parents of the children coming to the party know they are in good hands and pick them up afterwards full of smiles. Plan in advance and know what will happen throughout the party from start to finish.
Any party pitfalls – disasters that can be avoided?
Think about the timings of your party…. If it’s during the day and it’s hot, is there shading available for the guests? If the party is during a hot day, don’t prepare the balloons too early as they will burst in the sun. If it’s a party that will go into the evening, is there enough lighting for when it gets dark?
Special Occasions hosts parties and private events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. www.specialoccasions.ae, (04 399 2917).
Lorate Hamzeh, from The Big Moo Events:
What advice can you give parents about throwing a children’s birthday party?
Sometimes parents spend too much time on decorations and frills for their kids’ parties, but we always advise our clients to go for things that will keep the kids busy – it is a children’s party after all! The frills always impress the parents, but what’s the point of having spectacular centrepieces if the kids are not doing anything fun at a party? Parents are most stress-free when kids are busy with activities.
What are some good ideas for party themes?
We’ve had a prince party where everyone (even adults) came as royal characters. During that event, we transformed the hall into a larger than life mansion complete with throne and canopies for the feast etc. We’ve also had a Top Gun theme (in Abu Dhabi!) where the entire birthday boy’s family dressed up as pilots – which was really cool. One of our Alice in Wonderland events was spectacular. We’ve also done a Disney vs. Marvel themed party where we transformed the grounds into a fun park that you had to go through using a map, visiting each station as you went along. However unique you want your party to be, we’ll have ideas to suit.
The Big Moo Events hosts and plans parties in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. www.thebigmoouae.com, (04 341 9953).
