LONDON’S BEST KIDS’ BIRTHDAY PARTIES
London’s Most Exciting Children's Party Venues and Experiences
Your child is counting down the days, hours and milliseconds to mark the moment they hurtled into the world.
However, you’re not sure you can face another, sweaty softplay party and aren’t in love with having your rugs marinated in birthday cake and jelly,
Luckily, London has you covered with a gaggle of fun and imaginative parties to celebrate every flavour of child, from museum sleepovers, Shrek adventures, sushi and pancake parties, pampering, slime, bears, treetop adventures and football.
So put down the limp balloon and read our guide to London's best kids' birthday parties.
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THE ULTIMATE BIRTHDAY SLEEPOVERS
Natural History Museum Sleepover
What kid doesn’t fancy a sleepover with a giraffe, or camped beneath a giant, blue whale? Children aged 7-11 can experience Dino Snores birthdays, exploring the Museum by torchlight; getting creative with a dinosaur t-shirt workshop and enjoying a science show until midnight, when it’s time for a special bedtime story and sleep, surrounded by its incredible creatures.
The following morning after breakfast, they’ll have the museum to themselves for a fact-filled trail until it opens to the public at 10am. Dino Snores, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD. £80pp, including breakfast.
Science Museum AstroNights Sleepover
Budding scientists (aged 7-11) can spend the night with chums at one of its galleries, exploring the museum out-of-hours. Inspired by its Turn it Up: The Power of Music exhibition, these evenings will include hands-on workshops, shows and activities that delve into music’s magic. The following morning after breakfast, the party can enjoy its hit Wonderlab and IMAX experiences before the museum opens to the public at 10am.
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD. Dates vary, £70pp standard, £100 VIP
IMAGINATION SPARKING CELEBRATIONS
Shrek’s Adventure
Send your sprogs to the Land of Far, Far Away for an immersive adventure, meeting characters like Donkey, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots and the big green Ogre himself.
Then make your friends green with envy, with a unique birthday party in Shrek's Swamp with a gaggle of Shrek-themed party games like pin the tail on Donkey, feed hungry Shrek and Connect 4 Gingys.
The party package includes entry and full Shrek's Adventure tour, exclusive Shrek’s Swamp birthday room hire, dedicated host, Shrek party games and evites.
Shrek’s Adventure, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB. £29.99 per child. Two adults go free. Additional adults £15 each.
Discover Children’s Story Centre
If you’ve ever wondered how it feels to climb inside a child’s imagination, Discover Children’s Story Centre is it. The party package includes three hours, exploring Story World’s two floors filled with caves, fairy worlds, hidden ships and puppet castles, plus the Story Garden, where they can find Baba Yaga’s hut held up by chicken legs, climb Hootah’s castle and slide out of the Stratford Sputnik.
It also includes entry to their immersive exhibition downstairs, plus a party lunch in Hootah’s room.
Discover Children’s Story Centre, 383-387 High St, London E15 4QZ. £345 for 10 Children and 11 Adults, including a visit to the exhibition and food in a room for 45 minutes.
Packaway Parties
For a cost-effective, stress-free and big impact party at home, we recommend Packaway Parties. They provide imaginative, themed parties, delivered straight to your door. The 14 themes include Harry Potter, Lego, Roald Dahl, Pokemon and Encanto. The standard, £120 package includes decorations, games, costumes, props, prizes, certificates and a full party plan. Personalised invitations, eco-friendly party bags, tableware and themed sweet shops can also be added to your party package. And you can be smug about throwing a killer party, with zero stress, which is also better for the environment - each box contains high quality, reusable items with a plastic-free goodie bag.
Packaway Parties. From £120 for a standard party package. Use code PACKAWAY2024 and receive a free eco-friendly party bag for the birthday child.
FOODIE PARTIES
Kids ’N' Sushi Party
Budding sushi masters are invited to celebrate their big day by learning how to make Kappa Hosomaki rolls (Cucumber), Pink Alaska Uramaki rolls (Salmon, avocado, cream cheese, and lumpfish roe) and Shake Nigiri (Salmon) during the 90-minute, hands-on class. As well as learning a new skill and creating sushi masterpieces, each guest receives soft drinks during the class and a goodie bag at the end with a certificate, bandana, rolling mat, chopsticks, chocolate fish and Japanese number and phrase sheet.
Sticks 'N' Sushi, Multiple locations including 100 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JQ. £40 pp.
Biscuiteers
Budding bakers and icers can head to the Little School of Biscuiteers to learn tips and tricks from the Grand Icing Hall while they decorate their own collection of biscuits.
The experience includes biscuits and all the icing and decorations children will need to make a collection to take home in signature, hand-illustrated, Biscuiteers boxes. They'll have their own expert icer on hand to teach and guide, and each bijou biscuiteer will receive a Biscuiteers apron and certificate of 'Biscuiteers Icing Brilliance' to take away. There are a range of biscuit designs to suit any occasion, and they can make the day extra special with a bespoke cake.
While the iccle icers are busily biscuiting, parents can browse their Biscuit Boutique and receive 10% off shopping in store
Biscuiteers, Notting Hill or Belgravia locations. £49 for one hour with 4 guests.
Pizza Express Pizza Making Party
Kids are encouraged to make a mess, tossing their very own dough before being let loose on the ingredients. Expect a lively combination of pizza making fun with games to keep everybody happy. Each two-hour party includes invitations, unlimited squash, pizza, games and plenty of time to enjoy their creations before devouring gelato.
Pizza Express. Multiple locations. £14.95 per guest. Minimum number 8.
Stack and Still Pancake Parties
From just £13.95 per child, each guest gets a Double Stack to decorate however they like using three toppings from the kids' menu, plus unlimited drinks, Peel & Stick stickers, gold and blue party balloons and the birthday child receives a special birthday stack: a Double Buttermilk stack with Whipped Cream, Funfetti, Sauce and (of course) candles.
Stack and Still. Multiple locations. £13.45 per child.
PAMPERING PARTIES
Lush Birthday Party
Your dedicated Party Host will look after the kids, with the option of two different themes: Fun and Games or Treat Yourself.
Every party booking includes a selection of games, product making and activities tailored to the birthday girl or boy; a Lush making kit of their choice, and an exclusive party product for each of the guests. The guest of honour can also choose from three of the party exclusive products and receive them in a special Party Animal gift to take home.
Lush. Multiple Locations. £25pp
Snazzy Party Bus
Snazzy Party Buses rock up to your chosen location and offer a gaggle of themes, from Spa Parties - including a makeover and pedicure area - to crafty and disco bashes, with options including UV Painting, Slime Making, Loom band parties and Teddy bear building parties plus karaoke, Just Dance and a light up floor area.
Snazzy Party Bus. From £299 for 7 guests.
Sweet Spa Party
This Bexleyheath spa includes a gaggle of impossibly cute kids’ party options, where they are welcomed with pink lemonade in champagne flutes and can enjoy activities like face mask making, jewellery crafting, foot spas in unicorn bubbles, 100 varnish choices, glitter, gems, eye make up, hand massage, file and polish.
Guests wear matching dressing gowns, fluffy headbands and flip flops - with flower crown for the birthday girl - plus personalised welcome sign. Afternoon tea can also be included.
Sweet Spa Party, 44 Pickford Ln, Bexleyheath DA7 4QT. From £200 for four children.
CREATIVE PARTIES
Gootopia Slime Celebrations
Give kids the slime of their lives with a slime-making party at Gootopia venues in Brixton, Lewisham, and Wandsworth. Children will enjoy a slime show, make a giant, stretchy slime, plus two tubs of individual slime to take home, with options of glow in the dark goo, a variety of colours and scents. There is also a party room for food and cake, plus optional goodie bags.
Gootopia. Lewisham, Brixton and Wandsworth locations. From £299 for up to 15 children. 1 hour 30.
Build-a-Bear Parties
Providing the ultimate party gifts, these popular parties allow guests to create their own furry friends to take home. The party chiefs take the stress out of celebrations, by leading the games with packages that fit your budget, with a toy making workshop to make cuddly friends they can keep, a special heart ceremony, games, bear ear party hats and photo prop opps. The guest of honour also recieved a plush, light-up cupcake gift and t-shirt.
Build-a-Bear. Multiple locations. From £17 per child.
Kids Art! Parties
For crafty kids, these guys bring the creativity to your home, a venue of your choice or a KidsArt! studio. They provide all art materials and can theme the party to your choice. All guests create one artwork with tuition
Kids Art! Party. Multiple locations. £20 per child, plus studio hire (£30 per hour for Finchley studio; other studios, priced on request). Extra £5 per child if children work with clay or extra £10 per child if children work on canvas. Minimum 8 children.
ACTIVE PARTIES
Go Ape Parties
Treat your cheeky monkeys to a Go Ape party for treetop adventures at one of their 36 UK locations across the UK, soaring across zip wires, crossings and wobbly bridges. Tackle tree to tree crossings on two to three different loops with a zip wire to bring you back down onto the forest floor at the end of each loop.You can make the day even more special by hiring a forest shelter or private party room.
Go Ape, Multiple locations From £20 pp. 1 adult to 2 children under six or 8 children over six
Chelsea Football Party
Soccer sprogs can be man of the birthday match with a private stadium tour; five-a-side football, and a Chelsea gift and certificate for each child.
Chelsea Football Club, Stamford Bridge, Fulham Rd., London SW6 1HS. £25 per child.
Get the Kids Climbing the Walls
Get the kids climbing the walls for their birthday at London’s Parthian Climbing centre in Wandsworth.
The 25,000 square foot beast is the first indoor climbing facility in the UK to feature an exact replica of The Titan Olympic bouldering wall, which will be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
They offer a range of kids’ sessions and courses for ages 3 and up. There are instructors for little ones taking on their first climbing experience, as well as the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) for a progressive syllabus. They also host kids’ parties, for 1.5 hours of climbing activities and games.
Parthian Climbing Centre, 52 - 58 Garratt Ln, Wandsworth, London SW18 4TF
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