From a potions professor to a yogi, make your kid’s next party one to remember by inviting one of these awesome entertainers.
1. Young Wizards Academy Get ready for tons of fun and adventure with a Young Wizards Academy party! A quick spell will turn your home into Hogwarts, where little witches and wizards can learn how to make potions and get a magic wand at the Hogwarts: Potions Party. Or your Padawan can train as a Jedi at the Jedi: Finding the Force Within party—make sure to check out the option to have a functioning R2! These are just two of 10 party options available at Young Wizards Academy. Others include knight parties and Hunger Games-style bashes, where kids try their hand at archery and compete in a Cornucopia Nerf battle. May the odds be ever in your favour! All party packages come with a character, like Katniss, Darth or Professor Trelawney, who leads kids through all the activities. Prices range from $185 to $315 for 60 to 90 minutes of activities and include a gift for each guest. The themed bashes are suited to kids as young as three and up to their teens.
Start planning: 778-846-9400 youngwizardsacademy.com>
Photo: MakerMobile2. MakerMobile Design a robot, make a pop-bottle racer or learn about 3-D printing and more at MakerMobile. This once-ordinary truck has been transformed into a totally awesome space where kids can try Exploration activities—and the truck comes right to your house! For two hours, 10 guests will get to give one of these projects a go, all with the help of two instructors. The basic cost is $375, but for an additional charge, little ones can try a Project activity, like making a duct-tape wallet or an LED wristband.
Start planning: makermobile.org>
Photo: Red Alchemy Photographic Arts3. Pacific Fairytales Grant your little one’s wishes with a party package from Pacific Fairytales (formerly My Little Princess). They offer several packages with superheroes or princesses, as well as a mermaid swimming party where Coral the Mermaid comes to your home pool or community centre, plays swimming games with the guests, sings along with everyone and presents the birthday child with a tiara. On the superhero side, your child’s favourite character provides an interactive storytime and gets the kids grooving with a rockin’ dance party! There are also tons of fun add-ons, like face painting and bouncy castles to rent. Both basic superhero and princess options start at $175 for up to 15 guests.
Start planning: 604-771-3116 pacificfairytales.com>
4. PlayPodz A truck decked out with TVs, gaming systems and seats is heaven for little gamers! Since it’s climate controlled, PlayPodz’s mobile gaming arena is set to entertain your child and her friends in comfort, no matter how cold or hot it is outside. She can invite up to 16 of her buddies to join her for some gaming fun, with titles like Just Dance, Minecraft and more! Parents must book the gaming arena for a minimum of two hours. The cost is $379, plus $129 for every hour after.
Start planning: 604-218-7978 playpodz.com>
Photo: Mike's Critters5. Mike’s Critters Whether it’s birds, amphibians, insects, arachnids, crustaceans or mammals that your child likes best, Mike’s Critters has the creature for her. He has more than 70 different species in his collection, and most are available for shows. At a Mike’s Critters show, guests will get to learn about and interact with creatures from around the world. Mike has been offering travelling shows for almost 15 years, so he can answer most questions that your animal lover has for him. The cost is $160 for a one-hour show, $225 for a 1 1/2-hour show or $275 for a two-hour show.
Start planning: 604-598-3649 mikescritters.com>
Photo: Yoga Buttons6. Yoga Buttons Kids’ birthday parties can get a little rowdy sometimes, so avoid some of the noise by booking a chilled-out yoga party—well, as chilled out as a room full of kids can be! For $100, Yoga Buttons will come to your home and teach up to 20 kids how to do animal and nature yoga poses. They will also learn relaxation and breathing exercises through yoga games, dance and drama activities. Yoga Buttons brings tons of props—including bubbles, books, scarves and parachutes—to make sure everyone has lots of fun while they “om.” Plus, kids get to make their own wishing jars filled with gems and sparkles. A Yoga Buttons party lasts one hour and costs $275 (plus GST), with all props and supplies provided.
Start planning: 604-739-9642 yogabuttons.com>
7. Yeeri the Magician Celebrities like Sarah McLachlan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among those who’ve hired Yeeri to entertain their kids—and it’s no wonder why. He offers a fun, interactive show filled with impressive tricks and always makes sure the birthday child is the star of the show by getting her to help out. Yeeri has three party packages for kids ages four and older. The regular package includes puppetry, balloon animals or hats for all of the kids and a 45-minute comedy-magic show where he levitates the birthday child for the grand finale! The deluxe package builds on the regular one and takes things up a notch, with the birthday child helping to float a wooden table in the air, a mini magic workshop and treat bags for all the little magicians. The diamond package includes all of the previously mentioned features but also offers mind reading, a time-travel illusion and more! There are no limits to the number of kids who can attend a Yeeri the Magician birthday show.
Start planning: 604-306-6229 magicbirthdayparty.ca>
Photo: The Dizzy Whisk8. The Dizzy Whisk Kids ages seven and up have a chance to show off and hone their cooking and baking skills with a Dizzy Whisk party! There are two at-home packages to choose from, and they’re both for up to 12 children. With the first package for $380, parents can choose to have guests cook either a main, like pizza, or a dessert, like quadruple-chocolate cupcakes, at a 1 1/2- to two-hour party. With the second option for $480, parents can have kids make both a main and a dessert during a three-hour party. All ingredients and cooking utensils are provided, and prepared sides like focaccia bread and Caesar salad are available for an additional cost.
Start planning:
dizzywhisk.com>
9. The Doodle Girls A love of face painting and a background as nannies and child care providers make the Doodle Girls a fantastic choice to entertain your kid and all her birthday guests. They use non-toxic, hypoallergenic paints and are happy to dress up to fit a birthday party theme! Their fee is $65 per painter per hour, and there is a two-hour minimum for one face painter and a one-hour minimum for two face painters.
Start planning: 778-580-5059 thedoodlegirls.com>
10. Heroic Parties There are seven awesome heroes you can invite to your next birthday! Depending on which package you choose, your kid and her guests could have a balloon sword battle with their fave good guy or learn some martial arts moves, hear an adventure story or get their picture taken with their hero. No matter which package you choose, the show is always geared to making every kid at the party feel like a superhero. Prices start at $100 for the half-hour Super Hero Surprise option and go up to $270 for the 1 1/2-hour Super Hero Supreme option.
Start planning: 778-996-4376 heroicparties.ca>
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Alex is a Toronto-based writer and editor. She currently works as a managing editor for Mind Over Matter magazine. Her work can also be found in publications like The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and The Walrus.