If the thought of your child’s whole class descending on your house for a birthday party gives you the shivers, you are not alone. Fear not, we’ve found the best kids’ party venues in London to minimise the stress and maximise the fun – whatever the weather.
1/11 KidZania
If the birthday girl or boy wants to spend the morning being a firefighter and the afternoon as a chef, KidZania is the perfect place to host a unique party. The birthday guests can play at being any number of roles in the amazing miniature city, from a DHL postie to a puppeteer. Kids won’t even realise they are learning as they cash cheques at the local bank, take to the skies as a pilot or experience the ultimate dream job as a Cadbury’s chocolatier. The standard party package includes entry for 10 children and two adults, a delicious selection of party food, decorations and the care of KidZania party host.
Prices start at £350 for 10 children and 2 adults
2/11 Wonderlab at the Science Museum
Take part in mind-blowing science experiments and hands-on activities in the magical Wonderlab. Children can watch clouds form, race each other on a giant ‘fun friction’ slide and journey through outer space underneath twinkling stars as part of the fantastic program of activities. When the mini mad scientists are finished, a hot kid’s meal waits for them in the Deep Blue museum restaurant. A science handbook, sticker and great goodie bag for every child is the icing on the cake!
Prices start at £399 for a group of 10 children
3/11 Popstar party at the Young Film Academy
Kids can get dressed up and boogie on down to their favourite tunes with this incredible popstar experience at the Young Film Academy. An experienced film-maker and assistant will host your party and help organise guests to make their very own music video, complete with fun props and glamorous costumes. After guests have sung, danced and acted their hearts out the film-maker will professionally edit the result for the ultimate pop video. Treasure the memories with downloadable party promos and share new-found fame with family and friends.
Prices start at £590 for up to 20 guests
4/11 Hamleys Toy Store
What better place to celebrate your child’s birthday than in the most famous toy shop in the world? Children can find out all about the history of the toys in Hamleys and how they have changed over the years. Hear store secrets and get insider info about the seven floors of childhood delights; with over 50,000 toys on the shelves there is more than enough to capture young guests’ attention! At the end of the tour children can enjoy a scrumptious Hamleys birthday cake and receive party bags to take home.
Prices are £40 per head for four-10 children
5/11 Dino Snores sleepover, Natural History Museum
Budding palaeontologists will think this nocturnal adventure at the Natural History Museum is particularly ‘roarsome’. The Dino Snores Sleepover allows kids to enjoy the exclusivity of having the museum all to yourselves with other sleepover guests after the day visitors have gone home. Go dinosaur hunting on a torch-lit trail around the halls, make your own Jurassic themed t-shirts to take home and enjoy a mad science show presented by one of the Museum’s own experts. When the clock strikes twelve grab your sleeping bags and settle down for a dream-filled night under the Blue Whale skeleton in Hintze Hall.
Prices are £60 per person or £54 for Museum members
6/11 Funky Jungle party at Rainforest Cafe
Go wild with a dynamic dining experience at the The Rainforest Cafe. No ordinary restaurant, here you chomp chips with chimpanzees and slurp smoothies with snapping crocs all around! The whole restaurant is decorated lavishly in a rainforest theme, with animatronic animals and captivating tropical aquarium. The friendly resident tree frog may even visit your table for photos with the special guests; get your best tiger poses ready! Book a birthday party package for 6 or more children and receive a sumptuous chocolate birthday cake free of charge.
Prices start at £17 per person
7/11 Spun Candy workshops
As close as kids will ever get to a real life Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Experience, Spun Candy workshops are the stuff of dreams. Children arrive in the party room decked out in lollipop trees and overflowing fudge supplies; this is where the fun really begins. Learn all about the science of candy making and sample a variety of all-natural sweet flavours. Watch a confectionary master show you how it’s done before taking to the task of creating your own sweet treats. Once you have completed your delicious works of art it’s time for a team photo and a prize for the selected King Candy Maker of the day.
Workshop parties start at £20 per child
8/11 Origami boat party on The Floating Showroom
Push the boat out with this arty party Origami party from the popular Floating Showroom. The birthday girl or boy and their guests will hop aboard this ex Norfolk lake cruiser that has been converted to host memorable parties on London’s waterways. On sunny days the sliding roof lets the outside in, and the spacious interior has plenty of room for 12-14 guests. An origami artist will take children through the ancient Japanese art in a fun and educational way, before they get started on their own masterpieces. Guests can enjoy a special birthday tea of sandwiches and animal cupcakes as they work on their origami skills.
Prices start at £20 per person
9/11 Pizza making party at Mayfair Pizza Company
The perfect party for kids who love to get messy, this experience at the Mayfair Pizza Company will have them kneading, rolling, tossing and topping dough to make personalised ‘posh’ pizzas. On arrival birthday guests will enjoy snacking on popcorn and quenching their thirst with unlimited juice as they learn all the tips and tricks of top pizzaiolos. After everyone has polished off their delicious creations and enjoyed ice cream for dessert, certificates will be handed out so that the new pizzaiolos can remember their new culinary skills!
Prices are £25 per person
10/11 Pirate Crew party aboard The Golden Hinde
Argh me hearties! Kids will love donning eye patches and swords as they set sail aboard the Pirate Party at Golden Hilde for a unique immersive experience that brings horrible history to life! Children will haul anchor and get stuck in to actor-led pirate games and activities on Francis Drake’s legendary galleon; just as interesting for the parents as it is for kids. Meet scurvy sailors, hear gruesome facts about what life was like on board the Hinde hundreds of years ago and hunt for buried treasure. Then enjoy a hearty feast of vittles in pirate picnic boxes and tuck into a delicious pirate-ship or treasure-map cake.
Prices are £15 (plus VAT) per child
11/11 Laser Tag party at Adrenalin Rush
For kids who have boundless energy and love a bit of competition, a high-speed laser tag session may be just what you need to make a perfect party. Unlike traditional laser centres,Adrenalin Rush boasts a large outdoor arena with obstacles and shelters for maximum fun. Duck, dive and dodge the (harmless) lasers as you compete for your team’s victory, with all the fun of paintball without the bruises! After you are puffed out why not try your hand at driving one of the real mini tanks for the complete military experience. There is a covered picnic area that is free to use for up to 30 minutes after the games so everyone can recover with a slice of birthday cake.
Prices start at £18 per person