HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Cool Places for Kids Birthday Parties in the Hudson Valley

 

   

The Hudson Valley has a lot of great spaces to host kids birthday parties. I find hosting a birthday party outside the house takes away some of my party planning stress. 

Here is a list of places I've partied at:

The Little Gym, Kingston--It's a simple birthday program, but a surefire kid pleaser really no matter how old your child is. The gym room is bright and spacious and very safe.Parties last 90 minutes. The first 1 hour is spent in the gym doing activities and/or structured free play depending on what you want. There is a balance beam, parallel bars, large wheel shaped cushions, a gigantic mat, rings, parachute play, and an inflatable trampoline--(the most anticipated event as seen in the top photo!). Afterwords there is pizza and juice for the kids. (If you want enough pizza to feed the adults too, just order it through them and pay for the extra pies). Approx. $200 covers 12 kids plus membership fees. (Additional guests are $12 each). Birthday girl or boy gets a cute Little Gym t-shirt too. You bring your own cake and goody bags, and anything else you want. They pack the gifts away and tie balloons on the goody bags for you. The staff are all very energetic. The Little Gym also offers camps and Parent Survival Nights.Check out their website for more info here The Little Gym (845) 382-1020.

Skate Time 209 Roller Rink & Skateboard Park, Accord--I have been to this roller rink, but never had a party here. I'm hoping someone I know will host a party here. They have a beautiful rink and skateboard park. Skatetime 209, (845) 626-7971.

Henry Hudson Planetarium, Albany.--This was a bit of a wild-card. It is an-hour away, and I was a bit nervous as I remember having major planetarium-phobia as a kid. All the kids had a great time. Henry Hudson Planetarium. (518) 434-0405. 

Excel Gymnastics--Saugerties. It is a fun place to host a birthday party, especially if you have a budding gymnast. It has more of a rugged professional gymnastics feel with chalk available near a lot of the apparatus. There is a cool foam pit, a huge bouncy trampoline. The only con is that they can have two parties simultaneously so if you prefer a totally private party for your group, it may not be a good fit. You bring your own food. Exel Gymnastics (845) 336-0706.

Local Firehouses---I was once invited to a birthday party at a local firehouse.  The mom who hosted it was a volunteer EMT, but according to her anybody can rent the hall for a party for a fee. (I think it was around $200). Probably not all firehouses can offer this, but worth looking into.

McDonald's--I went to a fun party at the McDonald's in Kingston on Albany Avenue. The kids had a blast on the equipment and a staff member brought a Ronald McDonald cake. If you are on a budget, this is a good deal. $7 per child.

The Childrens School of Yoga, Monroe--I attended one of their classes, but haven't been to one of their birthday parties (yet!). It could be a good choice if your child loves yoga or you want something a bit mellow. Check out Childrens School of Yoga website for more info. 

What are other great birthday venues in the Hudson Valley?

Bistro-to-Go: Slow cooked fast food on Route 28--Kingston, NY

 Bistro-To-Go is a French take-out restaurant and gourmet food shop on Route 28 in Kingston. It's very close to 375 the road to Woodstock. Although Bistro-To-Go has been open since 2007, I didn't eat there until today. My excuse for not visiting earlier is that I don't like making turns on Route 28. (I'm not a good driver). Anyway, all the ready made food behind the counter looked fresh and homemade. The Triple Chocolate cake also looked incredibly dense and delicious.

Chef owner Richard (pictured) and Mary Anne Erickson offer Plat du Jour every day. Today was Paella. Yesterday's was Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. I had the French lentil soup with a side of roasted potatoes only because I'm trying to get in shape for Summer, and ice cream season. Bistro-To-Go also does catering and special events. There are few tables where you can sit and eat in case you don't want your French food to go. For more info, visit Bistro-to-go located at 948 Route 28, Kingston, NY. (845) 340-9800.

Birthday Cakes for Kids and Grown-ups: Deising's Bakery-Kingston, NY

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 The Fall is birthday season at my house so birthday cakes have been on mind lately. Yesterday I got to pick my own birthday cake after my husband treated me to a hearty breakfast at Deising's Bakery and Coffee Shop in Kingston. The bakery is an institution in Kingston. As you can see the donuts, fritters, cupcakes are real old-school-no-skimping-on-the-good-stuff desserts!  I could eat this stuff all day if I let myself.  Deising’s has a catalog of specialty birthday cakes for kids too. There are also some really cute ones for baby showers. Of course, they also make wedding cakes though I have yet to taste one of their wedding cakes. My birthday cake was really good. I loved the vanilla custard they use in the layers.  Gluten-free cookies and other baked goods are also available. They sell homemade dog biscuits too. Deising's Bakery. http://www.deisings.com

Birthday Dinner: Mohonk Mountain House--New Paltz, NY

Since my husband made me promise him I wouldn't throw a big surprise party or plan anything too crazy for his 50th birthday, I decided to make a reservation for dinner for 4 at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. I under-estimated how long it takes to get there from the Kingston area. There is a long and winding uphill road that you must drive up to reach it, which took at least 10 minutes to climb. But once you get there, the Victorian castle is really magical.  (There is also an indoor pool and spa resort here that I would love to try one day).  We had gift certificates that we won, but the cost of a 4-course dinner for adults is $67, and for children 12 and under it is $34.  The dinner includes 2 appetizers, a main course, and a choice of desserts.  (Tax and tip is included in the meal price).

We both started with the Hudson Valley cheese plate, which was a thick slice of Camembert-style cheese on a cracker.  I had the artichoke fritter, which was also bite-size, but delicious.  My Tasmanian Salmon with onions melted in my mouth, and was cooked to perfection. My husband's Cowboy Steak was "hungry man size" and he had no complaints! The children had their usual grilled cheese and chicken strips, and ice cream for dessert.  I noticed that mainly couples had choice tables with the amazing views, but you can really see the glorious panorama from wherever you're sitting..though if you really want a romantic dinner, request a table by the window in advance.  The dining room also bakes cakes for special occasions. (They even will create a cake for 2-4 people). I chose the 4-10 serving cake, which ended up looking bigger than I expected. The service was very fast, which is always a huge help when you are dining with children. The staff pulled off the surprise cake with effortless finesse!  For more information on the Mohonk Mountain House, visit http://www.mohonk.com.  They also have a Sunday buffet brunch.  Check their programs. There are a zillion activities to choose from, and they are offering special weeknight packages.

Pineview Bakery--Shokan, NY--Big & Tasty Low Budget Breakfast

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I am feeling stuffed right now. I hadn't been to the Pine View Bakery in Shokan on Route 28 in ages. Today we had an errand to run in Boiceville so it was the perfect excuse to stop. They make homemade cookies, danishes, cakes, and muffins. (They also make birthday and wedding cakes). There is outdoor and indoor seating. I had the breakfast special, which was strawberry and banana shortcake French toast, which included a large coffee for $7. This was the most expensive thing on the breakfast menu. The prices are very reasonable. My husband had the sausage and cheese omelet with home fries, which he devoured.  The French toast was really good. I finished my plate. The bakery has a loyal local crowd and weekenders. I even saw a couple cops eating here. I have a friend who says, "If cops eat there, you know it's good!"--I haven't tried the lunch here yet, but if the breakfast is any indication, it's probably delicious. Pineview Bakery & Cafe, Route 28, Shokan, NY. (845) 657-8925. Open Tuesday thru Sunday: 6 am - 4pm.