Kid Party Ideas Beyond the Much-Loved and Much-Loathed Bounce House
Magic, Bubbles, and Other Ways to Entertain School-Age Tykes in Santa Barbara
This spring, I went to more kids’ birthday parties than I ever had in a single season. It’s official: I’m in the school-age parent zone, the parent of a 5-year-old, specifically.
Most of these parties took place in kid-friendly playgrounds, and the hosts brought their own food and entertainment. True, cake and a play structure provide sufficient fun for kids, but when it’s a special celebration, many parents like to spring for the much-loved and much-loathed bounce house.
After my son got injured in one (it was bound to happen), I got to thinking about the birthday parties I attended when I was an ‘80s kid. I wondered: Where are the magicians? And balloon twisters? And the always-“awww” petting zoo?
