Beijing parents are always asking “Where can I throw a birthday party for my kid?” Well, we’re here to tackle that big bouncy question as we explore different types of venues all over the city and give you an in-depth look at your kids’ party options. Search #BigBeijingBirthdayPartyList for more recommendations from us.
————————————————————————————
My mother is a magnificent party planner, but she finds birthday parties particularly challenging in Beijing. We originally had planned for a garden birthday, but there was a miscommunication with our chosen venue, so our plans had to be pivoted. However, we do not give up so easily! So, when my mother asked me again what I would like to do, I said I would love to spend my tenth birthday outside. I had recently been wanting to go apple picking, and Mom had the perfect place: FunFarmFam.
FunFarmFam, aka FFF, is an urban oasis in the suburbs of Beijing. It is designed and owned by Mr. Morten Holm. For my birthday, Mr. Morten and his team led three fun activities for us kids to enjoy.
I had wanted to go apple picking, but unfortunately, apples were not in season at the moment. Our first activity happened to be picking food at his farm. Wait a minute – not picking, digging. Mr. Morten explained that more vines in one spot indicate more potatoes. Our parents were impressed to see that the children enjoyed digging for sweet potatoes and taking pride in finding the biggest one. And us youth had a phenomenal time.
The second activity was making sweet potato cupcakes. Right after potato digging, we were led back into the cafeteria to begin creating sweet potato cupcakes. It was fun to whisk the cake batter and crack eggs into a bowl, and mash up the potatoes. After we finished mixing the batter and poured our batter into our cups to be baked, it was lunchtime. And lucky for us, FFF also had a sweet little playground for us kids to spend some time while we waited for our lunch to be served.
Lunch was included in our party package, which is beneficial for my mom because she didn’t have to worry about catering lunch for our guests. According to my mother, this was the least stressful birthday party she had hosted. FFF did not allow us to bring outside food onto the farm, but we were allowed to bring in our own drinks. The lunch was all seasonal products from the farm and was very healthy and delicious. Mr. Morton also gave the option to order a special pizza from his kitchen. A large 40cm pizza would cost us an extra RMB 168. Mr. Morten baked the pizza himself, so it was fresh straight from the oven. The farm staff was so nice that we packed up the plentiful leftovers from our lunch. My mother did not have to fret over making my family dinner that evening!
FFF was very thoughtful; they helped my mother order a birthday cake on Meituan. They received the cake at the gate from the deliveryman, carefully stored it in their refrigerator, and served it at my mother’s request. In fact, when we first arrived, the staff greeted us and quickly offered to help set up the decorations we had ordered on Taobao.
FFF also was very communicative. Days leading up to the party, they reached out and offered activities and helpful reminders such as to wear appropriate clothing and bring bug spray and sunscreen. They were very flexible when my mom wanted to make changes to the schedule to accommodate our guests and offered the third activity to be one of the following:
- Go hunt for material to feed the animals.
- Water gun fight near the small river on the farm
- Go treasure hunting with a map of the orchard
- Egg harvesting in the chicken coop
The last activity, which was the one that everyone looked forward to the most, was hanging out with the animals. All morning, my guests had been inquiring about this opportunity. We collected herbs and vegetables from the garden to feed the animals. There were many goats just roaming around the place, and when they saw us coming toward them, we were almost mobbed by a herd of hungry, cute goats. What is rather comical is that when I tried to offer this one goat and a small handful from my pile, it just went straight to the big pile instead.
After that, we went into the chicken coop to pick up small eggs. We were all allowed four eggs each, and everyone had the excitement of finding one with a chick inside it. Unfortunately, if we had a chick inside an egg, it would be better to put it back in the coop, because without an incubator for the eggs to stay warm, the chicks inside would be goners.
I learned so much during this whole experience! It was a fun-filled day full of educational facts. Our guests got to keep their sweet potatoes and cupcakes, along with our four eggs. Though it was sad to leave, it had been a wonderful party. Mr. Morten helped my parents pack up our things, giving me a lot of time to feed the goats some more.
There you have it: my amazing, fun tenth birthday at FunFarmFam. If you are into nature and love feeding animals, be sure to check them out for your kid’s next party! As many of my friends share, they thought it was the best birthday party that they had attended. It was a magical birthday for me, and I hope your upcoming birthday party is as magical as mine!
Cost:
FFF charged per kid, it was RMB 399 per kid attending and RMB 199 for the parents. We got an extra ten percent off because we are affiliated with Western Academy of Beijing. Mr. Morten will offer a ten percent discount to teachers and staff at other schools as well.
Click here to see more information on their party packages.
Stay tuned. And stay reading!!!
Find it:
畈畈畈FunFarmFam
FunFarmFam Ecological Farm, 7 Litian Lu Nan, Shunyi District
顺义区天竺镇李天路南7号院畈畈畈生态农园
Contact: Morten Holm
Wechat: mortenholm123
Images: Clark Yap
