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.

You don’t need the latest video games to have fun. In fact, sometimes it takes almost nothing to entertain kids! Even so, it’s surprising how difficult it is in Beijing to find a place with these “nothings” that will entertain your kids all day while developing their life and social skills.

During the winter my daughter and I discovered a winter wonderland filled with snow slopes and tubes at Sheep Momo’s Forest. And now that spring is here, the snow has melted away, giving way to a beautiful green daytime camping ground.

Since our first visit to Momo’s, we’ve gone back multiple times throughout the year, and we’ve loved it every single time. To sum it up, Sheep Momo’s Forest is a day camping ground, outdoor play area, and petting zoo all in one. While it’s not the only place in Beijing that’s built like this, it is the most convenient to town – located in the Jiuxianqiao area and a mere 20 minute drive from downtown, instead of the hour plus drive you’d need to undertake in order to get to Miyun for the same sort of curated fun in nature.

So now that spring is here and the weather is nice and warm, Sheep Momo’s Forest is officially the place for daytime birthday parties for kids!

Here’s why:

• The attention to detail is incredible. The activities are designed with play-based learning in mind. More on that later.
• It’s incredibly affordable! Tickets to Momo’s are RMB 59 per person and free for kids under 80cm.
• Most activities are included in the price of admission. Unlike Chaoyang Park, where rides require additional tickets, any activity that doesn’t involve taking something home with you is free. Trampolines, the giant inflatable bubble that kids can jump on, an intricate water flow contraption, slides, various sand pits, the eco-friendly roller coaster, cars and bikes, and hanging out with animals are all included in the ticket price. With the admission of a regular ticket, the only activities you’ll need to pay extra for are things like painting sculptures, fishing, flower arranging, excavating “ancient artifacts,” and mining for gems. All of these activities that let you take away a souvenir will require a small additional fee.
• The animals at the petting zoo area look well taken care of. There’s nothing exotic that doesn’t belong in this climate.
  
• The staff are nice. I know, it sounds out of place to be surprised at how friendly the staff is, but it’s something that you don’t often experience at parks. No one here is trying to sell you plastic junk you don’t want. No one’s trying to guilt you into letting your kid do their craft the way vendors in most parks do. They’re there to assist if you need help, but they give you space to just enjoy your day.
• It’s safe. There’s only one entrance and exit and it’s right under the eyes of the ticketing staff. It’s also been designed so that there’s no major attraction by the gate so kids aren’t tempted to explore in that area. All the good stuff is kept in the centralized area, which makes letting kids explore and play on their own while still keeping an eye on them so much easier.
• There’s a clean bathroom, as well as kid-sized sinks all over the place.
• They allow waimai. You can order lunch, birthday cakes, and drinks to be delivered right to the gate. Alcoholic beverages are allowed, but staff will remind you to please be mindful and don’t get drunk. The location of the park is easy enough to find that all three of my waimai deliveries have arrived with no problem at all.
• There’s no smoking allowed at Momo’s! You won’t catch your kids digging cigarette butts out of sandpits here!

Pro tip:
 The petting zoo section of Momo’s has sheep, alpacas, geese, pigs, horses, rabbits, birds, and more. You can bring in your own carrots and lettuce to feed them but one bag of feed is included in the ticket price too!

The entire back part of Momo’s is an open space with little wood-framed tents and enough open space for anyone to put down their own picnic blanket or even pitch their own tent. Book one of the provided tents and make it your “home base” for the day, where all the celebrations take place. The price is RMB 400 for the day. Call or WeChat in advance so they can reserve a tent for you.

Pro tip:
 If you’ve got a hammock, there are plenty of trees for you to hang one on!

I’ve said this about Momo’s before: It’s clear that this place was designed by an experienced parent with kids’ development in mind.

Every activity is fun, but they also work on children’s life and social skills through play.

Take the water-flowing contraption, for example. It’s a simple concept, but watching my friends’ kids combine make new friends and work together as a team was such a “wow” moment. Without any parent or teacher to assign tasks, the kids of various ages just worked together on their own, even practicing English and Chinese at the same time. #mindblowing

To get their staff’s assistance in planning the perfect outdoor birthday party, call Mr. Shen at 18301132581 or add him on WeChat by scanning the QR code below. He doesn’t really speak English, so if you can’t speak Chinese, stick to WeChat Translate.

Momo’s has three decoration packages for the parents who want to go all out for their kids’ outdoor picnic birthday. Three different prices (RMB 2,188; RMB 4,888; or RMB 8,888) all include various levels of backdrop boards, helium balloons, balloon artwork, table set up, and tent decorations.

And the decoration is not going to be a generic setup that’s recycled party after party. The Momo’s coordinator will work with parents to settle on a theme and setup that’s custom-made for their party. Depending on the number of guests attending, they’ll have chairs and tables set up, and a staff member will be on-site all day long, waiting to assist. It’s like having a butler for your picnic.

Find it:

Sheep Momo’s Forest
Bashang Chunqiu Century Park Inside Xiaoyang Momo Senlin Wangguo, Chaoyang District
东五环坝上春秋世纪艺术园
Tel:13070157312
Hours: 
Weekdays: 9.30am-6pm
. Weekends: 9.30am-7pm.

KEEP READING: Outdoor Play Place + Petting Zoo + Snow!

Images: Mina Yan

I found it. Paradise. Right here in Beijing, within the 5th Ring Road.

Of course, my idea of paradise may differ just a little from yours. But if yours has anything to do with kids having fun in a safe outdoor space while you sip *insert beverage of choice* and eat barbecue fresh off the grill before retiring to a warm bed in the middle of the woods, then we’re in business. The WOOTA glamping business, to be precise!

WOOTA, which loosely translates to ”tall house,” is the site of Beijing’s premier glamping grounds. Situated just ten kilometers (or an under-45 minute drive) from the city center in a private park, WOOTA has everything you could need for spending a night in the outdoors, all set up and ready for your enjoyment. The glamping grounds feature twenty roomy, waterproof canvas tents furnished in rustic natural decor that comfortably sleep up to four, maybe five, people. Facilities include clean toilets, warm showers, a playground with sand, a giant outdoor trampoline, a sheltered stage, and a movie projector plus screen. There are a number of activities to keep the kids occupied, including: Ride-an-ATV, archery (for older kids), wood-chopping, a campfire, an outdoor foam party, movie screenings… The list goes on and on! Though, honestly, my kid spent 90% of his time just bouncing on the giant outdoor trampoline, which is well worth its weight in gold.

Even the WOOTA mascot can jump on the giant trampoline – it’s THAT big!

As for activities to keep parents occupied? Well, so long as our kids have something to do, we are likely content to just sit, chat, and enjoy the fresh air in a natural setting. During our visit, the parents around me seemed completely worry-free as their kids roamed and played freely. Alright, perhaps the near-endless supply of alcoholic beverages helped a bit, but one cannot deny that the magic of simply being outdoors was a huge factor in taking the edge off. But as laissez-faire as we were, parents always have the option to take part in activities with their offspring. Many of us rode ATVs with our younger children, while the bigger kids had the option to ride a smaller ATV on their own.

But the real magic of camping, and even glamping, was watching the sun go down and everything change color as the night was lit up by the romantic hue of firelight. And after all, what screams summer more than roasting s’mores and marshmallows over a campfire?

Well, how about a movie under the stars?

Renting a tent at WOOTA will set you back RMB 2,380 for the night, which includes dinner and breakfast, as well as access to all the aforementioned activities. It’s basically the cost and experience of a night’s stay in a 5-star hotel in Beijing, with one major difference: At WOOTA you’re right in the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature!

Tents are furnished with double mattresses, basic amenities and decorated in a rustic wood theme

Have I mentioned the personalized and excellent service the family that runs WOOTA provides? The husband and wife team were available almost 24/7 throughout our stay of two days and one night, despite having just had their first baby six months ago. Hunter, the husband, and manager spoke excellent English, and grilled our barbecue dinner himself. He also took some of the younger kids on ATV rides around the grounds. You can tell when someone enjoys and takes pride in his work, and it shows in every aspect of WOOTA’s glamping experience.

As a little parting souvenir to commemorate their stay, families are invited to build their own canvas folding chair with their name laser-cut into the wood frame. Assembling the chair turned out to be more of a challenge than most of us were prepared for, and the staff graciously allowed us to take the pieces home to assemble at our leisure. My tip would be to set aside at least two hours for this activity, which usually takes place on the second day.

As an added bonus, dogs are more than welcome at the WOOTA glamping grounds! The owners have their own rescue dogs on-site, which is just another reason to like them. After all, is said and done, WOOTA certainly lives up to the glamping hype. Whenever you need a quick getaway from the urban jungle, this glossy little slice of nature will be right here for you to recharge your batteries and refresh yourself.

To book one of these super cool glamping trips for your friends and family, add WeChat ID WOOTA01 from Woota for more info! Have fun!

KEEP READING: Summer Camp Previews: Survival Camp and UK University Prep

Images: Andrew Eitingon, Joas Fritz, Jenny Williams, Vivienne Tseng-Rush, Dazhongdianping

It’s gonna be a bloody good time! Pardon the pun, I couldn’t help it…

Leave it to Oasis International Hospital to turn a blood drive into a fun festival for the whole family! Their dedication to making healthcare fun is one of the reasons why I genuinely enjoy going to the hospital there.

This Saturday (Apr 24) from 9am to 2pm the whole family can stop by Oasis International Hospital for a day of fun, food, entertainment, and blood donations.

For those donating blood, Oasis, together with HULU and Tesla, have prepared goodie bags and free food to enjoy along with the festivities celebrating the hospital’s 9th anniversary and your contribution to the community.