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.

So you’ve got a kid’s party coming up: You’ve secured a smashing venue that’s got great food, a variety of play spaces, and miraculously, all the decorations you ordered off Taobao made it in time! But wait, neither you nor your partner really want the job of wrangling 10 or more kids to come together for long enough to sing the birthday song, cut the cake, and open presents. Plus, if your kid enjoys magic, bubbles, juggling, and the like, then what you’ll want is a top-notch performer to bring the oomph factor to your party. We scour all our trusted sources to bring you a few tried-and-recommended kids’ party performers, what they offer, and for what price.

*Warning: If you suffer from coulrophobia, that is a fear of clowns, please stop scrolling as there are many images of clowns ahead.

Uncle Clown 小丑叔叔

Introducing himself simply as Uncle Clown, this busy performer does work for local events and corporate shows as well as kids’ parties, where he can also provide balloon sculpture decorations for your needs. Though he only speaks Mandarin, he doesn’t believe it’s a problem for the kids with the use of body language. What’s his specialty? He says, “The clown magic show!” His rates are as follows:

Clown magic balloon RMB600 / hour
Clown Magic Juggling Balloon RMB800 / hour and 20 minutes
Bubble show RMB1000 / hour
Science Show RMB1200 / hour

Scan the QR code to add him on WeChat

Mister Clown 小丑先生

Mister Clown is a service that has been around for over five years, serving over 1,500 birthday parties in that time. They offer up to nine comprehensive party packages, so there’s definitely one to meet your needs. Their top package includes a full set of clown performances (including magic, juggling, bubble show, science experiment show, and balloon art) led by an acting teacher and two clowns (only in Chinese though), for two hours! At RMB3,000, they say it’s absolutely value for money. Their promise? To make your kids feel like the star they are, and experience pure joy on their special day, while parents can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. As an added bonus, there are no extra traveling charges within the 5th Ring Road.

Add them on WeChat for more details of their many packages!

Ah Yi 阿绎 Clown Service  

If face-painting is on your party checklist, then this could be the guy for you. Aside from the usual clown magic balloons, bubbles, and science shows, Ah Yi offers professional face-painting services, as well as sugar-blowing, straw-weaving, and get this, fancy cotton candy! That’s definitely less common than balloons! He conveniently offers videography and photography services as well. *Chinese-speaking only

Add Ah Yi on WeChat (ID: wd1122860) for more information.

中华绝技阿浪 (zhōng huá jué jì ā làng) 

We’re entering the big leagues here with this professional troupe of performers, who boast actual stage performances of their magic and stunt acts. For kids’ parties, Ah Lang 阿浪 specializes in illusions such as escapes, torn (but magically whole again!) newspapers, disappearing (and reappearing!) pigeons, etc, which they offer at RMB600/hour. *Chinese-speaking only

Add them on WeChat (ID: wxid_cmu5y750pr2v12)

Diimiile Kids’ Party 迪米乐派对

Last but not least, we have a full-fledged party planner that is devoted to putting your kids’ party together for you. From bouncy castles to mascots to popcorn machines to lion dancers, plus everything else you’ve read in this article, they have it all. Consider them your one-stop-party shop for kids’ events, and best of all, they provide English-speaking services as well as performers! Eric comes highly recommended by several expat parents in all our WeChat groups, so you know you’re in good hands.

Contact Eric at 18500605170 or scan the QR code below

KEEP READING: An Outdoor Birthday Party That’s More Than Just a Picnic

Images: Pexels, courtesy of the vendors

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.

Last weekend, we were invited to 曼联梦剧场 (Mànlián mèng jùchǎng) Theatre of Dreams in 前门 (Qiánmén, Dongcheng district) for a 7-year-old soccer lover’s birthday party. A must-visit for fans of the game, this club is an all-around hangout spot with exhibition space on the second floor full of Manchester United memorabilia, a merchandise store, restaurant, and the clincher – a virtual reality (VR) soccer game arcade in the basement, which is perfect for any aspiring soccer star’s birthday party!

Right at the entrance, you’re greeted with two possible routes – up “The United Way” or down the “Red Devil Experience.” However, the fun is all the way down in basement three, where you’ll find 15 individual VR rooms ready for you to kick the soccer ball at the highest scoring target for points. It sounds simple, and it is. It’s also very addictive, as I witnessed people play in one room for almost an hour. A ticket to play (6 rounds) will cost you RMB158, whereas an all-access pass to both the exhibition (including a guided tour in Mandarin) and the VR games will cost RMB288 for adults and RMB208 for kids.

There’s also a spacious VIP room reserved for private events, complete with a bar, sofa chairs, and also one VR room in it, though you get access to the adjacent VR room as well which is great for larger groups. On top of the two VR rooms, there are two foosball tables for more hands-on entertainment. This was where the party was held that weekend, and it just about fit 100 adults and children. Because the space had been cordoned off and the whole play space was so isolated from the rest of the public areas, we felt completely safe letting our kids “off-leash.” It was a chaotic scene, with kids running, yelling, kicking, and eating, while the adults huddled in a corner next to the bar, hoping their kid wasn’t the one screaming “Mom!” or “Dad!”

While you are welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks, you have to order main entrees from the attached restaurant upstairs. The good news is, if you order RMB 3,000 worth of F&B, you get to use the VIP room for free! Otherwise, the room costs RMB 3,000 to rent for up to four hours. Included within the price is a ballooon-shaping, trick-performing clown, an appearance by a mascot that I can only assume is the “Red Devil,” and support from the staff. Decorations are available at additional cost.

Pizzas were served as the main feast for the party and they were delicious. Not your run-of-the-mill pizza in-the-box type of party fare but an almost gourmet-looking rectangular pizza topped with rocket! It’s all a la carte ordering off the menu at the Theatre of Dreams restaurant, which you can glimpse below.

If you want to book Theatre of Dreams for your kid’s upcoming birthday party, contact the manager Norah by scanning her QR code below.

KEEP READING: A Beijing Birthday Party By Land, By “Sea”, or By Animal!

Images: Dianping, Ray Wu, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

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 son asked for a pool party for his 6th birthday party earlier this year, which would have been a lot easier if his birthday wasn’t in early March when it’s still way too cold outside. So we had to take the party indoors, which would have been a lot easier if the pandemic hadn’t shut down most of the indoor water parks like the Water Cube at Beijing Olympic Park. All this to say that after quite an ordeal, we found an indoor playground that offers a considerable water play area, a massive indoor play area, and to top it all off, a fairly well-sized and well-kept zoo! This place is none other than By Loft Playground or Bao Yan Le Yuan Kids Playground, located on the south side of town right by the fourth ring road.

I called ahead to enquire about hosting a kids’ party there for ten adults and ten kids and was directed to their events manager via WeChat. After we connected, I was invited to tour the premises, which I did to my satisfaction. The water playground was clean, with ample changing rooms and showering facilities, and the water in the pools are continuously filtered up to the standards of local governance. The place did have a lingering scent of chlorine, which may help assure you of how sterile the environment is. My only concern was possible damage to the little ones’ skin if the chlorine content was strong, but after almost two hours in the water play area, all the kids came out just fine. One other interesting observation was that this may be the first time some kids are exposed to the casual nudity that occurs in many a Chinese bathroom, so be prepared for some fun questions after the party.

The management staff were great in helping to organize the kids and had suggested that they play in the water area before moving onto the indoor playground for two reasons. One, we could avoid the crowds that tend to come later in the day for the water play, and two, it was logistically simpler not to deal with tired kids and wet clothes at the end of an overwhelming day. We strongly suggest you follow a similar itinerary.

The massive indoor playground offers everything that kids up to about the age of 8 would find interesting: bouncy inflatables, sand pits, ball pits, building blocks, obstacle maze with long slides – one of the longest and certainly the fastest I’ve personally slid down – and even a 5D cinema (which is really more like 3D, but still!) that plays five-minute clips of adventure rides like roller-coasters or underwater submarine experiences.

We paid for an all-inclusive package meaning Bao Yan Le Yuan took care of it all, from the food to the balloon decorations and even an eight-inch cake. It costs RMB 6,888+ including entrance tickets for a guest list of up to 20. The tickets gave us all access to the water area, indoor playground, and zoo, which we saved for last. It easily takes at least 30 minutes to walk through the winding exhibit, but kids will see all sorts of creatures from crabs to raccoons and even white wolves, while also getting to feed the fish, rabbits, and llamas.

A birthday party at By Loft Playground has everything for the party-goers, whether they want to get splashed, bounce around, or pet a bunny. We highly recommend this experience for those with kids under 8, though we even had a couple of over-10s enjoy themselves at our party!

Look for 宝燕乐园 bǎo yàn lè yuán on Dianping to check out all the photos and videos, or add cxd19991120 on WeChat to get in touch with their event manager!

KEEP READING: How To Save RMB 8,000 on a Birthday Party at MeLand

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush

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.

Artyzen Hotel Dongcheng

My daughter recently turned 1 and our birthday party at Artyzen Hotel was everything I could have asked for from a venue. The hotel doesn’t usually host kids’ parties, but perhaps they should because their event space was seemingly designed for such an event!

While it might be easier to book a traditional play place for a party, those don’t come cheap and usually have a time limit on how long you can play there, not to mention the other patrons who are sharing the space with you. Plus, if you’re planning on inviting friends without kids, such venues aren’t typically the places they want to go.

For my daughter’s birthday we had a mix of babies, older kids, and a few friends without children. We chose a casual buffet set up and the hotel allowed us to bring in our own alcohol, which meant we were able to set up an open bar stocked with everyone’s favorites.

The setup:

Artyzen uses round banquet tables that comfortably seat 10-11 people per table, and their open floor-plan pretty much allows for anything you want. We set up a photo backdrop, a big play tent, a baby playpen with toys, and a diaper changing station. The buffet, cake, gifts, and drink tables flanked the room so guests could easily pick out their favorite foods and refill on drinks whenever needed.

Why I loved it:

• Their event space is a modern, elegant design, but there’s no pretense of a luxury 5-star hotel with extra high ceilings and chandeliers. Those event spaces are designed for weddings and exhibitions, so a small kids’ party would feel stuffy and tiny in that kind of space.
• There’s no carpet. When you’re hosting kids who constantly touch the floor and put their hands all over their faces, a wooden floor that you can mop (and spray with disinfectant if you’re strict on sanitation like me) is much better than a carpet that gets steam cleaned maybe once a year.
• Upon booking the venue, you’ll be assigned a designated event manager who’ll not only answer every question you have regarding setup but will also help you make arrangements to receive supplies at the hotel, reserve baby chairs, put up digital signage, etc. Their events’ managers are bilingual meaning communication is a breeze. Plus, they’ve been doing this for years so they’ll catch any detail you might miss yourself.
• We were allowed to bring in our own alcohol, and the hotel went so far as to help us receive it in advance, resulting in chilled beer and wine.
  

  Whiskey, wines, beers, and non-alcoholic options for the kids and breastfeeding moms

• Kudos to their kitchen team! The food was delicious and the presentation beautiful! They offer two buffet options, each with its own hot carving station where attentive chefs stay for the duration of the party.
  

  Artyzen’s stunning dessert set up

• They have their own sound system and a projector if you want to play a video. I would recommend testing it out in advance so you know how the whole thing functions.

Pro tips:

• Book a room at the hotel the night before and ask for a late checkout the following day. That way you’ll have plenty of time to set up and get ready, allow your kids to nap in a comfy bed if they get tired, and if you request their kids’ room complete with a tent and play area, they’ll stay entertained for hours in the room before the rest of the guests arrive. Trust me when I say that after the party, having a comfy room to regroup and pack up all the gifts is a luxury.
  

  Artyzen Hotel’s themed out kids’ room

• The hotel has six baby chairs, and if you’re planning on borrowing them it’s best to let your event manager know in advance. If you need more baby chairs, Xianyu is a great place to buy some seconnd hand ones for as little as RMB 10. If you aren’t familiar with Xianyu, we have a primer that you can check out here.
• Have a baby food station with snacks specifically for your younger partygoers. Little Freddies and crackers are great. However, it’s important to note that the hotel will not help you heat outside food in their kitchen for safety reasons.
  

  Baby snacks and goodie bags

• Hire a photographer. You want to capture the beautiful day, but you’ll be too busy running after the kids and hosting your guests. So leave the photography to a pro. If you don’t know where to find one, check out our handy guide to some of the capital’s best family-friendly photographers.

Pricing:

• The first thing you’ll need to do is choose the type of menu you want. The hotel offers two options for buffets and two options for sit-down dinners, all of which have a 35 person minimum. For a kids’ party I would highly recommend the buffet option. It’s more casual and fun for them, as opposed to sitting through multiple courses. Pricing varies depending on the menu, but on average Artyzen’s lunch buffet is between RMB 200-300/person and dinner buffets are RMB 300-400/person. Below are examples of their menus. Please note that the menus get updated on a regular basis and some items may no longer be available.
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• If you want to stay there the night before (which again, I highly recommend), your event manager can help you book the room. The rate will depend on the hotel’s availability.
• Decorations are not included in the hotel’s events package. You’ll need to sort that out on your own. If you’re looking for a photo backdrop, there are Taobao vendors available, but the person I’ve been using for years is Liu Yi (WeChat ID wxid_zxjuk65gziwy22) whose rates are competitive and most importantly, dependable. A 2×2 meter photo backdrop board runs a little more than RMB 200.

To get in touch with Artyzen Hotel Dongcheng and check out their events space for yourself, contact Johnson Zhang, the hotel’s assistant director of sales.

KEEP READING: All-Inclusive VR Playground Fun for Kids and Adults

Images: Mina Yan