Birthdays are your kids’ special days, the one day a year that is all about celebrating their life, so of course, we want to make it the coolest and most wonderful memory! But depending on what your kids want, or your budget, or your desire to DIY, Beijing has a lot of amazing choices for the most special day of your child’s year.

Many of these spots require knowledge of Mandarin to read their offerings, or in some cases, you’ll need to walk in to obtain the right information. But we’ve linked to their listing and given details when possible, so print it out and favorite on WeChat so you have the information handy whenever you need it!

Black Sesame Kitchen and Qianmen @BSK

Blend of traditional Chinese and Western cultural activities, cooking classes, and food available. Mix and match a la carte activities.

Maximum: up to 80 people
Price Range: Prices begin at RMB 280 per child, with options for full space rental beginning at RMB 4,000.
Offered: Children’s cooking classes from baozi, dumpling, pizza or cake; karaoke, clowns, crafts, pinatas; lunch & canapes or wine ‘n dine options.
Notes: package flexible based on party’s needs.
WeChat ID: BlackSesameKitchen

By.Loft playground (Bao Yan Le Yuan) 

Minimum:10 children + 10 parents
Price Range: starts from RMB 7888-9888
Offered: Basic package includes invitations, birthday ceremony, birthday costume and access to the water park/indoor playground’ upgrades include a clown, supplies, and food
WeChat ID: cxd19991120

Kerry Adventure Zone

Enjoy the play space with lots of places to climb, play, and slide, then move to a private party room.
Price Range: Contact for details
Offered: choice of kid-friendly entrees, birthday cake, decorated themed room (dragon, panda, wizard rooms), and passes to Adventure Zone for all guests
WeChat ID: KerryHotelBeijing

Domino’s Pizza

Chefs help party guests create their own pizza, which they then eat, with a space to play and enjoy a clown.
Price Range: Contact venue directly for more information
Offered: cooking, clown, cake, balloons
Notes: When I attended a party there, the clown made machine guns for the kids. You might want to be specific about what they can make or not.

Escape Room 尖叫空间 奇幻馆 

Price Range: Contact for details
Offered: for younger kids, enjoy the many rooms of Imaginarium Zone where you take priceless pictures with friends that will twist your mind. Teens 14 and older can rent an escape room that is frightening, scary or tattoo-themed.
Ph: 139 1039 4116

K-SHOW 酷秀KTV

Book a room in advance for a private song and dance party. Here’s all you need to know!
Price Range: RMB 91-169/person
Offered: light snacks, karaoke, some have themes like superheroes and Peppa Pig
Contact: Multiple venues listed here.

LEGOland Discovery Center

LEGO master building, 4d movie experiences, and your favorite LEGO characters will share the birthday festivities with you and your guests.

Minimum: 15 people
Maximum: none listed
Price Range: RMB 388-488/person
Offered: food, snacks, special builds, access to LEGO Discovery Center that day
WeChat ID (personal party planner): 太阳和五毛钱

The Moncy Room in Chaoyang Park

A beautiful park and camp-like experience, but you pay dearly for it.
Price Range: RMB 12,000-50,000
Offered: contact for more information
WeChat ID: MONCYCLUB

Kimo Cafe

Enjoy a multi-level, varied experience from dress-up play, a nail salon, grocery store, ball pit, and more. Private room for birthdays available, but book early as they are very popular.
Price Range: Contact for rates.
Contact: 8771 5506

O’le Sports Center
Rock climbing, slackline, football, adventure – this is the party for adventurous kids.
Price Range: starts at RMB 120/child (not including food)
Offered: Choose the main activity to start, then add items as needed
Email: oleclimbing@gmail.com

Other unique places or restaurants that are birthday/child friendly: British Tea Room, Din Tai Feng (Chunxiu), Hi-Fun 嗨翻 竞技主题乐园, The Hutong, Annie’s, Kidsteam, Lefun Trampoline Park, Mirour  (PPKIDS_INC), Quanjude (duck restaurant), The Pizza Show, Sip ‘n Paint (Shunyi)

KEEP READING: Socially Distanced Birthday Cakes: Why on Earth Didn’t We Do This Before?

Images: Venues, Cindy Marie Jenkins

Get ready, Beijing, because the carnival of capsaicin, the jamboree of jalapeño, the party of peppers, is here to shake you out of your lockdown slumber. That’s right, the Beijing Hot & Spicy Festival will return once again to Galaxy Soho this Dragon Boat Festival, Jun 25-27.

Now in its third installment, our previous years’ events – the only food festivals in China dedicated to everything spicy – were attended by hordes of Beijing foodies, families, and party-goers who spent two blissful days sampling the best of Beijing’s spicy food vendors. And before you think that this festival isn’t kid-friendly, think again: there is always a great range of different kinds of food on offer, so you’re sure to find something mild to keep even the kids (and for the matter, adults who don’t like spicy food) happy.

There will be dozens of different types of food to sample from the world all over, as well as live music, dancing, entertainment, and the 9th Annual Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest.

For now, mark your calendars and stay tuned to our blog and WeChat account (ID: beijingkids) for all the latest Hot & Spicy news, as we will be releasing more vendor and entertainment information, not to mention advance ticket sales very soon.

Weren’t able to attend last year’s festivities? Take a look at what to expect come Dragon Boat Festival:

KEEP READING: How to Post and Promote Your Event on beijingkids – For Free!

Images: Uni You, the Beijinger

The end of the year is here and no matter where you’re from or what religion you believe in; it’s a time for celebrations with friends and family. As someone who loves throwing small house parties, I can tell you it’s not an easy task. There’s the menu planning, shopping, preparing, cooking, table setting, entertainment, and when everything is done there’s the cleaning. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy one of your own parties as much as your guests instead of worrying about every small detail?

Fortunately for us, there are a few places in Beijing that’ll essentially bring their restaurant to your home. In other words, give your guests a party to remember and enjoy yourself a party too. Leave the cooking, serving, and cleaning to the professionals.

Catering in Beijing isn’t something that’s as widely promoted as restaurant deals. There are only a few reputable options that you can depend on to give you your money’s worth, but at least there is an option for Health Food Catering, which is really important. Most function the same way with a preset minimum spending requirement and menu options that need to be decided days in advance, but each company’s rules still vary.

TRB Catering

Crowned as the world’s best fine dining restaurant according to TripAdvisor, TRB is known for impeccable service and great food. TRB Catering makes choosing easy with four menus (full buffet, multi-course dinner, canapés only, and the drink package) depending on what type of event you’re looking to throw. TRB’s signature dishes can be found on all the menus and if they’re a guest favorite in the restaurant, they’re sure to be a guest favorite at your party too.

Their catering team brings the same level of excellent service that we’ve all come to expect from TRB, Hulu, and Merci right to your home. For anyone looking to host a stress-free holiday party, the TRB team will let you enjoy the evening just like your guests.

Their team needs at least 48-hours prior notice to get everything ready and a minimum spending of RMB 10,000 for the entire event. When you’re ready to give the team the go-ahead, you’ll need to pay a RMB 5,000 deposit. Then, the rest of the work is all on them.

Based on what’s available in your kitchen or whatever exotic party venue you’ve decided on, the team will bring the proper equipment to make it work, but keep in mind that the more they need to bring, the more expensive your bill will get.

One of the things I love the most about TRB Hospitality Group is their flexibility. The menu is interchangeable to cater to dietary restrictions or just personal preferences.

www.trb-catering.com
catering@trb-cn.com
8400 2232

Annie’s Catering Service 

Annie’s isn’t where you go for fine dining, but most of us have at least one Annie’s plate or bowl in the kitchen. They offer comfort food at affordable prices. For those looking for a casual night of great food and company at home, the sharply dressed Annie’s catering team will bring all your favorites right to your kitchen counter. They require a minimum spending of RMB 4,000 for buffet meals and about 3 to 4 days of lead time, but as the Annie’s team tells beijingkids, they’ll try their best to accommodate last minute requests as much as possible.

Rain: 136 6116 5838
Eric: 186 1139 9728
Leo: 138 1192 7918
Marlon: 186 1908 8846

Flo Prestige 

Maison FLO is a Beijing dining institution that’s been serving up delicious French cuisine for years, and their casual dining restaurant Cafe Flo lets you have a taste of their incredible menu for a fraction of the price.

When it comes to catering, Sales Director Frankie Foo knows his job inside and out, having ca-tered numerous events large and small in all kinds of unique venues over the years. All you need to do is tell them how many people you’re inviting, the venue, and the date. He’ll do the rest.

Flo Prestige’s minimum spending is RMB 8,000 with a 48-hour minimum lead time, catering to at least six guests. They’ll bring the tables, the chairs, the sharply dressed waiters, and cooking stations for full buffets, sit-down dinners, backyard BBQ, cocktail parties… you name it, they’ll cook it.

Frankie Foo: 138 1167 0151
Frankie.foo@flo.cn

Caravan @ Home

We love the food and friendly vibe at Caravan. They’re not the first name to come to mind for home catering, but their fantastic menu and enthusiastic team have made their way into the hearts of Beijingers over the years. If you live within the 5th Ring Road, they can bring the whole caravan to your home.

For a minimum of RMB 3,000, imagine having all your Caravan favorites come directly to you. Caravan is one of those places that’ll do their best to accommodate, so even if you’re arranging a last-minute event, they’ll still try their best to give you a party to remember.

eat@caravanbeijing.com
8563 0801

This article appeared in the beijingkids December 2019 Giving Back issue

Beijing is filled with events, and many of them are created by awesome international people starting a new adventure, or people raising money for great causes. Whatever your event might be, it needs proper exposure. If you want to let the relevant people know that you are hosting a unique event, then the beijingkids website is an essential place to let people know, because we love to hear and share about your family-friendly happenings you have going on.

There are also several ways to get these events into the magazine’s event section, with your best option being to contact our web editor (webeditor@beijing-kids.com). There have been times when we will receive messages asking why an event was not included in our magazine when these things weren’t officially brought to our attention. While we may know a lot of what is going on, in a city that is the size of Beijing it is impossible to know everything. So, if you want to spread the word to as many people as possible in print and on the web, then make sure to submit your event to our web editor.

These are some more ways you can let us know about your event:

– For the Events page online, you can add your own event and our web editor will release the information on our website. Check out this page.
– For the Events section of our magazine, check out this page. The deadline for applications is usually around the middle of the month to ensure that it can be added to the magazine.
– If you have questions, you can also check out our frequently asked questions page here.

Several things to think about when you want to post about an event:

– Is it family-friendly?
– Is it guided towards parents and other carers?
– Is it relevant to teachers and schools?
– Is it a workshop, seminar, or educational activity? Informative events are always useful.
– Is it an activity that lets kids play inside our outside?
– Is it an event that teenagers can also do?
– Is it a bazaar, fair, or market?
– Would parents like this event as a night out away from the kids?

Pictures Pixabay

Pooches, pusses, and pets of all kinds are invited to join in the seasonal fun on Saturday, when ICVS hold their annual Christmas party. We asked Mary Peng, CEO and founder of ICVS, what partygoers could expect.

“Beautiful adoptable pets and their foster families will be on hand to meet potential adoption families,” she told us. “Families interested in adopting any of the beautiful pets may apply through the ICVS Non-Profit Pet Adoption Program (www.ICVSASIA.com).  We will be hosting a raffle draw with wonderful prizes including ICVS Grooming Gift Certificates for Pets, London Loft Hair Styling Gift Certificates for people, gift bottles of imported Australian wines, Cambridge Masks (anti-air pollution masks), and much more. ICVS’ professional groomer will be providing complimentary brush-outs and toenail trims for all dogs and cats! All party guests will receive a Christmas gift bag with goodies for pet owners and their pets!”

And there’s more.

“A specially catered feast for pets will be provided with compliments of ICVS and Penny’s Food Studio – a Beijing gourmet pet food company that creates hand-made pet foods, using only the finest and freshest ingredients,” Peng said.

“And for the people, we will have holiday treats, snacks, and imported Australian wines! And as a special treat for the children, we are making fresh spun cotton candy and freshly popped popcorn right on site!”

This is the tenth anniversary of both ICVS and the Christmas parties, Peng told us.

“ICVS hosted our first “Christmas Party for Pets & Their People” in 2006, the year we were founded.  We love celebrating the holidays with pets as they are such special members of our families! This year, the Christmas party is being co-sponsored by TACN (Towards a Compassionate Nation), a humane animal welfare charity organization, and also Penny’s Food Studio.”

We asked Peng who’s invited to the party.

“Everyone is welcome! The Christmas party is a unique gathering for pets and their families, pet lovers, and the Beijing animal rescue community to come together and meet each other, introduce their own pets, the pets available for adoption, and to make friends.”

And it’s all for a good cause.

“All donations and proceeds from the raffle prize draw will be donated to the ICVS Non-Profit Humane Animal Welfare Programs,” Peng said. “The programs provide medical treatment, spay/neuter surgeries, legal vaccinations, and hospitalized care for the many stray/rescued and abandoned animals in our community. The pets receive world-class medical care, rehabilitation, socialization, and a lot of love, helping them become beautiful and healthy adoptable pets. ICVS donates many of our services to provide this essential care for the animals and the funds raised helps to cover some of the cost of medical supplies, drugs, vaccines, and food for the animals under our care.”

Some pets even dress up for the occasion, Peng told us.

“Our invitations for the ICVS Christmas Party for Pets & Their People are shared widely on social media. One year our invitations were sent to a rather large WeChat group for poodle owners. That year, we had the most delightful parade of exquisitely groomed poodles all dressed up in holiday outfits for the party! Many pet owners came in matching outfits with their poodles! It was wonderful and showed us just how much people adore their pets and embrace them as deeply loved members of their families!”

ICVS Christmas Party for Pets and their People, December 10
All ages. Free. 2-5pm. International Center for Veterinary Services – No. 13-16 Rong Ke Gan Lan Cheng Shang Jie, Fu Tong Xi Da Jie, Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100102, 北京新天地国际动物医院, 北京市朝阳区望京阜通西大街融科橄榄城商街13-16号。 （奔驰大厦和望京SOHO对面。嫣然天使儿童医院后面楼房）
Photos: courtesy of ICVS

If your family intends to visit an area with mammoth crowds over the weekend or wishes to participate in an event such as a festival or concert, then it’s good to have a plan in case you and your kids get separated. The joys of summer can soon become nightmares in a split second when kids cannot locate their parents or parents cannot locate their kids. Sometimes technology can pick the most inopportune time to fail you and if that happens when you are separated, fail-safe measures set in place should help.

Here are six tips for when you and your children get separated, according to Parenting.com:

Write Your Number on Your Child’s Wrist 
This might sound a little hazardous if you are unsure about which chemicals you are introducing to your child’s body. Check for natural dyed pens or ink that you can use to write your phone number and then use liquid band aid to apply over it to make it permanent. This is recommended for young kids who are not likely to memorize their parents numbers.

Take a Photo of Your Kid(s) that Morning
Parents have lots of photos of their kids on their phones but it’s advisable to take a photo of them that morning if you intend on going to a crowded place to help them be easily identified.

Help Kids Memorize Your Phone Number(s)
In the event of any emergency, it’s a good rule of thumb to have kids memorize your phone number and those of close relatives. Even, the ayi’s number would be good to have them memorize in case the ayi is closer to where they are than you.

Show Your Kids People of Interest
At the destination, it’s suggested that you should point out people who work there such as managers, security guards, and more to help them ask for help in the event of getting separated. In China, show them how to clearly distinguish policemen from security guards as they are sometimes confusing.

Pick a Meeting Place
Scope the area and find a landmark that the kids can remember, and tell them to head there if they are unable to find you within a specified amount of time after getting separated. If it’s a familiar area, pick your favorite store or restaurant that they know how to get to easily.

Keep Tickets
If the place you are going to is a concert or a football game then give a ticket stub to your kids and remind them to keep it in their pockets in case they need to show the grounds staff where the seats are again.

Additional advice:
Learn Local Language Phrases
If you are going to a place in China or places where English isn’t the first language, then it comes in handy to teach kids some local lingo that can get them the help they need.

In China learn phrase such as:
Help! (in emergencies) 救命！(Jiùmìng!)
I need your help. 我需要你的帮助。 (wǒ xūyào nǐde bāngzhù.)
I’m lost. 我迷路了。 (wǒ mílù le).
Can I use your phone? 我可以用您的电话吗？(wǒ kěyǐ yòng nín de diànhuà ne?)
Can I use your cell phone? 我可以用您的手机吗？(wǒ kěyǐ yòng nín de shǒujī ma?)

Photos: weightdownweightloss.wordpress.com 

The Global Times has a roundup of venues offering theme parties for kids:

Throwing a party for your child is the easiest, most difficult thing in the world. You know as well as they do that they’d be happy to just to load up on sugar and run head first into the nearest wall. But any parents expecting a big occasion this May Holiday will know kids tend to accumulate more energy as spring grows warmer, and need something that matches their growing restlessness. Whether the big day comes in the form of a birthday, surprise treat or family getaway, here are some suggestions to make planning for the forthcoming vacation easier.

A family expedition:
On Thursday, May 2, TreeHouse organizers will whisk parents and kids out of town to the northern district of Huairou, a short 50 minute bus ride from the playground’s central location in Sanlitun SOHO. Children of all ages can enjoy fishing in Huairou, though the TreeHouse has also cast a wider net for families looking to spread their wings for the day. Horse riding will also take place, as well as mountain climbing, ensuring that kids kick-start an active summer.

Indoor Jungle Adventure
For birthday parties involving a large group of kids, Fundazzle play center, located on the corner of the north and east gate of Worker’s Stadium, charges 50 yuan ($8) per child for three hours of playtime. The play center includes areas for babies and toddlers, as well as climbing frames and an indoor football pitch. Refreshments are available at Fundazzle, though personal picnics are welcome. Bring all the cake and juice your birthday hamper can hold. These tykes will need all the energy they can get, between the giant jungle slides and the ball pit.

You can read the rest of the post here.

It seems like it was only a few months ago (12 perhaps) that our daughter turned five. Now we find ourselves scrambling to organize another birthday party while trying to work, feed the twins, change an endless stream of diapers, and eek out a few hours of sleep (and the burping, we must not forget the burping). In the past, because Reina has so many friends and space is limited at home, we have actually organized two birthday parties on different days; one in Chinese and another in English. The idea was to find an easy way to logically divvy up the tide of children even though there was always some overlap. It worked quite well for the past couple of years, but always left our home trashed for a few days while we worked to clean it all up. I recall balloons lurking about in dark corners for months afterwards.

As with everything in our lives, this year the birthday party will be different. We finally decided to farm out the fun and rented a space at Fundazzle for two hours where Reina and a bevy of her pals (foreign and domestic) can eat some cake and burn it off before going home and leave the mess for the staff to handle. Rent for a birthday space is RMB300 upstairs along the wall (the private room in the back is RMB500). It’s not much more than a table and chairs (presumably for the parents to sit on), but we don’t expect the kids to hang out much there. Figure 10-15 minutes to eat cake and an hour and 45 minutes for coats and bags to sit on chairs.

Admission for each child is an additional RMB35 and parents are an extra RMB15 each. For those interested in renting a clown or hiring someone to do face painting, Fundazzle can provide those options as well. We figure the ball pit and climbing structure are incentive enough for our crew, so we skipped the extras. Instead, we opted to pay for everyone and forgo handing out goody bags at the end of the party. Even Reina has expressed that she is more interested in having fun with her friends than getting a bunch of presents and this way she gets to treat everyone, with a bit of help from Mama and Baba.

To learn more about Fundazzle, you can check out my past review here and detailed comparison to the Family Box here.

photo by SUI