Where to Save and Splurge on Your Kid’s Birthday Party

So your kid is turning a year older and you’re feeling sentimental when suddenly you realize — oh right, I still have to plan a birthday party! But where? When? How? Not all parents are natural party planners and birthday stress can defeat even the most fearless parents. But the good news is that Portland offers a ton of party options for every budget and interest. So whether you want to save or splurge this year, we’ve got you covered.  

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Stronger Skate Park

Stronger Skate Park makes birthday parties simple. While kids have a blast skating, parents will appreciate all the perks. The two-hour party rental comes with park admission, table space in their large back room, a table cloth, place settings, water bottles and more. Full set up and clean up is included, there’s no charge to bring in your own food, and you get access to their fridge and freezer. You can even order pizza or ice cream directly from the neighborhood businesses. It’s particularly a great deal for smaller parties at $150 for five participants. But if you want to splurge, additional skaters are $30 each.

Splurge

UltraZone Laser Tag

If you’re looking for a birthday full of high-energy fun, look no further than UltraZone Laser Tag in Milwaukie. Parties are two hours and include three games of laser tag for eight participants. They also provide cutlery plates, fountain drinks, birthday candles, lighters and more. Set up and clean up is included. Parties start at $249.99 and go up to $299.99 for the glow party, a private room set up with lasers and black lights. Note: The arcade is not included in the party package.

Art

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Taborspace

If you have the art supplies and just need the space, Taborspace in Belmont is an incredible nonprofit offering a variety of rooms available for rent. The party options are endless: You can bring all the supplies or even host a collage party, where you supply scissors, paper and glue, and ask that guests bring a couple old magazines. Taborspace’s “Artspace” room is only $25 per hour and many of their other larger rooms are only $35 per hour.

Butterfly Effect

Butterfly Effect in Multnomah Village (pictured above) is one of our new favorite pottery painting spots. Their pottery is top-notch and they offer several party options for a variety of budgets. Their standard birthday package is $50 for six to 12 painters and includes three styles of pottery for your party to choose from. You can also add cupcakes and decor for $10 per person. Additionally, you can also rent their whole space for $75 per hour outside of their open hours. And if you do want to splurge at Butterfly Effect, they’ve got you covered as well. You can rent the whole space for a two-hour private party for $250, plus the price of pottery pieces. Pro tip: We love that 10% of proceeds go toward different nonprofits, such as Outside In, IRCO, Brown Hope and more.

Splurge

SCRAP Creative Reuse

At SCRAP Creative Reuse, kids will love completing one of their fun craft projects led by SCRAP’s incredible staff. You can choose from awesome projects like finger puppets, building a robot or animal sculpture, custom stamps for printmaking, sewing a small pouch or pillow (for ages 8 and up), flower fairies and more. We love the focus on sustainability and that all the reusable materials are provided by SCRAP. Parties are two hours and available most Saturdays at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm (some flexibility is possible with advance planning, so contact SCRAP for details). The art project is one hour, leaving plenty of time for cake and presents. Food and beverages may be brought to SCRAP, but parents are responsible for cleaning up after the party. Ages 6 and older. $250 flat fee for up to 13 participants (parents are not included in the guest count).

STEM

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Scouters Mountain Nature Park

For nature-loving kids, it doesn’t get much better than Scouters Mountain Nature Park in Happy Valley. Located on an extinct lava dome and with distant views of Mt. Hood on nice days, it’s the perfect spot to celebrate while exploring forests with trees that have been growing for 220 years. Walk the trail, birdwatch and play in their green space. Then celebrate with cake under their covered picnic area. For parties under 25, no reservation is needed! For large parties of up to 100 people, you can reserve the shelter year-round. While the weekend reservation fee is $215, the weekday fee is only $50 and the rental fee covers the entire day, from 8 am-7 pm, so it’s the perfect spot for that evening pizza party.

Splurge

Experiment PDX

Experiment PDX (pictured above) will delight curious kids who are interested in science and art. They truly have everything — from marble runs to learning about mantises to their open crafting station. Their birthday parties are so fun for everyone, including the adults! They offer different 45-minute activities to choose from, such as slime making, LEGO robotics, the science show with Dr. L. Ektron, or arts and crafts. The room rental is $175 plus $10 per child for the activity.

Engineering for Kids

For small scientists, what could be better than Engineering for Kids’ “Isaac Newton Party Package?” Their interactive engineering projects are so fun and they offer options for different age ranges. For children ages 4 to 7, you can choose from activities such as building tall cup towers and paper helicopters, sending a minifigure off in a parachute, and more. And for children ages 7 to 12, you can select a LEGO robotics tug-of-war challenge, bridge building activity and more. Parties are $299 for up to 10 children ($10 extra for each additional child) for two hours. You can also add on an extra 30 minutes for only $25. Pro tip: For an extra $50, they can come to your house! XSTREAM Learning Center. Forest Heights Village.

Fun & Games

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Red Castle Games

If your kiddo loves board games, check out Red Castle Games, where you can borrow any of the games available in their rental library during your party reservation. They have a broad selection — from board games to role-playing games, card games and more. For smaller parties, their rental room accommodates up to eight gamers (pictured right). It’s $15 per hour on weekdays before 5 pm and $20 weekdays after 5 pm, weekends and holidays. For larger parties that seat up to 16 party goers, their rental space is $40 per hour. Both rooms feature HD Smart Monitors and you are welcome to bring your own birthday cake. They also have a small cafe offering chicken tenders, fries, tots, slushies and more.

Splurge

KingPins

There are so many exciting options at KingPins that adults and kids alike will have a hard time deciding what to play first (pictured above). Their arcade has over 60 games, including virtual reality experiences, and their bowling alley and laser tag are fun as well. Choose from the different party packages, including an “Arcade Party,” a “Bowl Party,” or “The Royal Experience” (a combo of bowling, virtual reality and more). All packages come with two pieces of pizza per person, unlimited soft drinks, party decor, a KingPins lanyard for the birthday kiddo, a party server and a $10 voucher for arcade play for each guest available to use starting the day after the party. Parents will love that they’ve really thought of everything — KingPins even have assigned facilitators available to help with set up, clean up and other party logistics. (Laser tag is exclusive to the Beaverton location.) Prices vary depending on what party package you select, but they begin at $225 for a smaller weekday Arcade Party and go up to $525 for a larger “Royal Experience” party.

Let the Party Come to You!

Why travel if you don’t have to? Set up the party in your own backyard and guests of all ages will be delighted when the adorable goats arrive from Portland Goat Parties. They’ll bring four baby goats for your guests to pet and cuddle. $250 per hour. Extra travel fee for visits that are over 40 miles away from their farm located in Hillsboro.

Or check out The Party Witch, where Lily the Witch will assist kids in making birthday magic via their own magical potions, candles and more. We love that Lily offers a variety of party packages for different ages. Some examples include “Glamour Magic” (ages 3 and up), where kids can add fairy tinsel to their hair and get their faces painted or “Learn How to Write a Spell” (ages 8 and up), where kids can learn the basics of spellcasting. Lily is an elementary school teacher with a background in performance art. Parties are $250, but a sliding scale is also available.

If you already have a location set and need some active entertainment, check out the mobile Crossfire Lasertag. They’ll come to your location, indoors or outdoors, and set up games of laser tag. This works particularly well if you have a big yard, but you can also set up at a community center or check out Crossfire’s map of the best parks for hosting. Prices vary, but the cheapest starts at $349 for their birthday special.

For more party venue ideas, check out our Birthday Directory.