Searching around for a place to have a birthday party for my son in the Poconos I could find very little information or ideas so I’ve compiled a list of places I’ve looked into before to give you some ideas.

Keep in mind each location is “your kid” dependent.  Are they really active?  Do they want to open presents in front of friends? Do you want to sing happy birthday?  How long of a party do you want?  Figure out your list of “must haves” and “negotiables” and narrow down a location from there.

Poke-A-Nose Pottery

http://www.pokeanosepottery.com

My son was invited to a birthday party in preschool at Poke-A-Nose Pottery, and he really seemed to enjoy it.  For that age I personally wouldn’t take on the challenge as little kids + breakable materials would have me too anxious.  But from what I could tell they all did well and had a great time, and as far as I know nothing got broken.  Because the room was smaller we were asked to drop our child off and pick them up later, the party was not too long(which is always good for young children), my son got to choose his own animal to paint, the mom brought cupcakes that the kid brought home and the presents were taken home to open.

Details:

http://www.pokeanosepottery.com/potteryparties.htm
Pottery Painting Party Packages at “Poke-A-Nose” Pottery are for ALL ages (1 – 101):

Includes… 1 hour of Party time in our Private Party Room, a ceramic piece for each child to paint, a Personal Server for the party, Choice of 6 paint colors for each child, Paintbrushes and the Glazing and Firing of All pieces.
*For an extra $20 we can paint a birthday memento plate for the birthday child.

Figurine Package :
$15 per child, … Includes one Figurine for each child. (puppies, kittens, sharks, unicorns, dragons and more)

Dinnerware Package :
$17 per child, … Includes one piece for each child. (plate, bowl or cup).

Banks Package :
$22 per child… Includes one bank for each child.

Boxes Package :
$22 per child… Includes one box for each child.

NEW!!! OPEN Package :
$6 per child… Plus Pottery.
You are responsible for pottery pieces chosen.
*from in stock inventory. Best for age 10+.
Party Kids

Party Plate
*For an extra $20 we can paint a birthday memento plate for the birthday child. Custom Hand Painted Design in Center, Birthday Child’s Pick. All Guests listed around rim! Makes a GREAT Memory and is 100% usable. Have next years cake on it too!

The Fine Print:
6 Guest Minimum, 20 Guest Maximum. Finished pieces are ready in 7 days. If you choose to bring Cake, Pizza and/or Munchies you can purchase extra time for the Whole Party at $20 for every 30 minutes needed. No more then 6 non-painters in the studio during the party. If you need rent out the studio for a “Closed Studio Party” please ask about our Closed Party Package.

At least 2 weeks notice required with a $50 deposit to hold the date and time of the party.

Gratuity is NOT automatically added onto bill… Tips to the Personal Server are appreciated.

Parties can be held at anytime during weekdays, as long as we don’t have a special event going on, such as Kids Night Out, Mommy and Me Tea Party or Ladies Night.
Weekend Party Times are:
Saturdays at 11am, 2pm and 5pm
Sundays at Noon and 3pm
Call or E-Mail to book your party Today!
Phone: (570) 688-0044

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Imagination Zone

http://www.bcizone.com

My son had his 3rd birthday party at the Imagination Zone in Brodheadsville, PA.  If you’re unfamiliar with it the Imagination Zone is the closest thing to a Chuck E Cheese in the Poconos (unless you want to head up to Dickson City area).  It was a great way to get all of the kids energy out and even though it was a calm day and there weren’t too many kids I’d still suggest having parents stay or at least have a few extra helping hands to keep eyes on the kids as there is no “check in/check out” method so if a kid really wanted they could walk right out.  For those looking for a no-clean up, easy party this was great – they have “themes” you can pick from(we chose Sponge Bob), so they provided the tablecloth, cups, hats, etc. so the only thing that we had to bring was cupcakes and goodie bags.  You get a room for a 2 hours which is nice to put presents in, if parents need ‘rest time’, and gives at least a little bit of privacy away from the main tables so you can wrangle all the kids into one spot.

Details:

http://www.bcizone.com/birthday.html

Birthday Party Packages

Deluxe Package
$11.99 Per Child

Includes:
Private Room for 2 Hours
Theme Tableware (cups, napkins, plates, tablecloth)
Hellium Balloons
2 Slices of Pizza per child
1 Pitcher of Soda per 4 children
Bigsticks
10 Game Tokens for Birthday Child
100 Point coupon for redemption Prizes for Birthday Child
10 Game Tokens per Guest
Hostess Service
Hand Stamp for Play System Area

Non-Refundable Deposit Required 10 Days Prior To Party
$50 Deposit for Regular Size Room: Minimum 7 Children
$100 Deposit for Larger Size Room: Minimum 15 Children

ALL OUTSIDE FOOD & DRINK IS PROHIBITED EXCEPT BIRTHDAY CAKES & GOODIE BAGS
We can supply goodie bags at an additional charge.

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Summit Lanes Bowling

http://summitlanesbowling.com
My son opted for a bowling party for his 6th birthday last year and his 7th this year as well.  It’s inside so we don’t need to worry about the heat or if it rains, and although it’s a bunch of kids in a confined area and they don’t have the room to really run around the majority of the kids seemed to be really intrigued with bowling so it worked out well.  All of the parents stayed but it’s organized enough that with a helper or two you could easily keep an eye on older kids to make sure everyone is all settled.  Some of the kids didn’t really bowl, others went multiple times, it’s one of those “go with the flow” activities.  For the kids that really want to bowl if the other kids don’t seem as interested let ones who are keep taking turns, eventually the others will join in.  The kids had a choice of pizza or a hot dog, we ordered an extra pizza for the parents, they had popcorn for a snack and were given a few tokens so they could play a game or two in the arcade before they left.  Overall it went well and was pretty affordable.

Details:

$8.95/child or $9.95 if Glow Bowling(only on Sat from 3-5)

Includes:

1 1/2 hours of bowling
Shoe Rental
Pizza, Hot Dogs, Soda, Popcorn, Paper Goods, 4 tokens
Birthday Bowling Pin
Hostess for Every Party
Bumpers Available upon request

For more information, please call us at 570-839-9635

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A few extra ideas:

– You can always rent a pavilion at parks that have them if you want to do something outdoors

– If you’re looking to travel a bit “Bounce-U” in Bethlehem/Allentown was a ton of fun (my son attended a party there), but looks very pricey http://www.bounceu.com/kids-birthday-parties/

– Chuck E. Cheese in Dickson City/ WilkesBarre: http://www.chuckecheese.com/parties/birthday.php is a bit of a drive but prices seem affordable and offer a lot and there is a bunch for kids to do.  They also have a check in/check out system for safety purposes.

There are plenty of other “party places for kids” in the Poconos, but hopefully those will give you at least a few ideas.