Kids parties are exciting! Who doesn’t love two hours of play time? My daughter has just turned 3. In previous years I was able to get away with a cake, a few balloons with only our family singing “Happy Birthday.” Since her brother’s birthday party in February, this little girl has talked about her birthday party everyday – tying it into random parts of daily conversation.
Any given day –
Breakfast:
Me: “Would you like some peanut butter on your toast?”
Her: “Yes, will there be peanut butter at a my birthday party?”
Afternoon:
Me: “Would you like to colour?”
Her: “Yes, I want to colour at my birthday party.”
Bedtime:
Me: “…and they lived happily ever after. Good night.”
Her: “I want to dance at my birthday party.”
I have often caught her singing “Happy Birthday to Me” when she is playing on her own. I was starting to feel the pressure. I was going to have to deliver on this birthday. She was looking forward to it so much, I wanted to do something especially nice for her.
Since her birthday is in May, and the weather in Abu Dhabi is heating up, I am limited to what I can do outdoors. Perfect weather for a pool party, however, not ideal for the little ones. I could probably do a party in my home but it would be cramped, loud and would most likely require moving furniture around. In the past I have found that I spend nearly the same amount of money on food and decorations when I host in my home as I would if I book a party elsewhere (my justification always). Why not book out and let someone else clean up the mess, right?
I am a procrastinator. It wasn’t until 3 weeks ago that I realised I needed to get my butt into gear if I wanted to have a party in May. I was planning around my husband’s work schedule, other birthday parties, and the availability of our family in Dubai. I started calling around and no surprise – a few of the key places I had in mind for a party were booked. I started looking elsewhere but close to my home. I checked out a place in Yas Mall, then looked at Kidoos in Deerfields Mall.
Fortunately both were available for the date I wanted. I selected Kidoos in Deerfields Mall because they had a range of different party themes. Another deciding factor was the layout of the space. Since most of the attendees were quite young, I felt that this place was big enough to keep the children entertained for a long time but small enough not to lose your kid.
Kidoos has wonderful party options, making it a bit difficult to choose a theme. They all look like so much fun and are so varied. The prices of each theme range from 79 AED per child to 149 AED per child based on the theme. The options start at 79 AED per child for the the Prime Package which includes 2 hours party, private party room, birthday music, dedicated birthday host, 2 party games with prizes, unlimited access to playground. You can select any available theme which is the Prime Package plus theme.
The themes available are Jungle Fun, Giggles Galore, Rainbow Dash, Music and Dance, and Royal Kingdom. I decided to go with Rainbow Dash because the decorations looked perfect for a little girl. So with this theme you get the Prime Package + additional 30 minutes, balloons and decorations, kids meals and drinks, birthday invitations, gift for the birthday boy or girl, goodie bags, Sweets corner, confetti shooter, clown appearance, and a CD of the photos. Initially the cost was a bit more than I planned on paying but at this point I just wanted to have something sorted. If I wanted to save money I should have been on Pinterest months ago, organizing a theme, creating labels and printing out free printables (something I would like to try next year maybe).
Once the party booked, I was given the invites to hand out. They did give me the option for catering (for the parents) but I opted to use Altanoor Pastry in Deerfields Mall. Located in the food court, I have never eaten from there before but I was in mood for arabic food. I selected assorted fatayers and mixed grill platter. The mixed grill platter was accompanied by salad, hummus and bread so altogether it was a mini mezze. After looking around for a birthday cake I decided to get one from Carre Four. I knew ordering everything from places in Deerfields Mall made running around minimal on day of party.
Kidoos did not disappoint. I thought that the decorations were fantastic. When we first walked into the room it was done better than I could have ever tried to do. It took my breath away. There were balloons, colourful crepe paper streamers, a big, shiny disco ball – It looked fab! The table was set with multicoloured plates and birthday hats all neatly lining up with equally colourful kid chairs. Two long neon light strands lined both sides of the ceiling vividly lighting up the room. In the centre of the back wall was a large rainbow arch made from balloons. In the middle of the arch was a monitor with a picture of the birthday girl. I loved it, but most importantly my daughter loved it. “Look, it’s me!” she exclaimed when she saw it.
How did it go?
First, the kids played out in the play area until everyone arrived. There was also a face painter on hand busy decorating faces and a balloon sculptor bending balloons into swords and mini wrist corsages. The guests could move freely from the private party room out to the play area.
Once everyone arrived, the children were brought back into the party room for games, eating, and birthday cake. It can get a bit difficult entertaining 3 year olds but the party hosts did a good job of keeping them entertained. The music was spot on for children. The songs were a mixture of Disney tunes and old party favourites – you can’t have a party without the Chicken Dance, right? After the last piece of cake was dished out, the kids were out the door and back into the play area.
At the end of the party, each child was given a gift bag filled with goodies to take home. The staff were busy cleaning up the party room. I didn’t have to worry about anything. I could just enjoy the time with our guests.
I was completely impressed with the service from Kidoos. The party hosts were completely wonderful. When it was all finished, I was given a CD with all the photos taken at the party. Perfect. We were not rushed out and stayed long after the party ended (two more hours). The kids wanted to continue playing and since we hand no other plans it seemed like a great way to tire them out.
When all said and done, all I did was book the party, hand out invitations, order the food for the adults (which was delivered directly to Kidoos) and buy a cake from Carre Four (downstairs from kidoos). I didn’t have to worry about decorations, prepping, cleaning, cooking, goodie bags or anything. It was effortless on my part. Other than getting my family to arrive on time, it was a completely stress free day. That is how a birthday party should be. We were all happy and enjoyed it!
If you are looking for a place to hire for a birthday party, have a look at Kidoos. They have locations at Deerfields, Abu Dhabi Mall and Dalma Mall. For information regarding birthday packages, visit www.kidoos-uae.com
