Places for Bday Parties for 1 Yr Old

Gymboree
Exploritorium in Skokie
Children's Museum in Glenview
Park Districts
Maybe since it will be summer you can have a pool party at a park district pool (they usually have great toddler/infant swim areas)
At a park outside

1 mom found this helpful

We had ours at the Garfield Conservatory. If you go to their website you can find the name of the woman who reserves community rooms.

Our experience: It was a little bit of a trek for all involved but once we got there, it was a great place for kids and adults. We planned around some "make & take" craft activities that were free and open to the public; people could come and take part in that and then we gathered in a general area to eat cupcakes and open presents. (We requested no presents, but you know how that goes). We didn't call in time to reserve a room (which are very cheap if the party is small enough) but gathering in the general area went just fine even though I was worried that people wouldn't be able to find us, there wouldn't be room to sit, etc, etc. The key to the parties success was that we kept it short and sort of let people wander where they wanted to. Our 1 year old loved touching all of the plants in the fern room. I think this works especially well if you have a wide range of ages to entertain and don't mind letting all of your guests fend for themselves quite a bit. It's also cheap.

I usually believe that parties outside of the home for 1 year olds is a waste of time. They won't remember it. The first party is always for the parents. But, if you don't want to do that, try the children's museum at navy pier.

My Gym on 111th St., Chicago. So cute and fun for the little ones.

If you are in need of any invitations please let me know I have some adorable 1st bday invitations. I have a mommy owned business in Oak Lawn. You can email me at ____@____.com for samples.
Thanks
D.

jungle gym # ###-###-#### on 111 th and fairfield on the south side of chicago.
this place is for the little ones.
check it out at least.

HAve you thought having it at your local pizza place !!! Also Im having my daughters 1st b-day party at the Elkgrove park district . Im not sure where abouts inthe city you live but this park district has several party packages .

Have fun planning you little ones party

We had our one year olds birthday at Jane's restaurant on Cortland. It was just fabulous! The service and food were amazing and had many calls after to thank us for inviting them. Brunch and open bar with wine and beer for 40 people ran us 900.00 including tip. Check it out at www.janesrestaurant.com to see the private party room. It is adorable. Hop[e this helps...

J.

cheap-the chicago park district

i just asked the same question.. did u get any good ideas for places?

Hi D.,
The 1st birthday is more for you & your family. What ever you choose to do keep it simple. The easiest option is to go to a child friendly restaurant. Going to a park or a friends backyard for a barbecue/picnic is also a great option. Another fun place is Ravinia Festival. They have concerts for children on the weekends. You can bring food & have a picnic on the grass, while listening to music.

if the other invitees are also 1, then some maybe walking but maybe some aren't. Some of the places mentioned already are not great for crawlers but are fabulous for toddlers eg. Children's museum in Glenview. Though they do have party rooms. If you have any friends with back yards who are willing to lend it, that is ideal. First bdays are really more about adults marking a day as baby won't really know that it is their bday. If you are outdoors, you can have a splash pool, let them come with swimsuits and run in and out of the water or sit in water (very supervised of course). Perhaps a little sandpit with shovels and buckets. You can get a sandwater table at target for $35. A park district is also a great idea - maybe barbeque or have some lite fare. For one year olds, the party will likely be pretty short 2 hrs and so you don't need to plan too much in the way of activity. You could have some bubbles - they love bubbles. Have fun.