Are you planning an upcoming children's birthday party or special celebration? We know it can be stressful - we want you to have fun!
We've put together a list of helpful information and local resources right in one place with our Macaroni KID Acadia-St. Landry Birthday Party Guide.
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Our Party Planning Guide features a collection of local resources for the very best kids' birthday parties! From decorating and supplies, entertainment and party rentals, to cakes, sweets, and frozen treats - we have you covered!
5 Birthday Party Trends
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1. Personalized themes – Gone are the days of the generic birthday party. A child’s favorite things can bring a party to life and create a personalized experience that makes the guest of honor feel extra special. In an age where ideas are at our finger tips, crafty and non-crafty moms can either hand-make or order highly personalized items to fit any theme.
2. Unique Experience – A child’s birthday party is an opportunity for mom to give her child and their guests an event to remember. Activities that engage kids, such as favorite childhood games, scavenger hunts, crafts or other fun experiences like a petting zoo can help keep them happy. For active children, you may want to host a party somewhere that children can bounce, climb, run and play freely.
3. Smaller Party Size – Though themes and experiences have become more impressive these days, one counterintuitive trend is the move towards a more intimate guest list, consisting of closer friends and family. These days, the average kid’s birthday party includes 20 guests, whereas15 years ago that average was 25+ kids! Why? Perhaps the newer requirement in many classrooms to either abstain from passing out invites at school or make sure that all students in the class receive an invite is contributing to the downward trend. Budget and costs per head with increasing prices for food may be another valid reason. Whatever the reason, the end result is that guests list are becoming cozier, and that may be a good thing.
4. Online Invitations – Hand-written invites, though adorable, are becoming a thing of the past. According to a recent study, 73% of survey respondents preferred online invitations to paper invitations when hosting a party. Although convenient, we find that the old-fashion physical invite receives a better response.
We get it, with busy lifestyles and the ease of convenience to send out multiple invites at once. Our last birthday party, however, we had friends we'd sent out invites to and they didn't see them because they didn't check their social media events. They were bummed when they realized they'd missed the party and I regret not having sent them a physical invite as we have in years past.
If you do plan on sending invites via social media or through an e-invite to save time, consider sending out at least a month ahead and follow up within 2 weeks of the party if you do not receive a response.
5. The Venue - Nearly 60% of moms host their child’s birthday party at a venue, looking into an average of three different spots before coming to a decision. Hosting a party at a venue offers a number of benefits – first and foremost, the convenience of hassle-free party planning that many venues offer. Not only do some sites offer to send out the invites for you, they provide a fun space to play and eat cake regardless of the weather and handle all of the clean-up afterwards!
Decorations
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For every occasion big or small, whether you have it at your home or at a venue, Reign's Kreations can make it happen! They provide custom balloon arches, table arrangements, and much more. Stop in and visit their location at 219 E. Landry Street in Opelousas to see the many different options they have to create one-of-a-kind party displays and decorations. Or give them a call at 337-242-9021.
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Rylan's Ranch Petting Zoo LLC. located in 337-356-1408
Balloon Man Rick Hessler Children's Entertainer- (337) 945-4970
The Fun Co. - 337-351-8455
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Inflatable Rentals
Bounce Around Acadiana (Church Point)
337-692-6278
Bounce Dat (Whitetails in Krotz Springs)
337-566-2800
Buggy Town Inflatables (Church Point)
337-384-7232
Bargain Bounce & Slides (Opelousas)
337-781-0801
Everything Rental Center:
Eunice: 337-457-3113
Opelousas: 337-942-7077
Froggi's Big Bounce (Opelousas)
337-942-3764
Geaux Wild Inflatables (Rayne)
337-412-7763
Joy Jump Inflatable Rentals
337-692-1698
Little Bouncin' Babies - (Rayne)
337-414-3808
Sunshine Inflatables, LLC.
337-418-9493
TBB Jumps
337-458-0416
Yard Signs
Sign Gypsies St. Landry
337-466-4848
Geaux Greetings (Church Point)
337-945-4356
Mommy & Me Yard Cards
337-945-2866
Venues
ArtBox Studio & Gallery (Opelousas)
337-418-1789
Astros Studios (Sunset)
337-423-0608
Café Maison (Church Point)
337-684-2326
Equine Sales of Louisiana Event Center (Opelousas)
337-515-5555
Java Square (Opelousas)
337-678-1055
Let's Party (Eunice)
337-550-5950
Gatti's Pizza
Crowley
337-783-0754
Eunice
337-457-8319
Unique Steps (Arnaudville)
337-356-5898
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7 Kids Ice Cream Truck- For party rentals message their Facebook Page
B Sweet Bakery (Grand Coteau)
337-662-2253
Lou's in Washington
337-945-7244
Mally's Sweets (Opelousas)
337-308-0326
Ray's Bakery (Eunice)
337-457-5366
If you are interested in listing your business in this guide or upgrading your business listing, please contact us at mackidacadia@macaronikid.com
Gift Ideas |
Needing ideas for what to give the birthday guest of honor? We've got a few ideas that are a little outside the box. The gift box, that is! Instead of picking out just another toy they may play with for 5 minutes, here are some other ideas that can make a lasting impression.
Experience Gifts
Lessons make great gifts for kids! Just make sure you've talked to the child's parents about their interest level, and worked out any important details -- like transportation and costs of uniforms or other incidentals:
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Gift cards or event tickets can also make a great experience gift idea for family to give your children. Encourage them to participate in on with them for quality one-on-one time, the greatest gift of all.
- Gift cards to a favorite ice cream shop, movie theater, or bookstore
- Tickets to see their favorite college or pro sports team (wrap them in a new shirt or jersey!)
- Tickets for an upcoming concert or theater performance
Memberships are the gifts that keep on giving! Typically, annual memberships come with free daily entry or tickets, along with other perks. Here are some ideas for places that may offer annual memberships or season passes that are great fun for the whole family:
- Zoo
- Theater
- Museum
- Amusement Park
- Fitness or Recreation Center
For more parent-related topics, family-friendly activities, and to stay up to date on upcoming local events in the community be sure to sign up for our free weekly newsletter!
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