Conjuring up winter birthday entertainment can be stressful. Samantha Laurie looks at some quirkier ideas guaranteed to exhaust and delight
A sleepover at Hamleys with red carpet arrival and a special stop at the ‘sugar factory’?
A temporary ice rink in the back garden with replica Disney on Ice performers?
Or perhaps a Hollywood-style movie-making event starring the birthday child?
While tales of such excesses have most of us guffawing into our cocktail sausages, there’s no doubt that there are times when the services of a party specialist guarantee not only fun for the child, but – perhaps more importantly – sanity for the parent.
One such occasion is the winter birthday, when the cheap and cheerful DIY options of a cushion-filled tent in the garden or ice-cream sundae parties don’t cut the mustard. So when I heard ringing endorsements for three Surrey providers that have surpassed expectations, it seemed a good idea to investigate.
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Epoch Art Gallery
JACKSON POLLOCK-STYLE PAINTING
Take 14 children, 12 litres of paint, four walls and one stretched canvas and let the chaos ensue.
The Epoch Art Gallery in Redhill is a family-run contemporary gallery that has a ground-floor space dedicated to the pleasures of creative mess. Kids aged between 3-11 are encouraged to find their inner Pollock, splattering their own creations (which they take home), whilst also contributing to a huge masterpiece for the birthday child.
For added fun, the one-hour session begins in the dark, using UV fluorescent paint under UV black lighting.
Cost: £25 per head for 10 to14 children; one hour painting, plus 45 minutes birthday lunch; children take home two sheets of their art so party bags unnecessary (hurrah)
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Wild Woods Adventure
CRAGGY HEIGHTS
Eighteen months ago, Guildford’s indoor climbing specialists Craggy Island expanded into the great outdoors with a treetops climbing adventure: Wild Woods.
Since it uses a continuous SafeRoller system, which negates the need for unclipping and reclipping the harness, it’s a zip-wiring experience suitable for even young children. WildKids is an adrenalin-filled blast of a party targeted at kids aged 6 to 12 years (over 1m tall), which takes place on a specially designed children’s course.
Kids ascend the steps of the start tower and onto the first run of obstacles, then teeter over bridges, balance across logs, swing on ropes and whizz back to earth on a zip wire. They come back to the tower for the second run with a climbing wall to traverse, more zips in the trees and wobbly things to cross, before another long zip wire to the ground.
The youngest (ages 6 & 7) must be accompanied at a ratio of one adult to two children.
Cost: £15 per person regardless of party size. During October the venue is open Friday to Monday; in November weekends only and it is closed December and January.
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The Hawthorns School
Nerf guns – neon coloured blasters that shoot foam balls – may have been around since the 1970s but their place in the party world is more recent.
Surrey’s laser tag specialist, Mobile Combat Events, runs energy-blasting Nerf Battle parties in which youngsters from 7 years can charge around the woodlands at Hawthorns School, Bletchingley – or in their own gardens.
After team games and target practice, the mini-battlers – with their faces painted – turn their video games into action, ducking, diving and shooting at each other for half an hour. Highly recommended for the boisterous and energetic.
Cost: £255–280 for 20 children. Bring your own food (and optional combat gear).
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