Kid's Birthday Parties

Making a Birthday Cake

One way to significantly lower the amount of money you’re currently spending on your child’s birthday party is to bake your own cake. Now, before you gasp with shock, let us explain why making the cake is a good idea.
When making the birthday cake, you don’t have to worry about spending $30 to $50 on a gorgeous cake that will only last a few hours. When you buy birthday cakes at a bakery, you don’t always get a choice about what the cake will look like, or even what is in the cake. If your party has dietary requirements, some bakeries won’t be able to oblige — this is almost a guarantee if you buy the cake at your local grocery store.
Baking your own birthday cake also gives you more control over what your child and their guests are ingesting. For example, some cakes can have an overload of sugar content, that could make your guests turn into little wild animals. Baking your own cake can give you assurance that you know what is in the cake.
Better still, baking the cake yourself will give you domain over what the cake tastes like. For example, if you like unique flavors or want to make your birthday cake special, a homemade baking job will be able to see your vision become a reality.
Baking your own cake might seem like an easy task, but few really understand the pressure and work it takes to make a truly beautiful cake. That is why so many bakeries exist! Baking is difficult, especially if your “flying blind.” It is important that you have a clear vision for your cake and allow yourself a few errors in the first trial. It is really important when baking your cake that you know what you want the final product to look like. The first thing you must determine about your cake is how many layers you want it to be.

Types of Birthday Cake

Deciding what type of cake you want to bake will determine the difficulty level of the baking project. There are many different types of cakes. For simplicity’s sake, we have narrowed down the options into four categories: sheet cakes, multi-layered cakes, towering cakes, and shape cakes.

Sheet Cake

Sheet cakes are less difficult and a more forgiving baking project to take on. Sheet cakes are also a great choice for kids’ parties because they are simpler to cut and makes proportions more manageable. Sheet cakes are typically baked in rectangular pans. Once the cake is fully baked, you can decorate it whichever way you like. With sheet cakes, you won’t have to worry about tearing the surface or having the cake topple over. Sheet cakes are easy to bake and easy to decorate, which is why they are the most popular party cake.

Multi-Layered Cakes

Multi-layered cakes can be less forgiving and require a bit of planning. For one, you will have to plan for enough frosting to cover both the outer-part of the cake, as well as between the layers. If you plan to do more than two layers, you will have to strategically plan out how much frosting you will need. If you do not make enough frosting, your cake will not look even and the inner part of the cake will taste dry.
When it comes to multi-layered cakes, waxed paper and your timing device will be your best allies. Waxed paper will help you move the layers and place them on the cake easier, without the risk of breaking. WARNING: If you try to move the cake layers with your hands, they will break and you will have ruined the layer.
Your timer will be an ally because you rely on it to bake the cake to exactly the right time. If you burn the cake, if will be harder to decorate. If the cake is not fully cooked, it will lose its form and spill over the rest of the cakes layered — essentially ruining the entire thing.

Towering Cakes

If you trust your own skills and would like to take on a towering cake, do so with caution. A towering cake will require patience and grace. One nick to the surface could disrupt the entire shape of the cake. Not only that, but in order to make a towering cake, you will either have to have different shapes of baking tins or invest in cake fondant. You can either make the fondant or buy it. However, buying is probably your best option, as fondant is notoriously tricky to make. It is best, if you are indeed attempting a fondant cake, that you look up how to place it on the cake successfully. If you place the fondant on the cake incorrectly the first time, there is no way to reverse your mistake.
When it comes to towering cakes, consistency is the most important thing. If one layer is thicker than the other, it could weight the whole cake down or topple over. One way to combat gravity from taking hold is by creating a stabilizer within the cake, such as a pole attached to the base dish. By having something holding the layers together, your cake won’t be victim to gravity or any uneven measurements.

Shaped Cakes

When it comes to shaped cakes, you have no choice but to rely on fondant. Shapes are almost impossible to decorate without fondant because it allows the surface to become smooth. If you try to cut the cake and then decorate it without fondant, the cake will fall apart. Fondant will help not only keep the shape of your cake together, but make sure it doesn’t crumble when you begin to decorate it. Shaped cakes are tricky, especially if you don’t have a lot of practice with a cake-cutting knife. It is important when cutting into a cake that you make small fast motions. Do not just start cutting chunks of cake! Be sure to think every cut strategically and be sure to take your time.

Rebounderz

A birthday cake is a huge piece of any celebration. However, no matter how great the cake ends up being, a party is only as good as its entertainment. If you want your child’s party to be fun and exciting, take them and their guests to an indoor trampoline park, like Rebounderz! At Rebounderz, we have dozens of fun activities that will keep them and their guests entertained for hours! Contact us!

Saving Cash During Birthday Season

For some parents, money can run tight, which only makes birthdays more stressful. But, have no fear! Instead of angsting about the money you have to spend, digging through your couch for loose change, or whatever other methods you use to scrounge up quick cash; there is an easier way! Rebounderz has compiled a list of fun ways to throw your own kid’s birthday party. With our inventive list, you can learn new ways to make each celebration special, without breaking the bank. Better yet, our methods can be made enjoyable for the whole family, which will make you look like a super-parent!

Designing the Birthday Cake

One item at a birthday party always seems to be the most expensive: birthday cake. For some reason, birthday cakes are always overpriced whether they are custom-made or bought at a bakery or grocery store. No matter where they are purchased, they can be tasty — there can be no denying that. But, some store-bought cakes can seem a little dry and lesser quality. With custom cakes, most come out gorgeous and unique to your specific tastes, however, they can also be exceedingly expensive. Worse, though they may be beautiful, they only stay that way until cut and eaten. So, why spend all that money for something that is just going to be eaten within the hour? Well, one way to combat this cake-to-wallet ratio problem is by designing the cake yourself. Before you gasp from shock, let us explain. Yes, you would be decorating the cake yourself, but if you are not a talented baker, you can always buy the base sheet cake at your local bakery. Sheet cakes are inexpensive and just as yummy as any other cake. Once you have your sheet cake, you have the control in what the sheet cake looks like. In this case, you and your family can make decorating the cake a holistic family experience and decorate the cake however you want! Though custom cakes are delivering you your exact specifications, a homemade cake is much more special because you have taken the time to make the cake your own.

Balloons

Balloons are expensive. Which is surprising, based on the fact that they only last a few days. Nevertheless, balloons can be expensive depending on where you get them and what kind of balloons you get.
When it comes to birthdays, it is rare that you will ever see just one balloon. Many times, you will see at least a dozen. When you have a dozen balloons, you can have quite a hefty transaction total, especially based on what kind of balloon you have. For instance, plain colored balloons can relatively inexpensive and can be bought in sets so you can buy multiple types and colors. In places like Party City, or any grocery store balloons can cost up to $14 dollars — for just one balloon! The best way to get a lot of balloons for a better price is a dollar store. At the dollar store you can get balloons for, you guessed it, $1! That means, you can get 14 balloons, whereas anywhere else you would only get one!

Potluck Birthday

Party food can be expensive, especially if you are throwing a large party. Kids can also be very picky, which doesn’t help your cause at all. One way to combat picky eaters is by throwing a potluck birthday party. In a potluck celebration, every guest brings their own dish to share to the party. By doing this, each parent can bring a food that their child can eat and enjoy. This way, no one is left out and everyone is well fed. Also, children can try new and exciting dishes that they may not have tried otherwise.
Potlucks are a great way to also make sure there is enough food for everyone. Typically, with all your guests bringing some type of entree, there will be more food than needed, which will limit the likelihood of food shortages. Better still, potlucks give your party the appearance of a great big feast, which is sure to bring a smile to your child’s face.

Ditch the Party Favors

At some parties, hosts will give out little party favors to their guests. Though this is a great tradition, it can be quite taxing to the hosts for any reasons. For one, party favors can be time-consuming. It takes time to find all the favors, divide them amongst every guest equally, and of course, place them in individually wrapped baggies. All of the work that does into party favors is mostly wasted, as kids only really enjoy their gifts for thirty minutes and lose interest. Therefore, you not only lost valuable hours of your life constructing the favors, but you lost money paying for all the little trinkets in the first place.

Kid’s Party Games

One way to still have a successful birthday, but skip the expensive party favors, is to keep all the guest as occupied as possible. This is no easy task, and to treat it as a minor factor could lead to your party’s downfall. The key to any good party is its entertainment. No matter how good the food is at a party, if there is no stimulating entertainment, all your guests will be bored and leave early. Because of this, party games and other entertainments are a necessity. If you child is born in the summer, a common party game is a water balloon toss. However, though this classic game is fun, it can be wasteful, short-lived, and a disaster to clean up. With water balloons, you need a lot of water to fill them yet. More importantly, you need a lot of balloons to keep a party entertained for at least an hour. After all the balloons have been popped, the hosts must then pick all the elastic balloon carcases up and off their lawn. One way to keep this game, but make it less of a pain, is by remodeling the game. For example, you can offer the guest who picks up the most balloon pieces a secondary prize. This way, you will not only have a clean lawn but very happy guests.

If perhaps, party games are not the way you want to go, finding an incredible kid’s party venue could really bring your party to the next level. At Rebounderz, we offer families a great venue that is both safe and affordable.Not only that, but we also offer party groups an exclusive party room to enjoy cake and open presents. Have your child’s party at Rebounderz and see how a venue can transform your party!

Historically, people with allergies either didn’t attend parties, or attended and weren’t able to participate in the festivities that their allergies restricted. However, in recent years, the public has become much more aware of allergies, and recipes have been modified to cater to everyone, even those with limiting allergies. If your kiddo, or someone who was invited to your kid’s birthday party, has severe food allergies, we would like to recommend a few allergy-friendly birthday cake options.

Allergen-Friendly Birthday Cakes

Eggless Birthday Cake

Egg allergies are fairly common and hinder celebrations for most egg-allergy sufferers because most baked goods include eggs as the binding substance. Eggs are in so many common foods, that it often discludes those with allergies from joining in festivities. The great news for egg-allergy sufferers (and vegans) is that there are many egg-free cake recipes to choose from. This eggless vanilla cake from Mommy’s Home Cooking (https://mommyshomecooking.com/egg-free-vanilla-cake-recipe/) uses:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups self-rising flour
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
In a large bowl, beat sugar and melted butter until creamy; add vanilla. Mix milk and vinegar in separate bowl. Add the flour alternately with milk to the butter mixture, use a rubber spatula to turn the batter over several times, beat until incorporated, without overmixing. Pour batter into desired cake pan, bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

Lactose-Free Birthday Cake

Those with milk or lactose allergies generally know to avoid baked goods. Impress your allergy suffering guests with a lactose-free cake they can enjoy! The key to making a lactose-free birthday cake lies in realizing the ways that lactose is snuck into baked goods. The most obvious lactose-ridden ingredient is milk. Traditional cow’s milk can easily be swapped out with lactose-free milk, rice milk, or almond milk. Butter is another culprit of harboring lactose; be sure to choose a dairy-free shortening instead. If you are making a chocolate cake, use cocoa powder instead of milk-chocolate flavoring for a lactose-free flavor. For a dairy-free icing, try making your own by mixing:
1 cup dairy-free margarine
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon plain, unsweetened almond or soy milk
Whip ingredients until fluffy spread on your dairy-free cake and allow your lactose intolerant guests to enjoy cake too!

Gluten-Free Birthday Cake

A fact of life that those with gluten allergies, historically, have come to accept is that baked goods and bread are out of the question. However, in the last decade, quite a bit of attention has been paid to this allergy and preferred eating style for many healthy eaters. Now, there are many more gluten-free options than ever before. To make any baked good gluten-free, you can swap the regular flour for a gluten-free flour option. If you are using gluten-free flour to make cakes or bread, add a teaspoon of xanthan gum.

Just because your child or someone they love has a food allergy, does not mean that they should miss out on enjoying the festivities at your kid’s birthday party, including the celebratory birthday cake! Try out one of these allergy-free birthday cake recipes. If you need help planning and hosting your kid’s birthday party, give us a call at Rebounderz. We make celebrating your kid’s birthday as easy as it is fun!

A birthday party or celebration is always a good excuse to indulge in some party treats, after all, it is a celebration! However, any parent knows there are always celebrations and parties with treats – one classmate after the other’s birthday party, soccer team win, scout meeting, a holiday, a cousin’s graduation, dances, the list goes on and on. The point is, if we took every celebration as an excuse to eat unhealthily and allow our children to eat unhealthy snacks as well, there would be very few opportunities to eat healthy. At Rebounderz of Jacksonville, we believe that healthy eating can be as fun as exercise, you just have to make it fun, appealing, and tasty! Here, we have gathered up a few deliciously healthy snacks to share at your kid’s birthday party.

Ants on a Log/Tire

These tasty, classic treats are as tasty as they are delicious! Clean and cut celery stalks into three to four-inch pieces. Slather with nut butter of your choice (we recommend peanut or almond) and place some dried raisins along the sticky stalk. For a twist on this snack, core and slice apples into rings. Spread honey or Nutella on the apple rings and top with raisins or dried cranberries as ants.

Chia Banana Sushi

This is a super simple, super healthy, delicious treat that looks great on a platter. Slice bananas into sushi-thick slices. Dip half of the edge into honey or Nutella (alternate for variety), and then dip into chia seeds. Let the “rolls” sit in the refrigerator for an hour and serve.

Fruit Kabobs

This treat is super simple and what makes it delicious is the fun of eating it! Use toothpicks as skewers to string several pieces of bite-sized fruit. To add in something sweet, you can add a small marshmallow here and there or roll some of the fruit in Nutella before adding it to the mix. You can use any fruit for your kabobs, if they include fruit that browns once cut, simply squirt a little lemon or lime juice on your kabobs before letting them sit.

Parmesan Zucchini Fries

A great way to get kids and parents alike to enjoy eating their vegetables is to not serve them as vegetables! These parmesan zucchini fries are easy to make and delicious. Simply cut your zucchini into chunky strips, coat with a very thin layer of olive oil and roll in a mix of parmesan cheese and basil. Bake until golden brown, serve.

Just because you host your kid’s birthday party, doesn’t mean you have to serve unhealthy snacks and treats for your guests. There are many healthy snack ideas that are as fun and healthy as they are scrumptious. Check out a few recipes and Pinterest suggestions before surrendering to the baked good gods. Of course, you can also serve a delicious baked birthday cake! If you need more suggestions for healthy, fun kids birthday parties, give us a call at Rebounderz!

So your little one has a big day coming up. Planning a birthday party can feel pretty overwhelming sometimes, but you can bypass a lot of stress and headaches with a good checklist. We’ve compiled a checklist that you can use as your roadmap to a fantastic kid’s birthday party. One of the biggest decisions that you have to make when planning a party is the location. Take out the guesswork and go with a location guaranteed to be a hit with all partygoers, Rebounderz Trampoline Park right here in Rohnert Park!

Before we dive into the checklist, it’s always recommended to talk with the birthday boy or girl to see what they would like. Not only will that help narrow down your decisions, it’ll also give them a sense of involvement and pride when they see their idea come to life. With that out of the way, on with part one of our birthday party checklist.

-Budget

You don’t need to break the bank to have a successful birthday party. When you start off determining your budget for the event, it makes every other decision much easier. Keep in mind, just because a party has lots of stuff doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any more enjoyable than something smaller. Decide on a budget that you’re happy with and gives you the flexibility to work around.

However, just because you set a number for your budget doesn’t mean that’s exactly what you have to spend. It will instead act as a framework for the rest of the checklist items. There are many ways that you can save some money without losing out on items that often raise a party budget. Baking a homemade birthday cake and making your own invitations are both cost effective as well as a great way to make your party look and feel unique. A creative and affordable party is much more memorable than a generic store-bought one, so let those ideas flow. Plus, if you come in under budget, you might be able to get your little one an extra present they weren’t expecting!

-Time

There are two ways that time will need to be factored into your party planning. The first, what time you decide to have the party, will typically determine what type of food you’ll be having. If it is a party that starts at noon, it stands to reason you’ll have a more extensive lunch menu. On the other hand, if it starts in the afternoon, the partygoers are more likely to have already eaten their lunch, so the focus can shift to snacks. The second factor that needs to be accounted for is the age of the children. With younger children, they typically get tired and cranky after a few hours, especially when it’s close to their nap time. Doing either a morning party around 9 am or an afternoon party between lunch and dinner can ensure nobody gets cranky and everyone has fun.

-Length of Party

This goes hand-in-hand with what time you’re holding the party, as well as the age of the children. For toddlers and young kids, a party that lasts about two to two-and-a-half hours should be a perfect sweet spot. When kids get older, a party that lasts around four hours gives a bit more freedom, as you can pack that time with activities or games without the worry that they’ll get bored or cranky.

-Guests

Deciding how many guests you will be inviting impacts just about everything on your birthday party checklist. How much food will be needed, the size of the cake, number of party favors, and activities that involve everyone are all items that change depending on how many people will be attending. It’s also a good idea to determine if the party will be all boys, all girls, a boy and girl party, and whether there will be a range of ages invited. If you have a wide range of ages attending, it’s a good idea to go with party favors that aren’t age specific.

-Party Theme

This is usually the easiest decision to make, as children will have a character or subject they love that you can center the party around. Whether that’s making a superhero or princess party, it gives you a basis to form all of the activities, invitations, party favors, and other bits and bobs around. When they get older, their interests may move away from characters to activities, which could be a day at the trampoline park or skating rink. You can add some extra flair to the party regardless of the theme by including your child’s favorite color to make it feel made for them specifically.

-Invitations

As we said before, invitations are a great way to save some money while flexing your creative muscles. However, if you aren’t looking to DIY your invites, there are some other options available to you. Naturally, you can buy packages of invitations at party stores, grocers, and other retailers. They often have characters or themes attached to them, so if your party will have a theme, this is a great way to set expectations and get the kids excited for what’s to come. Otherwise, you can avoid wasting paper and time spent mailing by using evites online.

-Decorations

This is an area where it is very easy to overspend. Even if your theme is focused on a specific character, that doesn’t mean that every piece of decoration needs to have that character on it. Use the color palette of the color to find accent pieces to go with the character decorations. One cost-effective option is getting stickers of the character or theme and attaching them to plastic cups in the color palette.

-Party Supplies

Just like the decorations, you don’t need to have a character or theme on every piece of party supplies. With licensed products often carrying a premium price, supplementing them with generic but colorful pieces can end up looking better and more cohesive than if you drop a bucket full of cash on all character-laden party supplies. A fun and inexpensive idea is to give all guests a blank name tag to put on their cup, which everyone can then color and customize to their heart’s content. That makes it a creative group activity which allows everyone to make their own imprint on the party, no matter how small.

-Cakes

While this checklist item may be called ‘cakes,’ that doesn’t mean you can only choose a cake for your kid’s birthday party. This is another opportunity to really get creative and work with your child’s taste. Whether it’s store-bought or homemade, classic or ice cream, cupcake or cheesecake or pie, the options are just about limitless. If you want that look of a themed cake without shelling out for a bakery to make a custom one, making a homemade one and adding small figures is not only more affordable, it gives you more freedom to make a cake that fits your kid’s interests (and dietary needs) instead of a generic design. Most party supply stores have a section with a wide variety of cake toppers.

While this concludes part one of our look at making a birthday party checklist, rest assured we’ll be back with part two shortly. However, once you take these preliminary steps, the rest of your party planning will be a piece of cake. In part two, we’ll be diving into party food and drinks, party favors, entertainment, activities, games, and music. Luckily for you, there’s a perfect location for you to hold your little one’s birthday party, right here at Rebounderz in Rohnert Park. With our incredibly safe trampoline park, intimidating JumpXtreme Tower, exciting Ninja Warrior course, and the dunk-friendly SlamBall court, we’re sure there’s something to make all of your party guests have a blast. There’s no better place when you’re looking for a fun place no matter your age than Rebounderz. We hope to see you soon!

Party Checklist

You kid’s birthday party is a big deal. After all, it is celebrating another year of their life and their childhood. Your child only has one birthday a year, which is why it is important to make that day as special as possible. However, just because you want the day to be special doesn’t mean you have to go to unbelievable lengths to achieve a spectacular birthday celebration. Most parents believe that, to make a birthday special, they need to hire entertainers and shower their home with intricate decorations. However, it is false to assume that decadent birthday decor will make the birthday any more special. Throwing money at your kids birthday will not make them love you any more or any less than they already do. If your child values your effort and love, fancy decor won’t even enter their mind or affect how they view their birthday party. It is natural for you to want them to have the best time; however, you don’t have to break the bank in order to do so.
In this blog, we will give you our specialized list in order to make your child’s birthday party the best one yet!

 

Mouthwatering Food

There is a reason why we put food at the top of our list: it’s crucial. Having food at your kid’s party is extremely important and can make, or break, the success of your party. Children like to play, which only speeds up their metabolism. Most kids like to eat, but some can be picky. If your child is a picky eater, or they have classmates who are picky, you want to choose food options that are known crowd pleasers. Pizza is, by far, a phenomenal choice of food. Not only is pizza delicious, but it can be affordable if you have coupons or buy from an inexpensive place. However, when it comes to the food at your party, it is important not to sacrifice flavor or a price tag. When you purchase cheaply, you will often get a product that doesn’t taste great. When it comes to your kid’s party, it is okay to splurge a little on the menu. After all, the pizza isn’t just for the kids, it is also for all the parents. So, don’t feel bad about ordering separate pies for both your little ones and the parents. This way, you can treat both the kids and their chaperones!

Delicious Party Cake

Let’s be honest, the cake at a party is the most anticipated treat of the whole day. If you have a truly magnificent cake, you will have won as a parent. Not only is cake a delicious treat to share, but it is also an iconic piece of any celebration. As a kid, blowing out your candles and making a wish is the best part of the whole day. Not only that, but it is the moment everyone remembers years later in pictures. If you have a less than desirable cake, you could severely ruin the moment. A birthday cake should be both delicious and beautifully decorated. If you do not put a little effort into the aesthetic and flavor of the cake, you will regret it. That being said, if you are on a budget, there is no shame in making the cake yourself. Purchase a plain white sheet cake at your local bakery and decorate it yourself. The night before the party, you can make decorating the birthday cake a fun activity for you and your child to participate in.

Kid’s Party Games

Entertaining your guests, as well as your child, can be a chore. Children don’t have long attention spans and getting them away from a television screen can be a bit of a challenge. The best course of action when it comes to planning party games is — don’t. Rely on your venue to provide the party games for your guests. Planning games takes time and money, and, honestly, patience very few people have. Choose a venue that you know can provide quality entertainment for the duration of the party. That way, you can rest easy knowing that the party will be a success and you didn’t lose any hair in the process.

Birthday Party Venues

The venue is important, maybe as important as — dare we say it — the food. The venue is important not just for the entertainment value, but also the safety of your party. Having a venue that is safe, protective, yet still has plenty to occupy party guests is hard to find. Luckily, businesses, such as Rebounderz, exist for the sole purpose to entertain children. Better still, Rebounderz is able to cater to the needs of your birthday party by offering an exclusive birthday room.

Rebounderz

If you are interested in making your kid’s next birthday truly spectacular, visit your local Rebounderz today!