Warning: These 4 Mistakes Will Destroy Your Indoor Playground

If you reside in an area like we do in Western New York (we're in Rochester!) With beautifully warm summers and cold snowy winters, you will understand your options for your child's birthday celebration are mostly determined by the weather.
As an August baby, we always had small family parties out at my house. However, with sons born in November and March, we're constantly left to book an indoor place for their celebrations, if we decided to have them that year. While those with children with summer birthdays may seem lucky to have numerous choices at their disposal, it can also often feel overwhelming.
While at Climbing Vines Cafe and Play we might be biased since we sponsor indoor parties, I wanted to discuss with you the 5 most common reasons we hear out of past party customers to book indoor summer evenings with us. To them, the stress-free nature of the indoor jungle gym summertime celebration is a no-brainer, plus they are not looking back! After their initial indoor summer celebration , they continue hosting with us year after year.


1) NO WEATHER WORRIES


The most common reason for a customer to book a summer indoor party with us is so they don't need to stalk the weather forecast for upgrades in the weeks leading up to the party. And if you've ever needed to cancel or postpone your child's birthday because of weather, then you know how heartbreaking that can be.
We receive dozens of calls each summer a couple of days before somebody's outdoor party is supposed to happen to see if we have an open slot for them in our indoor party venue due to weather woes. We can normally pull off this if the spot is open, but hosts will sadly have to scramble and allow all their guests know of the change in place and probably shift in time, and change all their catering orders to accommodate their new party plan.
While of course rain is most probably the largest obstacle you might face, intense warmth, unseasonably cool weather, and end may also pose issues to your food, decorations, along with your guests' belongings. You will likely find yourself investing in a kayak another weather barrier simply to ease your mind a bit, which can be costly and require lots of precious time to set up and take down. I won't even tell the narrative of the time my Dad set a tent up for a celebration in a windstorm and ended up with a insurance claim for 4 damaged cars when it blew away (weights and anchors and all!) ...

2) CHANGING IT UP

Besides the obvious weather concerns it's possible to avoid with an indoor celebration, there may also just be something so straightforward and lovely about an indoor summer party. Guests won't need to worry about bringing sunscreen and towels and towels and swimsuits and changes of clothing and insect spray... you understand.
Sometimes it's wonderful to have a short break from the outdoors, sip coffee in an air-conditioned cafe, also have an actual conversation with other adults while the children play, instead of chasing children around trying to get their hat on them or keeping them away from your in-ground pool. I'm not sure about you, but I could never really relax at an outdoor summer birthday party with a two and a 4 year-old. While they sure do have a fantastic time running around, we typically leave at a daze or with a tantrum, unsure if we even had the time to chat or check in with everyone.
While I absolutely adore a fantastic barbecue or summertime grilling extravaganza, I also find it so refreshing when we can take a rest in the same-old backyard bash and spend a few hours in a relaxing, cool, and most importantly-- included! -- air.
It's also freeing as a guest to have the rest of the day to do as we wish as a family and not have to be concerned about getting the kids to a bath right after the party or stopping home to cool off and change clothing.
I promise that if you book an indoor celebration for your child, guests (especially family) might appear a bit confused at first (why not just take advantage of the summer weather while we could, right?) But after hosting countless indoor parties I will tell you for sure that on the day-of, you and your visitors will realize how nice it is to kick back in an air-conditioned private celebration for a few hours.

Speaking of how relaxing a indoor, air-conditioned celebration could be, how can we discuss food for a moment? Not only are food options limited with an outdoor celebration due to heat, but it can be difficult to keep food covered and keep the bugs, bees, and other debris away.
Right now, my sweet 4 year old boy is terrified of bees, and the quickest way to send him into a tailspin is for him to sit down to eat a cupcake or his meal and also have bees swarming around. So, for our loved ones, the meals factor alone could be enough to warrant an indoor celebration.
Eating in peace without having to find shade or a seat or a place away from pests is just one of these things that you do not realize can be so glorious until you attend your fourth or fifth outside summer gathering and THEN get a rest from them. One of the most common things we hear is how nice it is to just sit and eat and watch the kiddos play with no any other venue-related cares or concerns. This will be especially important if you're going to be having older family members attend who can battle with being mobile in the grass or mud and finding seating at outside parties.
Plus, when was the last time you attended an outdoor summer celebration with a full espresso bar and cafe available for visitors to enjoy now they don't need to worry about running around chasing their kids in the warmth? Don't worry, we have you covered there, literally!

While party aesthetic might not be a deciding factor for each and every household, it sure is much easier to make a themed extravaganza which lighting a child's face up as soon as the party's indoors. The decorations demanded tend to be less since the area is smaller and included contained, and you won't need to worry about balloons and streamers blowing all about or securing table covers .
Because we do host mobile events outside at Climbing Vines Cafe and Play, I can also speak from experience once I say the time it takes to set up (and take down!) Decorations for an outside party compared to a indoor celebration usually ends up being at least double. Finding good places to hang banners, requiring two people to hold and secure everything, and finding weights or other restraints for everything can be a genuine hassle on celebration.
And you'll have enough to be concerned about that afternoon, right?
Furthermore, if your pinterest boards are filled with cute centerpieces, a candy bar, or anything which may be impacted by wind (or attract bees!) You will likely have to restrategize to get an outdoor soiree.
Not to mention decor typically can only be utilized once if used outside, but repurposed again and if used for an indoor event. Our guests that host indoor occasions, especially those who invested significant money into decor or worked hard to create their own, are pleased to find they could usually create a huge chunk of the cash back by reselling their materials on something like Facebook Marketplace.
5) YOU MAY ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY
Speaking of money, probably the greatest misconception I hear from customers is that they wish to host a party at their home to save the leasing fee of an indoor area. I generally laugh at this because it makes perfect sense, that is, if you've never hosted an outdoor party.
With all of the"extras" such as tents, seat rentals, extra decorations, weather reinforcements, cleanup supplies, games and activities for the children (which you won't have to provide at a play place!) It's very possible you will end up spending MUCH more hosting a party at your home or an outside venue than you would inside.
I'm not sure how other indoor spaces manage their equipment, but we only charge guests for extra drinks and provides and these on the day of the celebration if they end up needing themand we also allow parties to attract in their OWN food, dessert, and decor should they choose!
Money aside, spending countless hours cleaning before, during, and after the party may also take a toll. Would not it be nice to walk into a sparkling clean space and leave with your guests when the party's over, not having to worry about the clean-up, garbage removal, tent teardown, etc?
You can just head home and relax with your loved ones (yes, possibly outside!)
In addition to the time spent cleaning before and after the party, wouldn't it ALSO be nice to not need to play"server" during the event? For clients that make their own food and decoration, our committed party assistants set everything up, refill and fix food and drinks as necessary, clear plates, cut and serve the cake, and package up all of the leftovers at the end of the party!
In the end, it's your child's special day and you wish to spend those precious hours making memories and visiting along with your guests-- not running about chasing your decorations or refilling the fruit bowl innumerable times.
So save everyone (and especially your own family!) We'd be honored to offer you an easy, breezy experience which will leave your whole guest list feeling refreshed, thankful, and filled with love after spending a relaxing (yet fun-filled!) day together.