20 Kid-Approved Birthday Party Venues in Denver, With Planning Guide
Nothing beats being a kid at your own birthday party. If we had to pick the next best thing, though, it’s probably the feeling you get when your child experiences their own party.
It’s a chance to connect, celebrate, and engage in some fun activities that don’t happen every day. Although the party is technically for the kid, it’s a great chance for parents to socialize with other parents.
Since we don’t believe kids’ birthday parties need to be complicated in order to be awesome, we’ve come up with a simple how-to guide that’ll help you plan the big day.
In this article, we’ve boiled it down to the basics to help you get the wheels in motion without having to sweat the small stuff.
Denver boasts a host of activity venues that will make the party planning easy, but even the simplest party requires a bit of planning.
How to Plan an Unforgettable Kid’s Birthday Party
Depending on the age of the boy or girl, they may have a few ideas of where they want to host the birthday.
Some kids might have a favorite venue they’ve attended before, or they might have a new venue they’ve been waiting for the perfect timing and group to attend.
Choose a Venue
The first things you should do well before the date of the party is choosing a venue. You’ll want to start looking for a venue early on – as bookings can be limited in space and fill up quickly.
We generally recommend locking down a venue four to six weeks before the birthday if you have particular date and time that will work best.
Choose a Day and Time of Day
A crucial step that’s often overlooked: keep in mind what time of day works best for the age group you’re entertaining. If you are having a party for young children, such as toddlers, a good time is right after nap time.
For kids who are in preschool, a party during lunchtime works well. Older kids are more adaptable, so you can choose the time that works best for you.
Depending on the time of year, older kids might have sports in the morning or afternoon, so you’ll want to do your best to plan around those
You also don’t have to keep the party going for hours at a time. In fact, young children who are toddlers or preschool age do best with shorter parties of an hour or two in length.
Kids in school might do well with a party that longer. If you’re hosting the birthday at a birthday venue, they’ll generally keep the total length to less than two hours.
Build a Guest List
If your child has a best friend, you want to be sure they are free before choosing a date for the birthday party. This is going to be essential since this is the person who your child will be the most excited to see at their celebration.
You’ll want to consider the age and what activities will be happening at the party.
For instance, a large number of kids might be a good choice for team games at a four-year-old’s party, while a sleepover for an eight-year-old might work best with only two or three guests.
The events at the party might lend themselves to bigger or smaller groups, and it’s ok to plan accordingly.
Send Out Invitations
The rule of thumb is to send out all invitations about three weeks before the day of the party – even if they’re via email – to give parents adequate time to plan ahead and clear the date.
Some schools allow children to distribute invitations on the property, but it’s best to avoid this if all of the children aren’t being invited.
Invitations can be designed on paper and mailed, or keep it simple with an email or even a text message.
Websites like evite or Paperless Post can make an invitation sent via email feel a bit more formal.
The most important information for the invitations are location, date, drop-off, and pick-up times. If the child needs to bring anything to the party, make sure you indicate that, too.
Let parents know if you will be serving a meal, and let parents know if they’re invited to hang out for the festivities.
If you’re hosting the birthday at an outside venue, most will require parents to sign waivers for their own child.
If a waiver is required, we suggest including that in the invitation so that everybody is ready to participate. Many waivers can be completed electronically, while others will be required to be printed and signed.
Choose Food to Serve
Sometimes, you may be having the party at a venue where food is included or purchasing food through them is required. While this can cut down on how much planning you need to do in terms of food, it’s also something to keep in mind while budgeting.
The good news is kids love simple foods. There aren’t a ton of kids who don’t get a giant smile on their faces when offered Domino’s pizza.
For those that enjoy baking, a homemade cake or platter of cupcakes can give an offsite a taste of home.
With the number of cool bakeries and cupcake shops popping up, even “store-bought” baked goods can be totally amazing and filled with local flare.
Let’s be honest, though, when it comes to cake, kids aren’t known to be particularly picky. While a group of “foodie” adults might scoff at a Kroger sheet cake, kids will usually scarf it down and return, asking for seconds.
Insider tip: If you host the birthday at an external venue, an extra pizza is always a cheap and easy way to show your party hosts some appreciation.
Decide on Party Favors
Party favors definitely shouldn’t be a requirement. Despite kids’ birthday parties getting more extravagant over the years, party favors are no longer as common.
Candy and dollar store items are inexpensive but popular options as favors.
You can also choose to go with something more substantial, like a book or a game for kids who are a bit older. If you have a theme for the party, choose something that fits into it.
The Gifting Process
You might be curious whether it is best to have the child open gifts while the party is happening or whether you should wait until the guests have left.
The answer is that it depends. In some cases, kids like to see the birthday kid open the present they brought them, especially if they had the chance to pick it out.
But at the same time, guests can get bored watching a kid open dozens of gifts.
One creative option is to open all of the gifts after the party, but take pictures of them being opened.
You can send those pictures out with simple thank you notes / texts to let the gifter know the item was appreciated.
Ending the Party
Lastly, don’t forget to let the parents know when to pick up their kids. This is also the appropriate time to make sure every child has their party favors and any other items that you want them to go home with.
Then you can clean up and enjoy spending time with your child and bonding as you finish out their special day.
The Top Locations for Kid’s Birthday Parties in Denver, Colorado
One of the largest considerations when planning either a girl’s or boy’s birthday party is where it should be hosted.
While you could have a party at home, that leaves you spending the evening cleaning up after what was likely a long day.
Luckily, there are tons of great venues for hosting a birthday party in Denver for kids of all ages.
Below, we’ll share a few of the top options for kids, no matter their age or interests. So take a look and decide which is right for your child’s party.
20 BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS
FOR KIDS IN DENVER COLORADO
1. Oxotic Supercar Driving Experience - Supercar Birthday Party & Ride Alongs
791 Pine Ridge Rd. Golden CO 80403
855-484-1550
📍Golden| 🧒 Age Range: 5+ years to Adult
Have a Supercar fan in your home? Look no further this is the Birthday Party everyone is going to be talking about! Oxotic throws an all inclusive Birthday party that they call an Arrive, Drive, and Party! You just need to get the Birthday kid and their friends to arrive they do the rest. They make this an experience for the entire party. Starting with a 25 Mile Rally Style tour for the Birthday kid and their parent to experience. They will also have their chance to get in front of the camera. Oxotic’s Professional staff photographer will take photos during their one on one professional photo shoot. When they return from the hour-long tour they will be greeted by a SURPRISE PARTY where they will find their friends waiting for them.
The fun does not stop here. All of the party guests will get their chance to take a ride along in a Supercar of their choice. They will also get their chance to get a personal photo shoot with their Supercar. We will. wrap this party up with Lunch catered by Chic-Fil-A and cake by Nothing Bundt Cakes. All of the kiddos will go home with curated gift bags, digital photos from the day, and printed group photos with a photo frame. For a group size of 6 you get this entire turn key Birthday Experience for $1299.
2. Archery Games Denver
5405 W 56th Ave, Unit D, Arvada
📍Denver | 🧒Age Range: 7+ years to Adult
Kids of all ages enjoy being active, competing with friends, and having a good time – especially on their birthdays.
At Archery Games Denver, all of those things are provided in a family-friendly venue. The game consists of tagging other players with arrows to eliminate them from a game.
For birthday parties, groups get private tables and can bring in their favorite foods, including a tasty birthday cake. It’s a fun experience that you won’t find anywhere else.
Both kids and adults can play games against one another and create memories that will last a lifetime.
3. Aerial Cirque Over Denver
4605 Quebec St, Units B2 and B3, Denver, CO 80216
📍Denver | 🧒Age Range: 6+ to Adult
If there’s one thing that almost all children love, it’s the circus. Aerial Cirque Over Denver takes things up a notch by teaching the kids how to actually be in the circus.
Their 90 minute “Greatest Showman” birthday party provides professional aerial silks and trapeze instruction at their indoor studio.
Bring your own cake and pizza for some additional celebration after the instruction.
4. Kids Wonder
7562 S University Blvd Suite GG, Centennial
📍Centennial | 🧒Age Range: From birth through eight years old
For small tots celebrating a birthday, Kids Wonder is a remarkable space. It’s designed to help with kids’ intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development from birth through eight years old.
It’s open every day for kids to play however they want and the location has tons of room to play and run.
It works well as a birthday venue and comes with trampolines, inflatable slides, ball pits, wooden toys, and more.
For events like birthdays, a private room is available where the party can take place before the kids enjoy playing the day away.
5. Kids Dig
8601 W Cross Dr. Unit B6-1, Littleton
📍Littleton | 🧒Age Range: Kids 7 years old and under
Designed as a space for kids who are eight or younger, Kids Dig could be an excellent venue for a child’s birthday in Denver.
The main feature of this space is a sandbox with 825 square feet of sand. It’s themed to look like a quarry with large murals showcasing earth moving equipment to help your kids feel like they are working in a real construction environment.
This location has a special space for children who aren’t potty trained and a carpeted area for babies without sand. Even adults can jump in and have fun as long as enough space is available.
6. Little Monkey Bizness
14693 Orchard Pkwy, Westminster
📍Westminster | 🧒Age Range: 9 Months To 11+ Years
Young birthday boys and girls can have a blast with friends by visiting Little Monkey Bizness. It’s designed to give kids aged eight and under a space where they can explore a playground in a safe indoor environment.
There are slides, obstacle courses, and inflatable jumps for all.
Even the smallest tots have a special area where they can explore and play with kids of the same age. This venue offers several birthday packages to help you celebrate.
You’ll also have access to a party host to help you from start to finish so you can focus on your child and all the fun they get to have.
7. Play Street Museum
9370 S Colorado Blvd A-2, Highlands Ranch
Image Credit: coloradoparent
📍Highlands Ranch | 🧒Age Range: Up To 10 Years
Play Street Museum is a fantastic location for a young child’s birthday party. It’s an educational space that encourages kids to play while taking in new knowledge.
Kids can hang out at the campsite or treehouse and play while parents join in or hang back and watch as the children learn something new.
This is a museum that is based on interactivity, so it brings out the imagination in kids.
There are several birthday packages available, including the option to bring your own food or have the whole afternoon catered for the little ones.
8. Dart Arena
5405 W 56th Ave, Unit D, Arvada
📍Arvada | 🧒Age Range: 6+ Years
For those whose kids have fond memories of past Denver favorites Dart Warz and DartMania, Dart Arena by Archery Games picks up right where they left off.
Played in the Archery Games Arena, kids can battle it out with Nerf Rival blasters.
Each game is officiated by a party host, who adapts crowd favorites like Kick the Can and Capture the Flag to Nerf.
There are several birthday packages available, offering the choice of a private or a public game. Archery Games doesn’t sell food, so all birthday food is BYO.
9. American Paintball Coliseum
5095 Peoria St, Denver
📍Denver | 🧒Age Range: 6+ Years to Adult
Great for older kids who want some independence, American Paintball Coliseum could be the perfect spot for a birthday.
Kids can play paintball indoors or out, try a game of laser tag, play with airsoft, and much more. When you host a kid’s birthday party at the venue, you can be sure everyone who comes will have a ton of fun.
What makes this spot stand out is that it offers a variety of activities for people of all ages.
Those who prefer to play video games have access to a virtual reality arcade, while those who are active can switch between sports for a day of fun.
10. Boondocks Food & Fun
11425 Community Center Dr, Northglenn
📍Draper | 🧒Age Range: Not specified
A birthday party isn’t nearly as fun without great food, but a restaurant doesn’t have to be only that. At Boondocks, you can host a child’s birthday party with delicious dishes, tasty drinks, and all sorts of family-friendly entertainment.
This venue has special birthday party packages to ensure everyone invited has a great time. The packages include great amenities like a reserved party table, bottomless soda, tasty pizza, and complimentary bowling.
Even the essentials like napkins, cups, plates, balloons, and invitations are provided to make the process easier. Young kids and even the older ones will have a blast visiting the venue with friends.
11. Ubergrippen Indoor Climbing Crag
8610 E 21st Ave, Denver
📍Denver | 🧒Age Range: All ages
Lots of kids enjoy being active and having the chance to do it on a birthday while surrounded by family and friends is something that will be remembered. At Ubergrippen Indoor Climbing Crag, kids can spend time in a huge climbing gym with a 40-foot high wall, level climbing, and dozens of lanes of top rope.
All in all, there are 12,000 feet of climbing walls and routes to explore.
It’s a great place to teach kids how to climb through daycare, classes, after-school programs, and camps.
It also has everything you could want for a fun birthday in Denver.
12. Topgolf
10601 E Easter Ave, Centennial
Image Credit: metroparent
📍Centennial | 🧒Age Range: Advertised as “all ages”. Should be big enough to hit a golf ball
Kids of all ages will have a blast with a birthday party at Topgolf. It’s far more than just a standard venue that offers golf. Instead, it’s more like a game that combines golf, bowling, and darts into one activity.
For food and drink during the party, guests can choose from many delicious options and servers will bring it right over to you.
While playing a game at this venue, guests try to hit a golf ball into the center of a target to score points.
It’s a unique and exciting experience that kids of all ages will enjoy.
13. Shredder: Indoor Ski & Snowboard School
4890 Ironton St Unit F, Denver
Image Credit: boulder.kidcityguide
📍Denver | 🧒Age Range: 9 Months To 10 Years
If your little one has a birthday coming up, why not let them learn how to do something new? Shredder: Indoor Ski & Snowboard School is the perfect choice for a birthday party.
Several different classes are available for kids from as young as 10 months old to as old as 10 and beyond.
The birthday parties at this venue let guests sled, ski, and ride around indoors while having a whole lot of fun.
Kids can also engage in gymnastics, bounce around on trampolines, or enjoy a game of dodgeball with their friends.
14. Monster Mini Golf
8227 S Holly St, Centennial
Image Credit: TripAdvisor
📍Centennial | 🧒Age Range: 5+ Years
Do you have a kid with a birthday coming up? If they enjoy sports and being active, Monster Mini Golf is a great venue for their party.
It’s an indoor spot with an 18-hole mini-golf course, laser tag, mini-bowling, a monster maze, and a variety of concession choices.
In addition, there is a selection of themed party rooms so you can choose the one that bests fits the personality of the birthday kid.
The mini-golf facility also comes with an arcade and a prize center for kids who are less active, so every child can go home feeling like a winner.
15. Lava Island
452 Sable Blvd, Aurora
📍Aurora | 🧒Age Range: All ages
Lava Island is a great spot to take an active kid and all their friends for a birthday celebration. It acts as an indoor park with dozens of themed climbing walls, 15,000 square feet of trampolines, and other 20,000 square feet of mazes, slides, and ladders.
It’s a fun experience for the whole family and the birthday packages include treats like special themed rooms and fresh food.
This venue has activities for kids of all ages and the birthday party rooms are spacious and clean.
If you know a birthday will involve a handful of energetic children, this is the perfect spot to let them burn off some energy.
16. Hammond’s Candies
5735 Washington St, Denver
📍Denver | 🧒Age Range: All Ages
Sometimes, the most important part of a birthday is enjoying some fun treats that kids don’t get every day. Hammond’s Candies is an ideal birthday party venue for an experience that blends fun and education.
There are free tours of the factory so the little ones can learn how lollipops, candy canes, and other sweets are made.
Thousands of people visit every year to see how their favorite candies have been made since the 1920s.
Bring the kids and give them an up-close view of how candy is made and what makes up Hammond’s history. Make sure to choose some sweets to round out the experience.
17. Space Foundation Headquarters and Discovery Center
4425 Arrowswest Dr, Colorado Springs
Image Credit: Colorado
📍Colorado Springs | 🧒Age Range: All ages
Planning a birthday party for a kid who loves astronauts, planets, and the stars? The perfect venue for the party could be at Space Foundation Headquarters and Discovery Center. It’s ideal for kids of all ages with a variety of options to fit your needs.
Stop in for an hour or half a day and let the kids learn about science, technology, and space.
Kids can view scale model rockets, space suits, images from the Mars Viking Lander, and more.
This venue offers a variety of birthday party packages that are sure to delight your future scientist.
Final Thoughts About Denver Kid’s Birthday Parties
Creating a memorable birthday party is important for many parents.
There’s nothing better than putting time into planning a celebration that culminates in watching the birthday kid covered in smiles after a day of fun, food, friends, and family.
Any of the venues above makes a great choice for creating an experience that will not soon be forgotten. All you have to do is choose the one that fits the child’s personality and get started with planning.
At this point, you should have a fairly good idea of the planning process for a kid’s Denver birthday party.
Once you go through the steps, you’ll have no worries and can focus on having a good time with your child.
Birthdays should be fun. They should focus on the celebration.
When you plan the party well and choose the right venue, it’s sure to be the perfect day you hoped for.
