Indoor Playground: Do You Really Need It? This Will Help You Decide!

If you live in an area like we do in Western New York (we're in Rochester!) With superbly hot summers and cold snowy winters, you will know that your options for your kid's birthday party are largely dependent on the weather.
As an August baby, we constantly had small family parties out at my house. However, together with sons born in November and March, we are always left to book an indoor venue for their parties, if we chose to have them that season. While those with children with summer birthdays might appear blessed to have numerous options at their disposal, it can also often feel overwhelming.
While at Climbing Vines Cafe and Play we might be biased since we host indoor parties, I wanted to discuss with you the 5 most common reasons we hear from past celebration clients to reserve indoor summer birthdays with us. To them, the stress-free temperament of the indoor summertime party is a no-brainer, plus they're not looking back! Following their first indoor summer party, they continue hosting with us year after year.


The most common cause for a client to reserve a summer indoor celebration with us is they don't have to stalk the weather forecast for updates in the weeks leading up to the party. Nothing can derail a pleasure party quicker than having to cram all of your guests inside your house, waiting for a storm to pass. And if you've ever needed to cancel or postpone your child's birthday due to weather, then you know how heartbreaking that can be.
We get dozens of calls every summer a couple of days before someone's outdoor party is supposed to take place to see if we've got an open slot for them in our indoor celebration venue due to weather woes. We can usually pull off this if the spot is open, but hosts will sadly need to starve and allow all their guests know of the change in place and probably change in time, and also change all of their catering orders to accommodate their new party plan.
While of course rain is likely the largest obstacle you might face, intense heat, unseasonably cool weather, and end may also pose issues for your decorations, food, along with your guests' belongings. You will probably end up investing in a kayak or some other weather barrier simply to ease your mind a bit, which are costly and take lots of precious time to set up and take down. I won't even tell the story of the time my Dad put a tent up for a celebration in a windstorm and wound up with a insurance claim for 4 ruined cars when it blew away (weights and anchors and all!) ...


Aside from the obvious weather worries you can avoid with an indoor party, there may also just be something so straightforward and lovely about an indoor arcade game; https://www.twitarcade.com, summer party. Guests will not need to be worried about bringing towels and sunscreen and sunglasses and swimsuits and changes of clothing and bug spray... you get the picture.
Sometimes it's wonderful to take a short break in the outdoors, sip coffee in an air-conditioned cafe, and have an actual conversation with other adults while the children play, instead of chasing children around attempting to receive their fur on them keeping them away from the in-ground pool. I am not sure about you, but I can never quite relax at an outdoor summer birthday party with a 2 and a 4 year old. While they sure do have a fantastic time running around, we usually leave at a daze or using a tantrum, unsure whether we even had time to talk or check in with everybody.
While I absolutely adore a fantastic barbecue or summertime grilling extravaganza, I find it so refreshing when we could take a rest from the same-old backyard celebration and spend a few hours at a relaxing, cool, and most importantly-- included! -- atmosphere.
It is 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 into a tub immediately after the party or stopping home to cool off and change clothes.
I guarantee that if you book an indoor celebration for your child, guests (especially family) may seem a little 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 can be to reunite in an air-conditioned private celebration for a couple hours.

3) EATING IN PEACE


Speaking of how relaxing an indoor, air-conditioned celebration could be, can we talk about food for a second? Not only are food choices limited with an outdoor party due to heat, but it can be hard to keep food covered and keep the bugs, bees, and other debris away.
Therefore, for our loved ones, the food factor alone would be enough to justify an indoor party.
Eating in peace without having to find colour or a chair or a place away from bugs is one of those things that you do not realize can be so glorious until you attend your fourth or fifth outdoor summer gathering and after that get a break from them. Among the most common things we hear is how nice it's to sit and eat and see the kiddos play without having any other venue-related cares or concerns. This will be particularly important if you are going to be having elderly family members attend who will battle with being mobile in the sand or marijuana and finding seating at outdoor parties.
Plus, when was the last time you attended an outdoor summer celebration with a full espresso bar and cafe available for guests to enjoy now they don't need to be concerned about running around chasing their children in the heat? Don't worry, we have you covered there, literally!

4) DECOR OPTIONS GALORE


While party aesthetic might not be a deciding factor for each and every family, it sure is much simpler to make a themed extravaganza that lighting a child's face up as soon as the party's inside. The decorations required tend to be less because the area is smaller and included contained, and you won't need to be concerned about balloons and streamers blowing all about or securing table covers down.
Since we do host cellular events outdoors in Climbing Vines Cafe and Play, I will also speak from experience when I say the time that it takes to install (and take down!) Decorations for an outdoor celebration compared to a indoor party usually ends up being double. Finding good places to hang banner, needing two people to hold and protect everything, and locating weights or other restraints for everything may be a genuine hassle on party day.
And you will have enough to worry about that day, right?
Also, if your own pinterest planks are full of cute centerpieces, a candy bar, or anything that may be impacted by wind (or bring bees!) You will probably have to restrategize for an outdoor soiree.
And of course decor typically can only get used once if used outside, but repurposed again and again if used for an indoor event. Our guests who host indoor events, notably those who invested significant money into decor or labored hard to make their very own, are very happy to find they can usually create a large chunk of the money back by reselling their supplies on something like Facebook Marketplace.
5) YOU MAY ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY
Speaking of cash, probably the greatest misconception I hear from clients is they wish to sponsor a party in their home to save the leasing fee of an indoor area. I usually laugh at this because it makes perfect sense, that is, if you have never hosted an outside celebration.
With all of the"extras" such as tents, chair rentals, additional decorations, weather reinforcements, clean-up supplies, games and activities for the kids (that you won't need to supply at a play area!) It is very likely that you will end up spending MUCH more hosting a party at your house or an outdoor venue than you would inside.
I'm not sure how other indoor spaces manage their supplies, but we only charge guests for extra drinks and supplies and such on the day of the celebration if they wind up needing them, and we also allow parties to bring in their OWN food, dessert, and decor if they choose!
Money aside, spending countless hours cleaning before, during, and following the celebration can also have a toll. Wouldn't it be nice to walk into a sparkling clean space and depart with your guests when the party's over, not having to be concerned about the clean-up, garbage removal, tent teardown, etc?
You can just head home and unwind with your loved ones (yes, maybe outside!) In a nice clean house that wasn't just trampled by party guests and all of their sand, grass, and sunscreen.
In addition to the time spent cleaning prior to and after the party, would not it ALSO be wonderful to not need to play"host" throughout the event? Even for customers that make their own food and decor, our committed party assistants set up everything, refill and mend food and beverages as necessary, clear plates, cut and serve the cake, and pack up all of the leftovers in the end of the celebration!
After all, it is your child's special day and you wish to spend those precious hours making memories and seeing along with your guests-- not running about chasing your decorations or refilling the fruit bowl countless times.
So save everybody (and especially your own family!) Lots of anxiety, time, and stress by booking your event with us summer time. We would be honored to provide you with an easy, enjoyable experience that will leave your entire guest list feeling joyful, thankful, and full of love after spending a relaxing (yet fun-filled!) day together.