Birthday parties are something I have been incredibly passionate about since my children arrived. Despite being time poor, each year the kids and I sit down and negotiate a theme from which I source entertainment, decorations and the cake. It takes patience, a little creativity, and a whole lot of time. Despite this, I love every moment.
This year, with Master R’s 9th birthday approaching, he asked if he could forgo the themed party tradition and head off to the local bowling alley for an AMF Bowling Party which has become quite popular with the ‘older’ boys at school. I was a little crushed. What about all the cool themed goodie bags? What about the decorations? What about the awesome cake? But of course, birthday parties are about the birthday boy/girl. They are not about us parents, something I need to remind myself about every now and again
T and I headed off to the local AMF Bowling alley a few weeks before our tentative date. We discovered that parties are something AMF specialise in and that they have it down pat. They would organise the invitations, food and entertainment for us and even include a party host so us parents could sit back and relax if we wanted.
I still held on to the idea of a gorgeous cake and Gelato Messina came to my rescue. A few months ago we indulge in a taste feast at our local store (oh my – do it if you have a chance). Master R spotted the Gelato Messina Dr Evil Magic Mushroom Cake and declared that it would be his birthday cake. I was happy to comply.
So what was the party like? The host welcomed us when we arrived and showed us to our party zone where parents could sit and where we could keep our bags, gifts and drinks. Once all the party guests arrived our host lined them all up and walked them to the laser skirmish zone. With 15 kids in attendance we were able to have the whole space to ourselves. The kids were divided into two groups and the session was explained. Then they were set loose. My gosh – 30 minutes of racing, shooting, and laughing in a dimly lit maze. They had so much fun!
We could have ended the party there, they were so happy and excited but the party continued. Next, bowling. This time we had three groups across three lanes. A spare or strike resulted in a gift from the party host (funny glasses or a glow stick). By the end of the game each guest had a pair of the highly coveted glasses. I think the game lasted an hour or so. There was dancing and singing as they waited their turn. I was so impressed.
When the games had finished it was time to eat. While bowling, our host had checked what meal the kids preferred: nuggets and chips, a wrap, a hot dog and chips or a vegetarian choice. I do think the two jugs of drink was a little stingy for 15 kids and purchased additional so they could all drink more than half a cup. I also purchased additional platters for the parents.
The Gelato Messina Dr Evil’s Mushroom Cake was perfect! There was enough for all 15 kids and the adults. It was delicious and worth every penny. Have you tried it? No? Yes? Regardless, try it again!
You would think that the cake would have been the last part of the party, but no….there was more fun to have. As the guests left the party room they were each provided a token card each which provided them access to the arcade games. This was part of the package and kept all the guests on site for a further hour or so. Our two hour party ended up lasting around four hours!
AMF Bowling has a number of packages available to meet the needs of your special birthday person. They start at $24.90 a person.