How do birthdays creep up so quickly? And why am I always scrambling at the last minute to plan something for my kids? I really don't do myself any favours by waiting until the last minute. It adds unneeded stress and sometimes ends up in disappointment for the littles when things are booked up. My kids are all old enough that they have outgrown the "themed" party hosted at our house (and I'm done cleaning them up!!)  but young enough that they still want to do something fun with their friends.  Since I found myself planning very last minute Birthday adventures yet again, I thought I'd share some ideas on hosting a kids birthday party in West Toronto!

We ended up booking a party at The Great Escape on Geary Ave. I even found a Groupon for it so the price was right. The space is a bit tired, and the staff weren't fantastic but the kids didn't notice that part of it and had a great time. I had a hard time convincing the Dads to actually join us in the escape room, they thought it was a much better idea to wait for us in Blood Brothers Brewing next door. Geary Ave has a pretty cool mix of stuff happening and I'm excited to see what else opens in the next few years.

The Humber Cinemas is always a favourite in our family. I love that I can buy the tickets ahead of time online and drop off the older ones to see a movie on their own now. They do host parties as well and even though it's another "no frills" space that's a bit tired it is EASY and the kids don't care.

Booking a picnic site in High Park at this time of year is a super low stress way to host a party. I love sites 22 & 23 by the Children's Adventure Playground. There is a huge open area for playing a game of footie or capture the flag and you can easily fit in a visit to the zoo.

The Cookery hosts a pretty fantastic bash for the foodie in your life. Kids learn real skills and the best part...you don't have to do the clean up!

For the artist in your crew, Articulations is wonderful at customizing a party to be age / skill level appropriate.

Maker Kids on Bloor is another family fav.

If I had more time and energy I thought planning a GeoCache adventure party would be really fun. Maybe next year?

DIY'ers will love doing a drop-in tote workshop at OkayOk. The Clock Factory Building is worth a visit on it's own and has some good food options too so it could make for a very easy party!

Did you know you can have a kids bday party at Junction City Music Hall during the day? They had me at 80's dance party and pinball machines.

We haven't done this one yet, but how fun would curling be? Check out the High Park Club.

Any other birthday party ideas for the 'tween in your life? Maybe next year I'll be more organized. Maybe.