Is A Kidzoona Party Worth It? Tips For A Hassle-Free Birthday Celebration

When should you throw a big birthday party for your child? How I wish there was a clear-cut answer.

Some parents stress over this idea, no surprise there, yet often miss out on the most important detail: knowing what makes their children the happiest. It can be swimming in the pool, playing arcade games, meeting their favorite mascot for the first time, or in our case, pretending to be a superhero.

That happiness factor alone got me and my wife Tzarina jotting down a hundred and one details to consider for Dani’s birthday party. Lucky for us, we easily agreed to celebrate in Kidzoona at Uptown Mall, BGC. Why, you ask? We found it’s the best place for our energetic four-year-old daughter to safely jump, roll, climb, and hop. She’s keeping it a secret, but she’s Ghost-Spider in real life.

Kidding aside, it’s worth taking note of the next crucial detail: checking the venue’s event calendar to secure your schedule as early as possible.

Read: Kidzoona Party Packages: Inclusions, How To Book, And Tips

Kidzoona birthday party reservation

We held Dani’s birthday celebration on the last weekend of July, but we had it penciled in at Kidzoona six months early in January. It’s a practical step, though it doesn’t guarantee your date is secure unless you make a downpayment.

I learned this lesson in May when a staff member at Kidzoona called me and said that another parent wanted to pay in full and take the schedule I initially reserved. The only way I can secure the reservation is by going to the branch the very next day and settling the down payment in cash. They had no online transfer or any other mode of payment at that time.

To save you from this hassle, consider calling in or dropping by to ask about the dates you have in mind. Since school days have begun, expect weekend dates to be fully booked three to four months ahead. Keep in mind that for Kidzoona, weekend rates are much pricier. A 3-hour exclusive rent on a Saturday cost us PHP 48,000, and the rates vary across Kidzoona branches. It may sound discouraging, but you can prepare for a better celebration this way instead of rushing it.

Check out the biggest Kidzoona branches here.

Selecting suppliers for your Kidzoona party

As more parents inquire and book for children’s parties, Kidzoona took this as an opportunity to endorse their list of accredited suppliers. It’s a list with contact details and nothing more. While this gives an advantage for parents who want to lessen the load of party planning, it still entails a bit of homework of browsing social media accounts for potential choices. In our case, we ended up mixing accredited and non-accredited suppliers.

“May mga ideas na ang mga accredited suppliers kung paano i-manage ang event sa loob ng Kidzoona,” said Cheri Serafico of Events by Cheri. “Limited lang ang set-up like the backdrop in the party program area kasi pinapanatili nila ang safety sa loob ng venue. Minimal din ang entrance arc at ceiling decor. Ang mga decorations ay dapat hindi sagabal sa mga bata,” she added.

Cheri and my wife Tzarina got in touch on Facebook and quickly agreed on the backdrop design after Cheri provided photos of her previous decorations. She was kind enough to answer questions promptly, which a lot of parents consider when choosing suppliers. Cheri and her team provided us with a simple set-up, which included a giant Ghost-Spider standee, but they could create more elaborate and intricate decorations and all-in packages.

READ ALSO: Mabuhay! Check Out This Pinoy-Themed Seventh Birthday Party Where The Celebrant Dressed As Heneral Luna

After figuring out the set-up, we thought of having Ghost-Spider-inspired sugar cookies for both decorations and souvenirs. My wife was thrilled by the adorable dinosaur cookies we had from our friends’ kiddie party, and she was glad to finally get in touch with The Baking Project’s Micah Galido, another friendly supplier who made those cookies.

“Producing the sugar cookies takes around 12 to 18 hours, which also depends on the quantity and complexity of the requested design,” said Micah. “Currently, our dates book up fast, so we recommend ordering 6-8 weeks in advance to secure a slot.”

Since the character design of Ghost-Spider is unique, my wife sent an image to Micah, who checked the colors and references. Sending ideas is what Micah also recommends. “Clients can send us their customized designs, inspiration photos, mood boards, and colors, and then we’ll provide a variety of options, cookie sizes, and packaging samples.”

As for the flavor of the cookies, they’re vanilla almond-topped with royal icing. They’re soft, delicious, and not too sweet. While The Baking Project doesn’t have a sugar-free option yet, they can lessen the sugar upon the client’s request.

READ ALSO: 5 Bakeshops for Customized (Cute!) Cookies at Your Child's Party

Dani’s birthday party will never be complete without a birthday cake, so my wife planned to make this part a surprise with cake smashing instead of candle blowing. She contacted Camille Tañada Coronel, owner of Tsokoñata, who took inspiration from her Europe trips where they smash big chocolate bars with wooden mallets.

“I thought of it as a business here, but with a twist. I thought of the usual piñatas done at birthday parties where children would try to break the piñata to get the candies inside,” she shared.

Camille is careful with the details since her products are handmade, and it takes about seven days lead time, so it’s best to secure a slot ahead for availability. She and her team also create traditional fondant-themed cakes, which clients can order separately or can be combined with the chocolate piñata cake.

A gift that gave more meaning to the Kidzoona party

In the party invitation, I made on Canva, a small note about giving gifts mentioned our preference for old clothes, books, and toys for donation. We were grateful for receiving these along with new gifts for Dani, but we were more surprised by what our friend Nathan had in mind: cake pops, cupcakes, and desserts he ordered from Box of Sweets, a business run by Punky Porca, our college batchmate in UST.

Once again, it focused on the theme of Ghost-Spider, but since it was out of our friend’s great kindness, we made sure not to go overboard with the cost. It was something Punky also kept in mind with all her clients.

“Booking Box of Sweets is sulit na kasi we offer backdrop and cakes and pastries in our packages. Two-in-one na siya lalo na pag small parties lang sa house ng clients,” Punky mentioned. “One tip I have is to stick with a specific theme. Trust your supplier to do their best when it comes to decoration. Based on my experience, we work best when clients let us be creative and allow us to do our thing. ‘Bahala ka na Ms. Punky’ is my favorite sentence. We can let our imagination and creative juices flow without restrictions.”

All that sweetness from the piñata cake, sugar cookies, cake pops, and cupcakes can make anyone’s teeth ache, so we booked Stephen’s Pizza for filling snacks and Giant Taho for refreshments and ice cream. Food and drinks weren’t allowed in the play area, but there was a party room that could be the dining area.

Kidzoona is a place to play for kids and adults

The last detail we ticked off our list, yet equally important, is Kidzoona’s accessible location. What eased our minds was the convenience of the mall car park, comparing it to the limited spaces at stand-alone restaurants. We knew many of our guests had children in tow, so we wanted the parents to have lesser things to worry about and enjoy the celebration.

And that’s what we did during Dani’s Ghost-Spider costume party at Kidzoona. There was a heavy downpour that day since we were in the rainy season, yet we were grateful for our friends who came. The children in their cute costumes went off with tons of energy while the adults turned into big kids at the ball pit, inflatable slide, and trampoline again for a few hours.

Check out all-in party package rates in Kidzoona here.