It’s party time!

When you’re little, few things are more exciting than your birthday party. From pirate adventures to candy making, there all sorts of traditional and new offerings on the children’s party circuit. Here are some of our favourites

Little Gym

Little Gym offers private, fully supervised parties where you can enjoy exclusive use of the whole gym. The party is led by two qualified gymnastics instructors – children will have one hour to explore the gym during which the instructors will facilitate age-appropriate games and physical activity. Trust us, they’ll be busy! Little Gym use special gymnastics equipment as well as their parachute, balls and hoops. After an hour of fun and games in the gym, it’s time for birthday cake in the special decorated party area. The party is private so your child and birthday guest will have 100% of the team’s attention. The best bit? They handle all the details and clean all the mess – you just show up with the children.

Cost: £360 for members, £410 non-members, for 12 children; maximum 24 children and any additional child pays £12. £100 non-refundable deposit to secure your slot.

Added extras: Invitations; refreshments including apple juice, orange squash and water; cups, plates, napkins, serving plates, cutlery, teas, coffees; a birthday t-shirt for the birthday child; balloons to take home and one free class for every guest.

Contact: thelittlegym.com 0208 874 6567; wandsworth_fulham@thelittlegym.eu;
The Little Gym Wandsworth and Fulham, Compass House, Riverside West, SW18 1DB

Nutty’s Children’s Parties

Nutty’s Children’s Parties are a lively group of award-winning, highly experienced children’s entertainers offering a variety of fun-packed, exciting and original kids’ party entertainment for children aged 3-11. Founded in 2006 by actor/voice-over, DJ and father of two, Danny Nutt, party types include their trademark Adventure Parties, Drama Workshops, Discos, Classic Party Games, Creative Arts and Crafts and much more! Especially aimed at those with active imaginations and bags of physical energy, original and super-fun themes include Pirate Dan’s Treasure Hunt, Danijel The Space Warrior (for Star Wars fans), The Princess Adventure, Wizard Dee’s Adventure (for Harry Potter fans), Explorer Dan and The Fairy’s Journey. Nutty’s perform wherever the party may be, across London and the south-east. They’re super flexible and are used to working in spaces of all shapes and sizes, and parties last one to two hours. They are also the proud winners of the 2019 Corporate LiveWire Prestige Award for Best Children’s Entertainer London!

Cost: Parties start from £185 for up to 30 children but to see the full range, please visit nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk/prices

Added extras: Expect entertainers who are energised, super enthusiastic and physical, with bags of charisma. Don’t expect many props with Nutty’s, their focus is on storytelling, games, making kids laugh their heads off, dancing, being silly, braving imaginary shark-infested waters and going on amazing adventures…

Contact: nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk; danny@nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk;

text, What’s App or call Danny on 07884 050954

Sammy Duder

Sammy Duder is a family-run, paint-your-own pottery studio in Battersea, specialising in children’s and adults’ painting parties, personalised gifts and commission pieces, and baby hand and footprints using ceramics, clay and silver.

A Sammy Duder party is a day or night to remember! Invite up to 20 guests, choose the pieces of pottery you want to paint, and let the Sammy Duder team run the party for you. Parties are held in the lovely light and bright studio just off Northcote Road. Party-goers have the run of the studio but parties can also be set up and run off-site. A party booking is one and a half hours and they cater for baby showers, hen dos, twin birthdays, adult pottery painting and Prosecco parties, as well as children’s birthdays.

Cost: Exclusive hire of the studio costs £300, which includes your choice of a mug, tile or plate to paint (other options can be discussed but prices may vary) and a member of the Sammy Duder team to run it for you – experts in party fun! For smaller groups it’s possible to just book the number of tables you need, in which case you pay the studio fee (£6) per person plus the price of whatever pottery you choose to paint on the day.

Added extras: The studio is already decorated to suit a party venue, but you are always welcome to bring in further decorations, banners or balloons. Customers supply their own food, drink and cake – there is a designated area for this, and the team will help hand everything round. Disney soundtrack optional!

Contact: sammyduder.com 0207 223 6377; info@sammyduder.com 67 Webbs Road, SW11 6SD

Spun Candy

Spun Candy is a traditional candy and confectionery company based in central London. They run daily Candy Making Masterclasses where they teach the science and art of hand making mouthwateringly amazing sweet treats. They also host a variety of different candy making parties for children and adults alike which last between one and a half to two hours.

Led by the watchful and entertaining Master Candy Makers, the parties are a unique experience where children are fully involved in how the candy is made from beginning to end, choosing the colours and flavours and making their own delicious hand-crafted lollipops. And, of course, the best bit of all is the yummy tasting at the end and taking home EVERYTHING they make (they promise it’s a lot)! There’s also a photo booth to capture the fun as well as a candy floss stall if requested. These magical children’s parties are the perfect way to celebrate and are designed to be fun, interactive and entertaining from the very start!

Their legendary candy and confectionery is vegetarian and made with natural fruit flavourings (all candy is vegan, GMO free and gluten free).

Cost: £300 deposit which covers the initial venue hire and first 5 children, every extra child is £30 per head. But prices do vary depending on what the birthday child would like. Parties are often bespoke and can be made as personal as possible for each child.

Added extras: Spun Candy can provide the option of adding a food slot at the end of your party which could include a personalised birthday cake, pizza, frozen slushies and other delicious extras. Every child also receives a ‘certified candy maker’ certificate along with every lollipop they made during the experience so party bags are not required!

Contact: spun-candy.com; 020 7377 2419; enquiries@spun-candy.com;
58 Wentworth Street, Spitalfields, E1 7AL (a short walk from Liverpool Street or Aldgate East tube stations).

Flying Fantastic

The sky’s the limit at Flying Fantastic, who run aerial circus parties. They believe anyone can do aerial, and having seen first-hand the benefits of aerial for children, the instructors wanted to get as many kids in the air as they could! There are plenty of options for ages 5 and above offering some (upside) down time, with silks, slings, trapeze and hoops on offer. Passionate about having fun, which is the key thread in all children’s classes, parties and workshops, the team are big kids who enjoy swinging and climbing, just like your little kids! When celebrating birthdays at Flying Fantastic, expect to hang upside down with your best mates while they teach you some cool new moves in the air.

Cost: £30 per head over 6 people, £35 if under 6 people for 90 minutes.

Added extra: The experienced teachers will make sure you have a birthday party to remember – The Greatest Showman style is an option! They have music and costumes from the film so why not?

Contact:flyingfantastic.co.uk lisa@flyingfantastic.co.uk. Venues are in Bankside (SE1 0LR), Wimbledon (SW19 7ND) and Peckham (SE15 5BA)

Eddie Catz

Eddie Catz is a provider of children’s softplay with two branches in SW London – a compact softplay and café in the heart of Earlsfield and a large centre in Wimbledon Colliers Wood. They offer a fun and unique children’s birthday experience, which is stress and bank-breaker free for parents.

Parties at Eddie Catz, where children can “Meet Eddie the Cat”, include private rooms and use of all the venue’s facilities, including adventure softplay, disco rooms, and in Wimbledon the use of the sports pitch. Parties typically last from one hour 45 minutes to two hours.

Choose from Eddie-ble Messy Play & Cake Smash, a new creative and colourful messy play birthday party for 1st – 3rd birthdays ending with a Cake Smash, or an Eddie Catz Party, when kids meet Eddie Catz and enjoy softplay, food and party bags too, suitable for children up to the age of 10 years, which can be themed to whatever your little one fancies. You can organise a Make A Bear party where each child creates their own toy to take home, as well as any number of themed parties, including Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol. There’s also the option of exclusive venue hire and a unicorn magic-themed party with special invitations, decorations, cupcakes, party favours – all unicorn themed – as well as the play session and party food.

Cost: Party prices start from £50 for toddler parties to £22.50 for Make a Bear and £24.50 for Lasertag (the most popular package where you have the venue to yourself, exclusively at Eddie Catz Wimbledon).

Added extras: Eddie Catz cakes are available separately as well as balloons, party bags, glitter tattoos, and lots of platter options if you want to treat any supervising adults.

Contact: eddiecatz.com or call 020 3475 5268

Mili Mendez

Mili has been living in the Balham area for the last eight years and started her cake business in 2017 following a long career in property. She hasn’t looked back since and spends her days crafting bespoke, beautiful cakes for private and corporate clients. Mili grew up in the picturesque mountain town of Merida in Venezuela. Venezuela has arguably the best chocolate in the world and this is one of the ingredients she incorporates into her cakes, which can cater for special dietary requirements, including vegan cakes.

Mili’s show-stopping cakes combine seasonal, organic, best of British ingredients with exotic touches from her Venezuelan homeland.

Mili trained here in the UK with companies including Squires International, Peggy Porschen and had work experience in the pastry section of the Ritz in London.

Personal service is paramount to Mili when she is dealing with a client. Her aim is to ensure that each and every customer is provided with the most stunning realisation of their cake idea. Her cakes are ideal for all kinds of occasions such as baptisms, baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries and weddings.

Cost: Please enquire as each cake is unique but prices start from £70 for a six-inch three layer cake.

Added extras: Mili packs each cake in its own beautiful box and finishes them with vibrant ribbons, completing a luxury look and feel that will be the perfect finishing touch for any party.

Contact: milimendez.com; 07949 302540; mili@milimendez.com