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Are you lookin for Indoor Birthday party ideas? It doesn’t have to be stressful when you have the party at home.
We have always had our Birthday parties at parks or indoor venues. Birthdays are such a big deal to my boys. We actually celebrate for a whole week. Since moving to Phoenix, we have a big house with a yard, something we did not have in Florida, so my son wanted to have a Birthday party at home. Yes, this would take preparation but it was really exciting too to have friends and family at our home.
It got me wondering.
What would I need for a successful indoor Birthday Party? What are the essentials for a successful Birthday Party?
There were a few things to think of though; how would be keep the kids busy and out of the house for the majority of the time? Would we do games and activities? What would we serve for food?
A lot of the party venues for kids already have their own food so what could we get that was interesting for both kids and adults? So much to think about!
Table of contents
MAKE SETTING UP EASY
Setting up was pretty easy.
I hit up Walmart for plates (Ninjago was on sale – woot! woot)! I also purchased a helium machine from there.
This was the first time I did this. It was $25 and totally worth it. It came with 50 balloons and string and blew up at least 50 balloons. That in itself was worth the purchase. We didn’t blow up 50 balloons so we will be able to use it for another party.
GET A BOUNCE HOUSE
My husband asked how three hours went by so fast after the party. “What did they do?” he asked. I said, “they bounced, and bounced and bounced!” It’s as simple as that. A Bounce House makes every party a party worth going to for kids. We got ours from A Child’s Joy and it was the perfect size and went with our Ninjago Lego theme.
A Child’s Joy, the company we used was voted “best in Phoenix” by the New Times. What I liked the most about them is that they set up everything and did not pressure us for pick up time on the same day. So, the kids woke up the next morning and kept bouncing. They offer so much more than Bounce Houses too, like Pony Rides and Petting Zoos. They offer Carnival Rides and Water Slides, they have entertainment for every event possible.
SET UP A CRAFT TABLE + GAMES
There’s nothing worse than having bored kids at a Birthday Party. I think the Bounce House took care of that. But sometimes kids need to escape the madness and come to a calmer place. That’s why I set up a craft table featuring all OOLY supplies, our “go to” art supplies.
The Make No Mistakes Erasable Markers are great!


They also enjoyed the Unmistakeables (erasable pencils) and the Double Dip Scented Markers.
My favorite OOLY item is the Kaleidoscope Multi-Colored Pencils. I actually hoard them for myself because I love them so much. They are magical! Doodling goes to a whole another level!


You can get all the kids outside with a bounce house, a craft table and a Ninja Pinata (which I purchased from Oriental Trading). We also played a Lego hunt game. I hid Legos all over the yard and gave them cups to collect them. Who ever had the most in 5 minutes time won a mini Lego set ($5 from Micheal’s, $2.50 with 50% off coupon).
CATER THE FOOD
Get your food catered! It’s all about the food (for myself, hahah). Who wants to eat pizza and chips when you can have fresh chicken and salads from PDQ? The first time I tried PDQ was in Florida. I was so impressed I was hoping they would pop up in other areas.
They have best Chicken Cali Club! And I about died and went to heaven tasting their home made sauces. They offer Ranch, Buffalo, Creamy Garlic, Honey BBQ, Sweet Sriracha, Honey Mustard, and Thai Peanut. My favorite is the Creamy Garlic but they are all delicious!
We had my son’s Birthday party catered by PDQ in Florida and it was a such a hit we had to do it again. We were so excited to find out that there was a PDQ in Paradise Valley!


The food is amazing, whether it’s chicken or salads and your guests will love how fresh it is!
They also have specialty items like Totchos, which were available for a limited time, however if you ask nice, they might just make them for you. They are a mix of nachos and tater tots!
They have really good shakes too!
CAKE
Get your guests an amazing cake! I got this beautiful “Clown Shoes” cake from La Grande Orange Bake Shop. It’s a magnificent funfetti cake with milk chocolate buttercream frosting, covered (and I mean covered) with rainbow sprinkles.
La Grande Orange Bake Shop offers a variety of cakes and pastries all made from scratch. They add something a little different to the cult classics and also offer gluten free cakes and pastries. The Grande Orange Bake Shop was born from the makers of La Grande Orange Grocery in Phoenix; one of our family’s favorite hang outs for years. My mother loves the Red Velvet Cake and my father loves the Crepes. They have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free items on their menu too.
I had a vision of how I would take the image of the cake. I wanted confetti in the air while there were sparklers in the cake sparkling all while we were singing Happy Birthday. As usual, my plan didn’t go exactly the way I wanted. The confetti was released all at once and made such a loud noise that everyone stopped singing.
It all worked out because the best part was my son’s reaction. Priceless. I wish I could bottle that kind of joy up and sell it. This was the Best Birthday cake I’ve ever had! We can’t wait to do it again for my other son’s Birthday next year. He’s already put his request in.
GOODY BAGS
Let’s face it. It’s all about the goody bags! I’m a little crazy when it comes to goody bags. I try to stay clear of the usual stuff (candy and cheap throw away toys) that get stepped on or tossed in the trashed. Why not have something that they will really use?
Kids love necklaces. Do you remember the endless Mardigras beads when they were toddlers? So, I found this adorable Color Brick Party Dog Tag Necklaces for them to use and my kids have been wearing them almost every day. I got them from Oriental Trading. They have such great party supplies and I’ve noticed that the quality is much better than other party supply websites.
The kids loved the OOLY Ninja Erasers and the OOLY Ninja Black Wood Pencils. They are the perfect gifts for 5-8 year-olds since they are learning how to write at that age.
I also got these custom made Ninjago cookies made by Sugar & Iced.
They are a great addition to the goody bags or just for fun. The kids loved them and they lasted longer than a week in the refrigerator after she sent them all the way from Florida to Arizona. Yes, she custom makes anything and ships them anywhere in the U.S.


This party was somethin’ else! I think I will be doing indoor parties more often now. It was easy to set up and as long as the kids were outside everyone was happy. What is your secret to giving a great indoor party?