[See my list of online/virtual birthday party ideas here!]
Here is my list of birthday party place ideas for toddlers, children, tweens, and teens in Montgomery County, MD.
I also include links to ideas for party favors that are available on Amazon.
[Looking for some great birthday gift ideas for your gifted girl or boy? See my list!]
First, here are some of the more typical birthday party place ideas from around Montgomery County. (If you need more party ideas, see my list in Howard County and Prince George’s County)
- Laser tag (Ages 6+)
Shadowland in Gaithersburg is an fun venue for your party. Most kids seem to enjoy laser tag, and Shadowland’s birthday party packages make it easy for parents. Gaithersburg is also home to Castle Laser Tag.
Locations: Gaithersburg
✳Laser Tag Party Favor Ideas: LED Bumpy Ring, Magnetic drawing tablets, Mini LED carabiner Flashlights, Water Growing Dinosaurs - Duckpin Bowling – Mount Airy Lanes (Ages 8+)
Bowling parties can be fun for kids. The key is to go to an alley that has duckpins rather then standard balls. This is because duckpin smaller balls are much easier for toddlers/younger kids to handle. There are obviously a few bowling alleys in Montgomery County, but I only know of one with duckpins: Mount Airy Lanes.
Locations: White Oak
✳Bowling Party Favor Ideas: ✳LED Rubberband Helicopters ✳(I love these!) or Rocket Copters
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- Movie Parties (Ages 4+)
A movie theater birthday party can be a fantastic choice with the right movie. This can take a bit of planning and luck to be sure an appropriate film is going to be playing when it’s time for your child’s birthday. One option would be the AMC Dine-In in Gaithersburg. The partygoers could enjoy the movie and food.
Locations: Bethesda
✳Movie Party Favor Ideas: Kid’s Card Games, Puffy Kush Balls - Pool Parties (Ages 1+)
Most kids enjoy a pool party. Whether it’s an outdoor party in the summer or fun at an indoor pool, kids of all ages will have a great time. There are a few options in Montgomery County, including Rockville Swim and Fitness Center or the British Swim School in Germantown.
Locations: Rockville, Germantown
✳Pool Party Favor Ideas: Water Toys, Goggles, Flip-Flop Keychains, Hawaiian Flower Leis, Hibiscus Flower Hair Clips - Gymnastics Parties (Ages 2+)
There are several gyms that offer birthday parties in Montgomery County. Examples are Little Gym in Silver Spring and Olney, My Gym in Potomac, and Hill Gym in Gaithersburg.
Locations: Silver Spring, Potomac, Olney, Gaithersburg
✳Gymnastics Party Favor Ideas: Ribbon Wands, Jump Ropes
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Kids love to climb. Bolt Gym in North Bethesda takes it to the next level with indoor parkour birthday parties. Kids will train in a simulated urban environment to overcome obstacles. In short, they’ll have a great time getting worn out climbing and jumping. Sure to be a great birthday party.
Location: Bethesda
Party Favor Ideas: Lucky Bambo, Jump Ropes, hula hoops - Chuck E Cheese’s (Ages 3-7)
I am not the biggest fan of Chuck E Cheese, but I know many families like it. There is a location in Rockville and Takoma Park. Token prices are low—maybe around 20 cents each, depending on which package you get. This is a great party venue for toddlers.
Locations: Rockville, Takoma Park
Looking for some great gift ideas for your girl or boy? See my list!
Here are some other ideas that aren’t as popular. This will give your kid a chance to do something more unusual:
- Escape Room Party (Age 11+)
There is an escape room in Rockville – A Game of Rooms. They offer several types of games. There is a conference room available for rent for parties, but there isn’t a group rate. You can visit their website and purchase the number of tickets you need. You need to be 11 or older to enjoy this birthday place. Keep in mind that the puzzles are very challenging and some might find it frustrating instead of fun.
Location: Rockville
✳Escape Room Party Favor Ideas: Mini Magnetic Board Games, Rubics Cubes, Mini Teaser Puzzles, Snake Twist Cube Toy - Fencing (Ages 8+)
If you’re looking for something different, try a fencing party. Contact Capital Fencing in North Bethesda. You might also try
UR Fencing in Rockville. If you’re looking a different kind of part location, this is your place.
Locations: North Bethesda, Rockville
✳Fencing Birthday Party Favor Ideas: Make Your Own Bouncy Ball Kits, Atomic Soccer Balls - Nature Center Parties (Ages 2+)
There are several choices around the Montgomery County area for Nature Center birthday parties. Consider Green Meadows Petting Farm in Ijamsville or Black Hill in Boyds. They have several types of parties available. Bonus suggestion: Just over the Montgomery County line in Frederick County is Gaver’s Farm in Mount Airy – a beautiful place to have a party, but only available in the fall!
Location: Boyds
✳Nature Center Party Favor Ideas: Succulent Plants, Worm on a string - Craft Parties (Ages 4+)
Kids can have a great time at craft parties. There are several options for locations including Michael’s Stores and JoAnn Fabrics.
Locations: Rockville, Wheaton - Pottery Parties (Ages 6+)
Paint your own pottery is a great idea for a birthday party. Kids in kindergarten and beyond will enjoy paint parties with their friends.
Color Me Mine in Rockville is a great choice for this type of party.
Locations: Rockville
✳Pottery Party Favor Ideas: Playdough, Magnetic drawing tablets, Putty Slime Balls - iFly (Ages 3+)
A fantastic venue in Gaithersburg! Possibly the most unusual idea on this list, indoor skydiving would make for a beautiful birthday party place. Your boy or girl will never forget this birthday party! Be warned, this is a bit of a pricey option, at the end, each child will probably only get maybe 2 to 4 minutes of flying time. I would suggest that due to the amount of patience needed while waiting for your turn to fly, this venue is best for kids older than 7 even though toddlers are welcome.
Locations: Gaithersburg
✳iFly Party Favor Ideas: ParaCord Bracelets, LED Finger Lights - Rock Climbing (Ages 5+)
Movement Gym (Formery EarthTrex) is a fantastic place to host a birthday party. The location in Rockville on Gude Drive is convenient for all of Montgomery County.
Locations: Rockville - Indoor Playground (Ages 3 – 7)
ZavaZone in Rockville, Kidville in Bethesda, and Badlands in North Bethesda are two fun places for kids birthday celebrations. Both are in Rockville.
Locations: Rockville, Gaithersburg - Ice Skating (Ages 8+)
Plenty of kids love to ice skate. The Cabin John Ice Rink is a
great venue to host a birthday bash.
Locations: Cabin John/North Bethesda
✳Ice Skating Party Favor Ideas: Glowing Gloves, Glowing Bracelets - Rent a Pavillion at Local Park or Community Center(Ages 2+)
Rent a pavillion at one of the local parks. Brookside Gardens or
Wheaton Regional Park would be great choices. At Wheaton Regional Park, younger kids would enjoy the train ride and the excellent playground at the park. There are several great themes for birthday parties at Brookside Gardens including a Wings of Fancy Butterfly party, a Garden Tea Party, Dinosaur party, and a Paint a Pot Party. You might also want to consider renting a room at the Thomas Farm Community Center.
Locations: Wheaton
✳Outdoor Party Favor Ideas: Sidewalk Chalk, Bubble Wands, Beach Balls - Fire Station Birthdays (Ages 3-7)
Many people don’t even know that you can host a birthday party at some of the fire stations in Montgomery County (Potomac). I know quite a few kids who love fire trucks and love birthdays…so why not combine the two. It’s fun for the kids, and they get some fire safety tips too! My only caveat would be that an emergency could potentially cut the party short.
✳A great gift to go with this birthday party would be a pair of walkie talkies. Here is one suggestion for a pretty good pair–but please read my caveats about them in my gift ideas for brainy kids blog post.
Locations: Cabin John/Potomac, Rockville. - Zoo Parties (Ages 1+)
It’s a bit of a trek from most of Montgomery County, but the National Zoo is an excellent idea for a birthday party. Kids could take Metro down to the Cleveland Park Metro Station and walk from there.
Locations: Washington DC
✳Zoo Party Favor Ideas: Zoo Animal Headbands, Cat Keychains, Magic Snake, Invisible Ink Pens, Rubik’s Cubes, Animal Sticker Sheets - Basketball Party (Ages 5+)
If you’re child is into basketball, there are a few places around Montgomery County for a themed party. Some of the OneLife Fitness (Bethesda, Gaithersburg) can host a basketball party. You can also have a great time at Pat the Roc Basketball Skills Academy.
Locations: Bethesda, Gaithersburg
✳Basketball Party Favor Ideas: Atomic Basketballs, Basketball Mini-Stress Foam Balls, Basketball Keychains
- Day Spa Parties (Ages 4 – 14)
There are some great spas in Potomac, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Silver Spring that can host children’s birthday parties. One option would be Cutesy Celebrations in Kentlands/Gaithersburg. They offer spa parties and tea party theme packages for kids.
Locations: Around Montgomery County, Kentlands - Imagination Stage (Ages 2 – 8)
Why not have a dramatic birthday party with a show or class at Imagination Stage in Bethesda? This is sure to be great fun, and it’s a one-of-a-kind kids party venue.
Location: Downtown Bethesda
✳Theater Party Favor Ideas:Tea Party Hats - Indoor Miniature Golf (Ages 8+)
Monster Mini-Golf is an interesting place to have a birthday party for older kids. The place is dark, flashy, and rather loud in my experience, and I realize that for many kids this will be a plus. Since it’s also coupled with “monsters” it might be a little bit too creepy for younger kids, so I’d steer you away from this place for kids 7 or younger.
Location: Gaithersburg
✳Miniature Golf Party Favor Ideas: Colorful Mechanical Pencils, Noise Putty, Active Flyers - Music Birthday Parties (Ages 4+)
There are some options for music-related birthday party fun. One venue suggestion is Bach to Rock in Gaithersburg featuring a two-hour jam session for 7-year-olds and older kids. They also have programs for kids 4 and older as well.
✳Bonus Idea: For any birthday party, consider getting a photo booth. These can be great fun and provide lasting memories. Choose your photo booth provider carefully. I’ve had great luck with Shelly’s Sweet Photo Booth (410) 961-2983. ✳
Hopefully, this list of party ideas helps you out. If you can think of any places I missed, please comment below. Don’t forget to check out my list of gifts for gifted kids.
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