Planning a birthday party for your child shouldn’t be stressful — it should be fun. After all, you’re celebrating your child as they reach a new milestone in life, and doing so with all their best friends and family members. But one of the things they don’t tell you about parenting is that birthday party planning can be a lot of work. Not only do you want to give your child everything they dream about on their special day, but you also want to plan a stress-free birthday party that you can enjoy too! Wondering how to plan a birthday party that your child and their friends will remember for years, and that’s easy to plan so you can focus on the fun? It’s time for Sky Zone! 

At Sky Zone, planning a birthday party couldn’t be easier. With customizable party packages tailor-made for every kid — big kids, little kids, adventurers, wallflowers — the sky is truly the limit! But it’s not just the kids we aim to please; parents love Sky Zone because it’s a truly easy planning experience from start to finish. We’ll work with your budget, guest list, party theme, and everything in between. 

Sky Zone is the ultimate destination for a stress-free birthday party that children of all ages and their parents will love. First and foremost, your dedicated Sky Zone party host will work closely with you to bring your child’s birthday dreams to life. Any insight you can glean from your child will help you and your Sky Zone party host decide how to plan a birthday party they’ll never forget. On the day of the party, they’ll set everything up before you arrive so it’s picture perfect, then they will keep the action moving throughout the day — and the best part? They’ll handle all the clean-up, so you don’t have to worry about wiping down tables and cleaning up cake crumbs. 

Ahead, get all our best tips for how to plan a birthday party your child will love. This won’t just be the best birthday party they’ve ever had, it will also be the easiest! 

Step 1: Book a party.

First things first, you gotta secure your spot at Sky Zone! It’s a super popular birthday party destination for a reason, and dates fill up fast. Contact your local Sky Zone in person, on the phone, or online to book a party and browse our party packages to figure out which one works best for your needs, and your budget. Party packages vary from park to park, but they typically include 60-120 minutes of jump time, as well as pizza options. Our Basic Party Package gets you two hours of play time and basic party essentials, while the Epic Party Package unlocks access to two hours of play time, party essentials and food. To really go all out, choose the Mega VIP Party Package, which allows three hours of jump time, plus food and party supplies.

Because there’s no such thing as one-party-fits-all, parents can also choose between a variety of a la carte options for a truly custom party experience. After all, your child is one of a kind; their party should be too! 

If you’re a Sky Zone Member, you’ll also enjoy exclusive discounts on party packages — all the more reason to sign up! Even if you’re not a member, you can save even more by booking your party during the week. 

Once your party is fully booked, you’ll get a confirmation call during the week of your party to make sure everything is on track. This is a great time to add any additional requests.

Step 2: Invite your guests.

Planning a birthday party isn’t possible without party guests! Work with your child to create a guest list for their big day. This could include classmates, cousins, neighborhood pals and everything in between. 

Once the guest list is in place, it’s time to whip up some invites with all relevant information clearly displayed: date, time, location and any other important notes, like whether or not guests should bring gifts or what to wear. 

You can easily create your own physical or digital invites via an online platform, but Sky Zone also offers digital invitations to make things even easier on parents; no more scrolling through endless expensive options! Choose from a few colorful backgrounds and include the relevant info, including check-in time. Digital invites can be printed at home or saved as a PDF and emailed to friends and family, whatever you prefer. 

Step 3: Work with your party host.

Ask any parent how to plan a birthday party at Sky Zone and they’ll tell you to collaborate with the designated party host. They’ll be your point person for anything and everything related to the party, from decorations to food to activities, and they’ll make sure everyone is having a great time on the big day.

Need to make a change to your party plans? No big deal! Just give us a heads up as soon as possible and your party host will do everything they can to accommodate your request.

Step 4: Fill out the required paperwork.

All party guests or their parents or guardians must fill out liability paperwork before the party that can be signed in advance online. This is a super important step because it ensures a smooth (and fast!) check-in process on party day. Some parents include the waivers with the invitations, while others send it separately. Do whatever works best for you and your guests, but it is a requirement for jump time.

Step 5: Decide on decor and food.

One of the best parts of planning a birthday party at Sky Zone is that you don’t have to worry about the small stuff, like decor and food. While you’re always welcome to bring in your own party decor, we provide essentials like tablecloths, napkins and plates, and this will be set up in your party room before you arrive. 

If you do want to bring your own decor, that’s great too! Maybe your child has a special theme in mind, like superheroes, princesses or their favorite color, and you want to bring plates, napkins and balloons to reflect that theme. We’re flexible! Most Sky Zone locations allow any decor that can be set up in less than 10 minutes; if you want to hang things on the walls, please bring putty, as tacks aren’t allowed. If you have questions about what is (and isn’t) OK to bring, give your party host a call. (Confetti and glitter are a big no-no.)

Food can be another major stressor when planning a birthday party, but Sky Zone makes it easy. Kids love pizza, and ours is delicious — not to mention filling. It’s typically served right after you enter the party room, given that your guests are probably pretty hungry after all that jumping, flipping, climbing and playing. 

However, if you prefer to bring your child’s favorite takeout or snacks, book an Epic and Mega VIP party packages; these tiers allow you to bring in outside food and beverages at no extra charge. If you booked a basic party, you can bring your own food and drink for a $50 fee. This is a great option if you want to celebrate with themed snacks or desserts, like cartoon superhero cupcakes or a meal inspired by your child’s favorite TV star. 

Of course, no party is complete without a birthday cake or special dessert. Most Sky Zone locations offer cake options, so you can choose a delicious treat that your child will love without the fuss of ordering it from a local bakery or making it at home. Some kids are total chocoholics, while others prefer vanilla with sprinkles. You’ll be able to build your perfect cake when you order, including your child’s name.

Step 6: Plan engaging activities for kids.

Another important thing to consider when you’re wondering how to plan a birthday party is what your guests will actually do once they’ve arrived. Sky Zone is packed with truly epic action and adventure, including the wall-to-wall trampolines, SkySlam hoops, soft and squishy Foam Zone and challenging, confidence-building Ninja Warrior Course. All attractions are included in your jump time, so feel free to explore. If your birthday kid wears their special T-shirt, they get to skip the lines — a perk on their special day! 

There’s so much to do at Sky Zone, but if kids need more structure and planned activities, consider simple games they can easily put into action, like a scavenger hunt or a make-believe scenario to spark their imaginations. Send them on a mission to find a certain amount of items, like another birthday kid or someone wearing yellow; kids love a treasure hunt! 

Older kids can split up into teams for Ultimate Dodgeball or Sky Joust, depending on which attractions are available at your local Sky Zone. Younger kids always love a good old fashioned game of I Spy, and preschoolers love simple activities like timed races or tag.

When your jump time is over, your party host will keep the crew moving to the next step: the party room! Here, you can eat, chat, play, open gifts and hang out. If you’re planning on giving out souvenirs or post-party gift bags, let the birthday theme guide your picks or keep it Sky Zone-centric with water bottles and hair ties.

You can also plan activities for the party room, like classic party games including Pin the Tail on the Donkey or Musical Chairs, Bingo or Statues. 

Step 7: Get ready for party day.

We typically request that the guest of honor and their parents or guardians arrive about 15 to 20 minutes before scheduled jump time to check in and make sure everything is running smoothly. Here’s where you’ll meet your party host in real life; they’ll be your point of contact throughout the day. Remember, if you need to make changes to your party, give us as much notice as possible before the big day. We’ll do the best we can to make your wishes come true.

Once guests have arrived, it’s time to celebrate! Jumpers must change into SkySocks before exploring everything Sky Zone has to offer; they’re included with your party package. Then get going, because it’s time to play! 

Just because your jump time is over doesn’t mean your guests have to go home! Your party host can easily add more jump time on the day for an additional cost. Once your time is up, your party host will bring the group into the party room, where you can enjoy food, drinks and party games. Sing “Happy Birthday!” to the guest of honor and have fun hanging out together until it’s time to go home. 

Step 8: Do it all again next year!

Sky Zone makes planning a birthday party so easy, it’s pretty obvious why parents and kids come back year after year. Not only do you get a customized celebration for your little superstar, but our affordable and thoughtful packages and party host take all the stress off your plate so you can focus on what matters most: spending quality time with your child on their special day. 

Instead of spending hours planning a party, cleaning the house, spending tons of money on decor, party favors and food and stressing out over the teeniest details, you get to hang out, watch your child play and explore, snap pics and maybe even hop around with them. A birthday party at Sky Zone is perfect for parents who want to live in the moment with their kids, friends and family; it’s a time to celebrate another amazing year, not worry about placing every piece of decor in the perfect spot or throwing away every teeny scrap of wrapping paper. See you next year!