Category Archives: Birthday Parties
Fig & Wally: A New Gifting Site for Experiences, Empowerment Toys, and College Savings (+ Giveaway!)
[Note: This is a sponsored guest post contributed by Sonia Pinto, Co-Founder of Fig & Wally, an online service for creating invitations and gift wishlists for meaningful giving.]
Have you ever tried to figure out what six nieces and nephews want for the holidays? I have. My three sisters politely thank me for my gifts, but half the time they collect dust. Over the years, I’ve bought hundreds of dollars in toys that could have gone in to college savings, a family day in a chocolate factory, science camp, or toys that helped them pick careers.
When my sisters finally told me about my epic toy fails, we decided to help other families change the way they gift. Enter Fig & Wally, a gift registry for toys, family experiences, classes, vacations, charities, and college savings.
The name Fig & Wally came from our favorite ice cream, Fig and Walnut. We’d get one or two new toys per year, but every week we’d take a family trip to get Fig and Walnut cones — a tradition among our fondest memories. We couldn’t imagine not including experiences as a potential gift in our registry tool when an ice cream shop was the center of our childhood fun.
How do you create a Fig & Wally registry? Start with creating a digital invite on our site to an event, like your kid’s birthday, or a special gifting occasion, like Christmas. The invite will allow you to include your child’s wishlist that you also can create in a few minutes. Think about all your options from toys they love to a family cooking class, skating passes, a visit to donate to the local animal shelter, or tickets to Disney on Ice.
Don’t worry about duplicating gifts because your friends and family won’t buy gifts directly, they’ll click to send you the amount for the gift to your PayPal account. Then, you can decide which items from the list to purchase.
I’m so grateful my sisters posted their wishlists this year. One year, we all bought the same gift for my niece: a mini piano. There were three in her living room! We had to lug two back to the store and exchange them.
This year, their kids’ wishlists are decked with two favorite toys each (after all, how many toys do they need?), a sprinkling of activities, and the rest goes to a local charity of their choice (one they can visit and connect with) or their college savings plan. Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins have all contributed. My sisters are hard at work writing thank you notes for each contribution to tell each family member where their money went.
So you don’t have fond memories of carrying mini pianos back and forth this holiday season, try Fig & Wally this year. Let us do the heavy lifting as you sit back and enjoy the sight of your little one’s eyes light up as they receive their perfect presents.
Join us on social!
Instagram: @figandwally
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/figandwally
Have questions or need help creating an invite or wishlist:
Email us at reachus@figandwally.com or call us at 917-310-0841
Giveaway(s): Fig & Wally is hosting a giveaway on their website this holiday season, with a chance to win fun, kid-friendly experiences to share our belief that the best gifts make lasting memories. Prizes include gift certificates to the Kennedy Center and Adventure Theater! They are also giving away skating passes to the home of the Capitals! (A special thanks to the Capitals Iceplex for sponsoring the skating passes giveaway.) Submit your entry here!
KFDC readers only also have a chance to enter a bonus giveaway of a $50 gift certificate for Adventure Theatre. All you have to do is leave a comment below letting us how you would use Fig & Wally (FYI: email addresses will be shared with them). This giveaway will run through Tuesday, November 12, 2019, then a winner will be picked at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!
This post is sponsored by the Fig & Wally, however, I only promote businesses, services, and programs that I genuinely believe in and think will appeal to KFDC readers.
Filed under Birthday Parties, DC, Giveaway, Guest Post, Holidays, Professional Service
Kids Can Get Cooking with Tiny Chefs!
Does your child love to help out in the kitchen? Are they the next Julia or Jacques or Ina or José? If your kid is keen on cooking — or maybe you want to introduce them to it in a fun way — there is a company who’s specialty is just that!
Tiny Chefs is the premier provider of kids cooking parties, classes, and camps in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut. Their cooking events are a fun way for kids to flex their creative muscles, spend time working in peer groups, and best of all, introduce them to the joy of cooking and baking!
Cooking teaches kids valuable skills that they can carry with them through life. Children practice basic math when they measure ingredients, reading comprehension as they follow a recipe, and team building as they work in groups. Bonus: They also build a strong foundation for healthy eating.
Even more, all of these skills are mixed in with delicious food and fun. Check out Tiny Chefs services to see how you can book or work them and get your kids cooking!
This post is sponsored by Tiny Chefs, however, I only promote programs, services, and events that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.
Filed under Birthday Parties, Camp, Class, DC, Eats, Educational, Maryland, Professional Service, Sponsored Post, Virginia
T(w)een Scene (or KidFree!): Wield Some Fun at Bad Axe Throwing
Upon first consideration, giving a group of 12-year-old boys a bunch of axes to throw for fun might sound like a pretty crazy idea. But at a recent birthday party at Bad Axe Throwing, a newish venue that offers opportunities to — you guessed it! — throw axes at targets, it was actually really great.
I first heard about Bad Axe Throwing last spring when a friend told me she’d attended an adult birthday celebration at the venue in northeast DC. Until then, I’d only seen the sport in action at Ren Fest, so of course I was immediately intrigued (because, Ren Fest). However, I didn’t try it myself until a few weeks ago when Owen attended a friend’s birthday party there. His mom (my friend, Torey) invited a few parents to join them for some target practice, too.
The facility where it takes place is fairly bare bones. It looks like an old warehouse or garage with two cavernous rooms with a few axe throwing “cages” on one side and, on the other, some tables and stools where guests can hang out, eat, and drink (all BYO) while they wait their turns to throw. Chain link fencing separates each cage, and plywood goes halfway up the target wall. Two targets hang side by side in each cage, and cork board and rubber matting line the floor in front of them. Concrete blocks or wooden stands about 10 feet back from the wall hold the axes right about where throwers stand.
The session begins with a short overview of the rules and a quick lesson on how to throw. The kids started things off, and after a few thunks against the boards and axes landing on the ground, they started to get in a groove, and the axes began to stick. We adults joined in soon after, and while it took me a couple of turns to really get it, once I did it was quite satisfying to hear that sharp “whomp” and see the hatchet buried in the wood as it hit the target.
After we’d all had some practice rounds, we played a few team games — mostly kids versus adults — similar to cricket, the popular darts game. (Happy to report we old folks beat the youngins! 🙂 ). There were also some one-on-one games, too, as players tried to reach a total score first by hitting rungs on the target with designated point values.
All in all, this was a really good time for all — a great tween birthday party, plus a fun and unique activity for the adults. And you don’t necessarily have to be with a big group to go. While we did see mostly larger parties there, walk-ins are welcome, too. As for ages, I did see some younger kids there with a family group, but I would probably recommend the activity for middle school ages and up.
Rates for groups vary: The Corporate rate is $35/person (minimum of 35) and includes two coaches and four targets for 2.5 hours. The Bad Axe Package is $44.25/person* (minimum of 6) and includes one coach and two targets. Walk-ins are $20/hour. *There is a HEROES rate for Firefighters, Nurses, EMT, Paramedics, Police Officers & Military — they can get the lowest rate of $35/person.
Bad Axe Throwing is located at 2419 Evarts St NE. Hours are 8am- 11pm, by appointment. Walk-in hours vary by week, so check the schedule before you go.
Filed under Birthday Parties, Date Night, DC, Parents, Weekdays, Weekend
Make the Best. Cakepop. Ever. at a Baked by Yael Cakepop Party!
Looking for a unique and delicious way to celebrate a birthday, girls’ night out, group date, staff team-building activity, or any other excuse to have fun? Baked by Yael’s Cakepop Parties are the perfect idea for kids or adults. This adorable “cakepoppery” right across from the National Zoo makes what they accurately describe as the “best. cakepop. ever.” And now you can, too!
Baked by Yael will clear out its bakery kitchen just for you and your guests, and everyone gets their own cake, frosting, and decorations. Their party hosts show you what to do, and then everyone gets to roll, dip, and decorate their very own cakepops to take home. Best of all, you won’t have to clean up! Getting creative with cakepops makes for the perfect activity that everyone will enjoy, both for the experience and the treats you’ll be taking with you.
Parties last about 90 minutes, are best for children turning 6 or older and grownups of all ages, and include all materials and staff. A basic party includes up to 8 guests, but more can be added. You can also add dessert platters, drinks, custom decorations, and more. Baked by Yael will make sure your event is super special.
Whether it’s for a kid’s birthday, a special outing with friends or coworkers, or just for the fun of it, a Cakepop Party is a sweet time for everyone!
*Special Offer!*
Mention you heard about cakepop parties at Baked by Yael from KidFriendly DC and save $25 off any Cakepop Party booked now through March 31, 2018.
For more information about Baked by Yael, including gifts, catering, and delicious treats, visit their website.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Baked by Yael, however, I only promote places, programs, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will be of interest to KFDC readers.
Filed under Birthday Parties, DC, Eats, Party, Professional Service, Special Event, Sponsored Post, Weekdays, Weekend
