Local party experts help you party like it's… your kid’s birthday

Two moms, a farmer, a firefighter and a princess walk into a party…

Is this the setup for a joke? Nope. These are some experts who help make birthday parties more enjoyable for kids and parents.

More: Upstate Parent’s 2023 Birthday Guide

Planning a kid’s birthday party has become a weird balance of keeping up with the Joneses while not going too over the top according to your (fill in whoever in your life would criticize a kid’s birthday party; you know who they are).

It’s a balance moms know all too well, so let's start the journey to plan a perfect party by talking to moms who created businesses based on their experiences throwing their own kids’ bashes.

“There are so many opinions out there,” lamented Jess Shurden, owner of Pretty Little Play Co., which designs party spaces for kids four and younger. “If you want to go all out and throw your 1-year-old the biggest party ever – go for it. If you say your 1-year-old isn’t going to remember this and you really don’t want the stress and financial burden, then don’t go all out! There are so many ways to do a birthday party, so you just need to feel good about it and have fun with whatever you decide to do.”

Shurden started Pretty Little Play Co. with her husband, Jonathan, after becoming frustrated while planning her daughter’s first birthday. Her daughter couldn’t walk yet and Jess couldn’t find something safe and entertaining for the babies and little kids. Shurden told her husband: “We are going to buy some soft-play equipment for our daughter’s birthday and then we are going to use it to start a business.”

Shurden’s company comes to your home or venue and sets up contained, soft-play spaces that can be customized to fit any decor. They also offer mini roller coasters, shade canopies and toddler bounce houses.

“Having a safe place for babies changes the birthday experience for the adults too.” Shurden said. “They can sit back and watch their child play while actually being able to eat and socialize.”

Identifying an opportunity while planning her own child’s party is exactly what made Christily Rodriguez start her company as well. For her daughter’s seventh birthday, Rodriguez created a sleepover of epic proportions.

“My daughter loves to build forts with sheets and lots of pillows, eat popcorn, watch movies, play games, paint nails – all the things kiddos love to do during sleepovers,” said. Rodriguez said. “I saw how much she loved it and what joy it brought her, so I thought to myself, this would be a great business.”

Rodriguez’s Starry Sky Sleepovers sets up teepee-tent sleepovers in your home for kids over the age of 5. With custom themes like spa nights and multiple add-on options including an ice cream truck, these sleepovers are what dreams are made of (pun intended).

When possible, Rodriguez suggests hiring professionals to help with party planning.

“It allows parents to keep their peace and enjoy these precious memories with their children,” she said. “After all, they won’t be children forever.”

A childhood dream is what drives (pun intended again) Robert Hurley’s business, Big Red Party Truck. Hurley’s parties bring a decommissioned fire truck to your house for a tour, a ride and even a fire safety demonstration by an actual firefighter.

“I grew up wanting to be a firefighter,” Hurley, a full-time firefighter, said. “This would have been my dream party as a kid. Hearing the parents say they always wanted to go on a fire truck as a kid and then getting to watch them do that with their kids, it's just amazing.”

Parents' happiness at kids’ parties was a running theme for our experts.

“A lot of times the adults are more excited than the kids,” Katie Scruggs, who owns Zuber Mobile Petting Zoo with her friend and fellow farmer, Jessie Moyer, said. “The kids will go crazy and love it for 30 minutes, but the adults really want to sit down and cuddle with the animals the entire time.”

A Zuber Mobile Petting Zoo party will bring a host of cute, pettable animals to your yard or – in case of bad weather – your porch or garage. Kids and adults can get up close and personal with everything from Nigerian dwarf goats and mini pigs to alpacas and ponies.

If getting up close and personal with animals isn’t your child’s dream, then consider Dreams Come True Events. Owners Irina Zych and Julia Krylova will bring your kid’s favorite character to life. Hiring a character – from Spiderman to Elsa to scientists complete with a lab and experiments – takes the burden of entertainment off you.

“We’re here to help create memories,” Zych said. “Planning a kid’s party can get really overwhelming because you want to create something very special.”

Two moms, a farmer, a firefighter and a princess walk into your home and bring the party with them. And they’ll make it really memorable. No joke.

Learn more:

Pretty Little Play Co. prettylittleplayco.comStarry Sky Sleepovers starryskysleepoversgvl.comBig Red Party Truck bigredpartytruck.comZuber Mobile Petting Zoo zuberpettingzoo.comDreams Come True Events dreamscometrue-event.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Planning a birthday party? These experts can help