Editor’s Note: We love birthday parties! If you would like to write about your child’s birthday party, drop us a line at editor@chambanamoms.com.
by Aida El-Khadra
We recently had our 6-year-old daughter’s birthday party at Amara Yoga. The price for the basic package ($125) includes a yoga class (which we renamed yoga games), an arts and crafts activity (of the child’s choice), and the use of their space for two hours. The space is beautiful, and worked really well for our birthday party.
My daughter wanted a fairy theme, so the craft activities included making wands, little fairies, elves, or gnomes, and coloring fairy pictures. Kathryn, who hosted the party with her daughter, decorated the rooms with fairy houses (made of wood bark, leaves, etc …) and paintings of fairies. When we arrived, she had set up tables with fairy houses as center pieces, and cloth tablecloths, for eating the snacks and cake.
We started with the yoga games, which (following my daughter’s wishes) included readings from the Tiptoes books and acting out part of the stories. Afterward, the children were allowed to play with all the blocks, mats, cushions, and blankets in the yoga studio.
The party was a big success, the children were engaged the whole time. They loved the crafts and also loved playing in the yoga studio. Owners Kathryn and Theresa were both very accommodating (my daughter changed her mind a couple of times on what craft activities she wanted), and put together a great birthday party for my daughter. She was very pleased (as were her parents).
Aida El-Khadra is a mother of two girls (6 and 18 months) who lives in Champaign. She is a professor at the University of Illinois, where she teaches physics.