Summer Birthdays in Central Texas can be a little challenging to plan with the heat. Spring and Fall birthdays definitely have an advantage, because they easily can be planned at a park or in a backyard. It takes a little more thought and creativity to come with something fun and entertaining in the triple digit dog days of Summer. Here are a few ideas I have come up with:

1. Splash Pads are easy, fun and free. Try to find one that has shade, or go in the morning. Check out our new list on do512.com
2. Bowling- I am a big fan of Dart Bowl and they have food (pizza for the kids and really good cheese enchiladas for the parents) Easy, and they clean up the mess.
3. Ice Skating or Roller Skating. Have you checked out the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex on the East Side? They offer Skating all day on Saturdays.
4. Have Jim Jim’s Water Ice cater your party. A treat that will cool you down made with real fruit. Way better than any snow cone you have ever tried.
5. Go underground. A picnic and a tour at Longhorn Caverns or Innerspace Caverns.
6. Gymboree offers party packages for kids turning 1 through 5. With four area locations you can keep the party close, and you will be responsible for nothing besides getting those kids there!
7. Have Tiny Tails To You! Petting Zoo come to your party so your wee kids can play with wee animals. Too cute!
8. Hire clowns, jugglers, impersonators, face painters, henna artists and a whole other slew of kid-friendly entertainers to come out to your party by using About Faces. About Faces is a comprehensive list of kooky entertainment.
9. Kiddie Acres, an amusement park for 10 & under, has awesome group rates and would be a great party for a small group of friends!
10. The Austin Children’s Museum has great rates for birthday parties, plus everyone in your party gets a pass to come back to the museum for free!
11. Hoppin House is an inflatable bouncy house a.k.a. “your child’s dream come true.” All that jumping is great for you and great fun!
12. Can you believe that the Austin Rock Gym offers birthday parties? Believe it! And it’s for a decent price!
13. Dinosaur Park is perfect for that dino-obsessed little boy of yours. Outdoor museum down a dino trail with dino dig, picnic accommodations and a giant T-Rex to get a picture with. This might have to be done soon, because it’s getting hot quick!
14. Get insanely girlie at the Princess Palace and make your little lady feel special while she gets dolled up and walks down a runway.
15. Stay at home! Plan activities like making your own pizzas, having a costume contest or a dance-off. Have a water balloon fight or a scavenger hunt. Ask your kiddo what they want to do, they will definitely have tons of ideas, trust us.

–> Looking for a way to capture silly birthday memories? Say Cheese Photo Booths add some extra fun to your events. Their rental photo booths come with party props, including glasses, hats, boas, and more. A strip of photos is printed in seconds and each strip comes with two copies – one for your guests and one that can be put in the party scrapbook provided with each booth rental. Learn more at saycheesephotobooths.com