Blazing Star Parties
Birthday parties for kids who would rather MAKE something than sit still for a magic show.
Throwing a great kids' birthday party is weirdly hard.
You want it to feel special. You want your kid to have an actual blast. You want their friends to remember it.
But you also don't necessarily want to:
spend three weeks on Pinterest
invent twelve activities to keep everyone occupied
buy $200 worth of craft supplies
host a small army in your living room
or discover, three days later, that there is still frosting on your ceiling
Enter: Blazing Star Birthday Parties.
We turn our creative little school into a 90-minute playground for making, experimenting, getting messy, and following your curiosity.
You bring the birthday kid and their favorite people.
We bring the materials, the ideas, the educator, and the magic.
What makes a Blazing Star party different?
Kids don't have to wait for the party to begin.
As guests arrive, they're invited to dive right into an open-ended creative experience.
There are materials to explore, things to make, experiments to try, and possibilities everywhere.
No awkward 20-minute period of:
“Okay! Everyone sit on the carpet while we wait for Olivia's cousin to get here!”
The party is already happening.
Then we make something awesome together.
Once everyone has arrived, a Blazing Star educator gathers the group for a special birthday project.
We'll introduce an idea, demonstrate some possibilities, and then let the kids take it wherever their imaginations want to go.
Because we are very much not in the business of making 12 identical crafts.
A little structure + a lot of possibility = our sweet spot.
And yes, there will be a birthday banner.
Every birthday kid gets a custom Blazing Star birthday banner made especially for their celebration.
Because obviously.
Choose Your Birthday Adventure
🫧 SLIME PARTY
For kids who believe that everything is better when it's gooey.
Mix, stretch, squish, swirl, experiment, and make your own gloriously weird slime creations.
Your party includes:
Open-ended slime exploration as guests arrive
A Blazing Star–led slime-making project
Colors, textures, add-ins, and plenty of opportunities to experiment
Slime to take home
A custom birthday banner for the guest of honor
Recommended for: slime enthusiasts ages 5+
🎨 PROCESS ART PARTY
Paint. Print. Draw. Glue weird gems and things to things. Make something nobody else could have made.
Our process art party is basically a tiny, very well-stocked art studio where kids can follow their ideas instead of trying to make the “right” picture.
We'll have an abundant assortment of paints, drawing materials, printing tools, collage materials, unusual objects, textures, gems, and other delightful stuff.
Your party includes:
An open-ended art studio as guests arrive
A Blazing Star–led art project
Painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and plenty of opportunities for experimentation
A collaborative art experience
Artwork to take home
A custom birthday banner for the guest of honor
Recommended for: creative people of all ages
🏺 AIR-DRY CLAY PARTY
Make something weird.
Kids get their hands dirty with air-dry clay and a glorious collection of tools, textures, stamps, objects, and materials.
They might make a creature.
Or a tiny cake.
Or a sculpture.
Or an object that defies all known categories.
We support all of these outcomes.
Your party includes:
Open-ended clay exploration as guests arrive
A Blazing Star–led clay project
Clay, tools, textures, and creative materials
Plenty of room for individual ideas and experimentation
Creations to take home
A custom birthday banner for the guest of honor
Recommended for: ages 5+
✨ GLOW-IN-THE-DARK PAINT PARTY
Turn out the lights. Make something glow.
This is painting with a little extra drama.
Kids explore fluorescent paints and glow-in-the-dark materials, create their own luminous artwork, and then experience the very satisfying moment when we turn out the lights.
Your party includes:
Open-ended glow-art exploration as guests arrive
A Blazing Star–led glow painting project
Fluorescent and glow-in-the-dark materials
Black-light fun
A lights-out reveal
Artwork to take home
A custom birthday banner for the guest of honor
Recommended for: ages 5+
Every Blazing Star Birthday Includes
90 minutes of making + 30 minutes of cake/food time
Up to 12 children
A Blazing Star educator to lead the experience
An open-ended creative activity for guests to dive into as they arrive
A special instructor-led project
All creative materials
A custom birthday banner for the birthday kid
Setup and cleanup including plates, utensils, napkin.
You provide the birthday kid, the guests, and any food or cake you'd like to serve.
We'll take care of the rest.
Birthday Party Details
Where?
At Blazing Star School in Chicago.
Our space is a real working creative school, which means it already has the things we love: interesting materials, big ideas, room to make a mess, and lots of possibilities.
When?
Saturday and Sunday parties only.
Party times are scheduled based on availability.
How much?
$375 for up to 12 children.
Additional children may be added for $20 each, up to our maximum group size of 18.
Can you come to us instead?
Yes!
We also offer mobile Blazing Star Birthday Parties for families who would rather celebrate at home or another location.
Mobile parties start at $450 for up to 12 children, plus an additional travel fee if traveling further than 45 minutes from our location in Irving Park.
We bring the creative experience to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to provide decorations?
Nope!
You are welcome to bring whatever decorations you'd like, but you absolutely don't need to turn the place into a Pinterest board.
We'll provide the creative experience and a special birthday banner for the birthday kid.
Can we bring cake and food?
Absolutely.
Parents are responsible for food, cake, drinks, and anything else you'd like to serve. We’ll provide dry goods like plates, napkins, utensils.
We'll make the art. You bring the cake.
A beautiful division of labor.
Do parents stay?
Parents are welcome to stay, and we recommend that the birthday child's grown-up remain on site.
Other guests' caregivers are welcome to stay as well.
What happens if some kids arrive late?
Nothing terrible!
That's exactly why we start with an open-ended creative experience.
Kids can jump in when they arrive, and we'll transition into the group project once everyone has had a chance to settle in.
Can younger siblings attend?
Younger siblings are welcome to attend with their caregiver, but our activities are designed for the age range of the birthday party.
Please let us know about siblings when you book so we can make sure the experience is appropriate.
Can we choose our own project?
Within each party theme, yes!
Our educators will have a plan and lots of possibilities, but we intentionally leave room for kids to make choices and follow their own ideas.
That's kind of our whole thing.
If you have a particularly specific idea for your child's birthday, tell us about it! We love inventing things.
Can we have a party that's not one of the four themes?
Probably!
Our four party experiences cover our favorite kinds of creative chaos, but we can sometimes create a custom experience depending on the group, age, and date.
Ask us. We like weird requests.
Will my child come home covered in paint/slime/clay?
There is a non-zero chance.
We provide aprons/protective measures appropriate to the activity, but these are creative parties, not immaculate parties.
We recommend clothing that can handle a little adventure.
What if my kid doesn't want to do the main project?
That's okay.
We create invitations, not assignments.
Kids can explore the materials, make something different, collaborate with friends, or take the project in an entirely unexpected direction.
How far in advance should I book?
As early as you can, especially for weekend parties.
Our school has limited weekend availability, and we only host a small number of parties each weekend.
Ready to Make Something Weird?
Tell us about your birthday kid, their age, your preferred date, and which adventure sounds most like them.
We'll take it from there.
[BOOK A BLAZING STAR BIRTHDAY →]
Because birthdays are better when kids don't just have a party.
They get to make one.
