Parties

A hassle-free service that delivers custom birthday parties. Busy families can choose a theme - using one of the company's favorites or creating a customized event - and leave the rest to The Party Savers.

On the party day, cake, balloons, custom personalized goodie bags, invites, thank-you notes, games and/or activities all arrive at your door.

It also offers custom baby showers for moms-to-be, as well as Girls Night Out spa parties for moms who'd like some time off with friends.

Consistently named one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the United States, the Chicago Diner is an excellent place for vegetarians and omnivores alike. The menu includes standard American fare along with ethnic favorites.

Children's selections are healthier than usually seen when dining out, including pasta with a choice of veggies. Ask for the gluten-free menu, which is extensive and has ingredients clearly marked. Our kids love the vegan milkshakes, made with soy ice cream from the local Chicago Soydairy.

During the summer months, dine on the outdoor patio, complete with sparkly lights to keep toddlers and babies fascinated. Vegan birthday cakes can be ordered in advance (great for kids who suffer from allergies), and catering services are also available.

A hassle-free service that delivers custom birthday parties. Busy families can choose a theme - using one of the company's favorites or creating a customized event - and leave the rest to The Party Savers.

On the party day, cake, balloons, custom personalized goodie bags, invites, thank-you notes, games and/or activities all arrive at your door.

It also offers custom baby showers for moms-to-be, as well as Girls Night Out spa parties for moms who'd like some time off with friends.

A totally indoor family entertainment center featuring a medieval setting, the Enchanted Castle boasts 47,000 square feet of indoor activities, attractions, and food for families.

Visitors can enjoy laser tag, a nine-hole award-winning miniature golf course, bumper cars, an extensive playground, a roller coaster, and arcade games.

A Rage 3D EFX Movie Ride and King's Round Table Twister are the newest additions to the center.

With a 625-seat dining capacity, the Dragon's Den Restaurant offers pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, soups, snacks, and kids' meals. In addition to the kid-friendly menu, the dining room's amenities include karaoke, and an animated stage show.

The Enchanted Castle offers a variety of Birthday Party Packages, as well. See website for details.

Kids can sign up for the Enchanted Castle's Birthday Club - open to ages 12 and under. Club members receive goodies for their Birthday, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. See website for details.

A hassle-free service that delivers custom birthday parties. Busy families can choose a theme - using one of the company's favorites or creating a customized event - and leave the rest to The Party Savers.

On the party day, cake, balloons, custom personalized goodie bags, invites, thank-you notes, games and/or activities all arrive at your door.

It also offers custom baby showers for moms-to-be, as well as Girls Night Out spa parties for moms who'd like some time off with friends.

Oba William King's interactive performances, storytelling, drama workshops and lectures involve particpants in a stimulating variety of self-esteem building activities. His programs celebrate African-American heritage, demonstrate cultural tradition and encourage cultural diversity. His work helps students to develop articulation skills through storytelling and poetry, as well as conflict resolution, self-image, team-building and agile thinking. Oba also provides performances for seniors, adults and toddlers.

As an American Griot, the poetic storyteller, Oba offers assembly-style performances, interweaving stories and poetry with rhythm and song to create a wonderfully entertaining, educational event for school, church, community center, public or private organization. Materials are adapted to fit the age of the audience. All audiences, all ages, all cultures, all communities.

Oba is a 2002 Illinois Arts Council's Fellowship Award recipient, 2000 Hands On Stanza's Gwendolyn Brooks Award recipient, and Hidden Jewel of the Neighborhood 2000 recipient. Oba was recently featured on Network Chicago's "Artbeat Chicago" segment titled King of the Classroom.
Available programs include:

We Speak in Rhythm
A story of freedom, knowledge and the importance of staying in school. The performance includes poetry, music, vocals, drama, and dance.

The Poetic Storyteller
Oba's imaginative style of poetic interpretations bring stories and life lessons center stage. Great for young audiences and family gatherings.

Holiday Celebration Showcase
Oba produces presentations and performance programs for Kwanzaa, African-American Heritage Month, Women's History Month, Earth Day, National Poetry Week, Mother's Day showcase, The Week of the Chid, Juneteenth, and Father's Day. The Summer Smash, Youth Heritage Festival, and Back 2 School - Jamboree - are available as package productions.

See What I'm Saying
A writing workshop for teens, designed with interactive poetry and storytelling that fits their needs. The workshop culminates with live performance or keepsake "chap-book."

Storytelling Time!
A workshop and performance combination for 3rd through 8th grade. Students read, write, and learn stories, poems, and cultural songs to share at an assembly style special event.

Family Reading Night
Oba is available as a featured performer for your family reading night event. Oba can fit into the agenda, working with small groups to help parents learn skills for encouraging reading at home.

The Courtroom
An awareness/prevention production designed to educate high school youth and their communities about the need to become active in the prevention of contracting HIV/AIDS. Through the use of Shakespeare Theater techniques, the production instructs, shares statistics, abolishes myths, and offers solutions necessary to prevent the risk of becoming a statistic to the spread of the disease.

Hullabaloo Design is an on-location photography service specializing in birth, newborns, babies, children, teens, and family photography.

The company also specializes in announcements, invitations, and holiday cards.

Children ages 18 months to 10 years are introduced to the works of master artists through imaginative play. With an imaginary visit back in time, they visit artists and explore a specific masterpiece, then create their own masterpieces using different techniques and materials. Music further enhances the creative process.

A wide range of programs can be found at The Paintbrush, including mother-tot and tot-sibling classes; summer, holiday and Saturday camp; parents' nights out; and birthday parties.

My Corner Playroom is an ideal spot for little ones, especially during the winter months when outdoor play is a challenge! The facility offers plenty of age-appropriate activities/classes, climbing equipment, play toys, dress-up costumes, train tables and more. (The list of services is always growing!)

Music classes for children ages four and under are offered every Friday at 10am, with an additional class during the winter season at 9:15am. Arts & Crafts classes for children ages two to five years are offered at various time depending on the season. All classes include play time before/after class, and walk-ins are welcome for a set one-day fee when space is available. Price for classes varies by session. Call or visit the website for details and to register in advance!

Kid's Camp for children ages two to five years is a drop-off alternative to pre-school. The camp session runs from spring to fall, Monday through Thursday mornings, and offers a unique play based approached to learning where child-to-child mentoring, socialization, communication, and self reliance skills are promoted. Children engage in arts activities, circle time, sing and dance, and excursions to the park daily. Children need not be potty trained.

Private Parties for birthdays, holidays, or play groups can be scheduled on Friday evenings, and Saturdays and Sundays all day. Contact the Playroom for party fees and packages which even include a trained party assistant and no mess to clean up.

The Day School for children ages two to four is a drop-off preschool preparatory class that meets twice a week for 14 weeks. The program helps children gain social skills while learning self-reliance skills, since as communication, adaptation, and critical thinking in a play-based curriculum developed by owner/director Lisa L. Gillis.

Memberships are available. Members have unlimited access to My Corner Playroom during regular business hours and may play as long as they wish. Special events, such as holiday parties, character visits, and classes require an additional fee.

Drop-In Open Play is offered six days a week all year long with unlimited come and go play for the day.

Fantasy Kingdom is a parent-supervised drop-in play space for children ages six months through six years.

Kids can act out knightly fantasies in a 30-foot high/10-foot wide castle with 2 tunnel slides.

The space also features a "Village," which includes a market, a fire station, a police station, and a pink Tudor house. Each building holds appropriate dress-up clothes and props to complete the fantasy play.

Young babies and toddlers can play safely with toys in a space that is separated by a partial wall from the rest of the room.

An open eating area is accessible to families looking for a spot to enjoy a snack. Healthy items, juices, bottled
water, costumes, and balloons are all available for sale, and families are welcome to bring in their own
snacks/lunch, too! Items can be refrigerated - just ask.

Everyone must wear socks in order to enter; socks are available for purchase, too.

Fantasy Kingdom can be rented for birthday parties. Private parties can be scheduled on weekends, or after closing on weekdays.