Business, Marketing, and Life Advice for Play-Based Business Owners

As you likely know if you’ve been following me for a while, we focus on birthday parties at our indoor playground locations.

We rely on having a booked-out party calendar every single weekend to be able to be successful. I love being able to look at the month ahead and know with certainty that not only will all of our bills and team members be paid, but also that I can pay myself consistently as the business owner.

Even if you do NOT plan on making parties your main focus, relying on...

Something I am careful to do constantly is monitor other indoor play spaces in order to best understand what’s working and what’s not working in the indoor play industry. 

As we kick off a new year, I wanted to share 4 emerging trends that have been increasing in popularity, especially during the last 18 months or so.

For current indoor playground owners and prospective owners alike, adapting to at least 1-2 of these trends to accommodate changing customer preferences will be...

One of the things parents love most about hosting their child’s event at our facility is the freedom we allow when it comes to decorating. There is something so special about seeing the birthday child walk into their party and watching their face light up because their favorite character/ show/ book/ animal has been brought to life with the decor. 

My favorite part of my sons’ parties when they were under 5 years old was seeing their faces when they came in through the door....

Hosting a birthday party at Climbing Vines is a guarantee that your child will have a unique and fun experience! Every one of our packages includes a private rental so you can enjoy our play cafe with just your guests. Each party is completely individualized and we accommodate for nearly any sized event.

Whether you’re considering hosting a part in our indoor playground space or are looking to create your own indoor playground birthday party package, below are some frequently asked...

If you live in an area like we do in Western New York (we’re in Rochester!) with beautifully hot summers and cold snowy winters, you’ll know that your options for your child’s birthday party are largely dependent on the weather.

As an August baby, we always had small family parties outside at my house. But, with sons born in November and March, we are always left to book an indoor venue for their celebrations, if we chose to have them that year. While those with children...

At Climbing Vines Cafe & Play, we offer a variety of services from classes and camps to open-play and private events. It’s our adult and child-friendly birthday parties, though, that we have chosen as our focus.

While we, of course, put time and resources towards making each aspect of our business the best it can be, I have found that having one primary focus helps us best serve our customers. Having one top priority has also helped our indoor playground stand out against our local...

CHOO CHOO BENJAMIN IS 2!

I remember being so excited to plan this party for Benjamin because it was the first year he was really INTO something- TRAINS!

The party was smaller than his first, with mostly our extended family in attendance along with a few friends who came to play.

The atmosphere was wonderful- the children entered right into the play area and the adults got to mingle, drink coffee, eat, and RELAX!

This birthday party was in the afternoon, so we went with subs, pizza, veggies,...