Top 10 Birthday Chains for Kid Birthday Parties

#10: Young Chefs Academy

66 locations; youngchefsacademy.com

Ideal birthday age: 4 to 12

Fun, Games, and Food: You pick from one of a handful of themes (pasta and pizza are the most popular for young kids). Budding apron-clad chefs make all the food from scratch and then dig in! You bring the cake.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $200 to $395 for 10 guests; includes invites, thank-yous, partyware plus recipe card, and chef's hat for each kid

#9: Pigtails & Crewcuts

30 locations; pigtailsandcrewcuts.com

Ideal birthday age: 3 to 6

Fun, Games, and Food: Kids dress up in adorable costumes, play games, and make crafts based on the theme you choose; cowboys, luau, princesses, and pirates are some of the cool choices. You supply food and cake.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $150 to $200 for up to 8 kids; partyware is included. Some locations can add favors and invites for an extra fee.

#8: A.C.Moore

136 locations; acmoore.com

Ideal birthday age: 4 to 8

Fun, Games, and Food: Kids create a craft or two that you select in advance. Popular picks: bubble-gum machines and T-shirts the kids decorate. You supply the party-room decorations, food, and cake.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $50 room fee plus supplies ($5 and up per kid). With no minimum number of guests, it's super for small parties.

#7: Color Me Mine

110 locations; colormemine.com

Ideal birthday age: 5 to 12

Fun, Games, and Food: You select pottery for kids to paint (dolphins and puppies are among the many choices). There's an amazing array of colors, brushes, and stamps. You bring cake; most locations supply pizza and drinks.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $25 or so per guest but varies with the pottery you pick; includes food and drink, where available

#6: American Girl Place

7 locations; americangirl.com

Ideal birthday age: 6 to 10

Fun, Games, and Food: Kids bring their dolls (or borrow one from the store) for a "fancy" meal ordered from a menu. The food, like Tic-Tac-Toe Pizza, is good, but the layer cake is incredible. Dolls get their own high chair and tiara.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $25 to $33 per guest in the dining room; $40 to $55 in a private area. Includes food, cake, favors, invites, and more

#5: Brunswick Bowling

90 locations; bowlbrunswick.com

Ideal birthday age: 5 to 12

Fun, Games, and Food: Guests bowl on adjoining lanes with bumpers (no gutter balls!). Don't worry about the kids being loud -- this place is noisy. The pizza and drinks are taken care of; you supply the cake.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $12 to $18 per guest; includes food, partyware, balloons, and a bowling pin-shaped bottle for the guest of honor

#4: Pump It Up

165 locations; pumpitupparty.com

Ideal birthday age: 3 to 12

Fun, Games, and Food: Plenty big if your child wants to invite the whole class, it has super-cool inflatable structures -- like slides, bounce houses, and obstacle courses. Most locations supply pizza, drinks, and cake.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $165 and up for 14 guests; includes cake, food, invites, and partyware. Packages for larger groups are available.

#3: Michaels Arts & Crafts

More than 1,000 locations; michaels.com

Ideal birthday age: 5 to 9

Fun, Games, and Food: Select a craft from hundreds of options; kids could make pennants or memory boxes, for example. You bring food and dessert -- guests can even decorate plain brownies, cupcakes, or cookies if you'd like.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $50 booking fee plus an average of $12 per kid for a craft; includes an apron or a T-shirt for the guest of honor

#2: Gymboree Play & Music

250 locations; gymboreeclasses.com

Ideal birthday age: 1 to 4

Fun, Games, and Food: Kids play on cushy mats and colorful soft equipment like crawl-through tunnels. The highlight: a cute parachute that kids sing about, run underneath, and pop bubbles on. You supply the snacks and cake.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $200 and up for 20 guests; includes adorable plates, napkins, and cups featuring "Gymbo the Clown"

#1: The Little Gym

260 locations; thelittlegym.com

Ideal birthday age: 3 to 6

Fun, Games, and Food: Instructors lead themed activities on scaled-down gymnastics equipment like balance beams and uneven parallel bars. Then, in a balloon-filled room, guests enjoy the cake and food that you bring in.

Price Range (Varies by Location): $175 to $500 for 14 kids; includes partyware, invites, thank-yous, juice, and a T-shirt for the guest of honor