Kids birthday parties in Perth: From dodgeball to pamper party buses, here’s how WA kids like to celebrate

Having hosted hundreds of children’s birthday parties over the past decade, Jimmy Kinsella knows the key to a successful — and stress free — event.

“Keep them contained, and keep them entertained,” he told The Sunday Times this week.

That is the motto of The Dodgy Bros, a pop-up dodgeball party business that started as a side hustle for Mr Kinsella and his brother Mikee and which now hosts bucks parties, corporate events and kids birthday parties in Perth, and will next month launch in Melbourne.

They are among a growing number of entrepreneurs capitalising on a boom in demand for unique, fun and — crucially — outsourced birthday parties as time-poor parents look to keep their offspring happy while at the same time avoiding mess and stress.

The Dodgy Bros’ most popular package for kids parties is a $660, two-hour event for up to 25 kids.

“We bring everything, all parents have to do is find a space or book a park and we arrive and run the rest,” Mr Kinsella said.

“The adults can sit and relax while we handle the kids, but we also get adults engaged and throwing balls at the kids, it’s always such a laugh.”

Steve and Sandra Banks’ Pamper Party Bus is also hugely popular, and booked out up to three months in advance.

Five years ago, the couple bought and refurbished a motor home, transforming it into a bright pink beauty salon on wheels, providing services such as manicures, mini facials, face paint, hair styling and face jewels.

The base package starts at $495 for eight children, which includes photos and videos taken by the hosts. Mrs Banks said they sought to fill a gap in the market for unique, high-quality children’s entertainment that catered to kids but also offered a seamless, enjoyable experience for adults.

“Parents are increasingly looking for a stress-free, fun, and memorable experiences for their children, something that doesn’t involve hours of set-up and clean-up,” she said.

“The trend seems to be towards outsourcing the hard work and parents want their kids to have truly unique experiences.

“With our service, we offer that convenience, plus an element of excitement that kids will remember long after the party is over. We focus a lot on personalisation to make sure each birthday child feels super special on their big day.”

Hosted parties at Timezone and McDonald’s are also popular, in part thanks to nostalgic parents seeking to recreate treasured birthday memories from their own childhoods.

Timezone Innaloo venue manager Khia George said demand for birthday parties had “picked up a lot lately”, with the venue hosting at least one every weekend.

From $32 per child guests enjoy unlimited play for an allotted time before enjoying party food, supplied by the party host, in a private room.

“The biggest selling point is we take care of everything, parents don’t have to worry about clean up,” Ms George said.

McDonald’s announced the return of its birthday parties earlier this year, starting at $17.50 per child and including 90 minutes of games and entertainment, a Happy Meal, party bag, invitations, party hats and a party host, with options to include the classic Macca’s birthday cake.