This past Sunday, my kids were invited to a fourth birthday party at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony.
It rained on Sunday. A lot. And it was chilly and windy.
“Do you have a Plan B?” I texted my friend Amy a few hours prior to the party.
“All of the activities are indoors, so we’re good!” she texted back.
I wasn’t familiar with the park, but as it turns out, you can rent space in the small buildings on site (no weather-anxiety required!) and host parties at the park. Even better, you can have a Silverwood Park staff member do an arts and crafts project with the kids.
We were at the party from 1-3 p.m., and in that time, the kids colored pictures, made bird puppets, then created bird food art before the guest of honor opened his gifts, we had some snacks, and we had cake (and then the sugar kicked in and the kids started chasing one another around the room). It really was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.
The fee—for up to 15 participants—is $100 for all activities; $150 for an activity involving clay. The nature/art-inspired classes are also popular as small team-building outings. (Bonus: No pre-party cleaning.)
If the sun had been shining, we could have explored trails throughout the park—which is nicely situated on the shore of Silver Lake—and appreciated the wide open prairie and the shade of mature oak forests.
And the park offers so much more than birthday parties. There’s a visitor center, an art gallery, a coffee shop, canoe and kayak rentals, and an outdoor performance space. (How did I not know this place existed before now?!) Basically, this is a great venue for weddings, family picnics, or just meeting a friend for a cup of coffee. Classes are also taught year-round in ceramics, photography, watercolor/landscapes, wheel-throwing, yoga, and a range of other topics.
For more information, visit the Silverwood Park website.
