Goldfish Swim School Mundelein is a Little Lake County Partner. This story is part of a promotional exchange.
My youngest was born the week of Thanksgiving and I’ve struggled to juggle her birthday and the holiday for the past two years. Between helping my Nana host a large family gathering and then hosting another far too big (and somewhat overdecorated) party, I find myself sick and tired at the end of it all. That’s not exactly how I want my life to look and certainly not how I want to enter my favorite time of the year. Finding the easiest, hands-off approach to a birthday party is really what I need!
After attending Back-to-Pool, my daughter has asked to go back to the “Fishy Pool” every week. I love these events that give us a sneak peek of great locations around Lake County. At Goldfish Swim School Mundelein the water is warm, the decor feels like a vacation spot, and it is just plain fun to splash around together! I checked out their site and saw that they offer birthday parties, so I made the call to see just how hands-off this could be.
A party package at Goldfish includes:
- private use of the facilities from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday;
- open swim with lifeguards or guided games with lifeguards for 1 hour and 20 minutes;
- 24 invitations and envelopes (with waivers);
- plates, napkins, cutlery and cups for guests;
- 24 cupcakes with sprinkles and 24 juice boxes;
- light decorations (table coverings and leis);
- 24 gift bags; and
- helpers (seriously).
Booking
A single phone call was all it took to schedule a birthday party for a Saturday two months out that included almost everything we wanted at a party. The staff is knowledgeable and incredibly helpful before the party to be sure you’ve got everything planned out.
Invitations
Goldfish Swim School Mundelein includes 24 invitations in your party package — simply pick them up at the pool, fill them out, address and mail them. They are a cute option with all of the information your guests will need — including a map!
Entertainment
Entertainment is clearly the biggest reason to choose Goldfish Swim School Mundelein to host your party, the pool! I loved that we had the option of open swim or games that were run by Goldfish staff, all included for 1 hour and 20 minutes! I can participate in the pool with my swimming kids or allow them to join in on the fun with included life vests while I am able to entertain my non-swimming guests. My husband hung in the pool with our non-swimmers, because an adult is required to be with non-swimmers in the water.
There are books, fish and turtle tanks and a chalkboard in the lobby for those that don’t want to take a dip, I don’t even have to worry about bringing stuff for them! (Note: I did bring a few decks of cards and coloring materials for anyone not looking to swim; no one touched them.)
Decorations
Although you can bring decorations to the pool for your party, why bother when they’ve got you covered? Play leis and tablecloths make for a perfect scene for your little birthday person, all included in your party package! We brought Trolls plates and two buckets of themed suckers to appease our three-year-old Troll lover — but nothing else, and spoiler — we didn’t even use the plates.
Food & Drinks
Twenty-four cupcakes and juice boxes are included in the party package! Since we invited our whole family, I brought extra desserts, beverages and snacks for the adults to enjoy while the kids swam. Goldfish had plates, napkins and forks ready for all of my guests — I was so surprised!
And, although food is not included in the party package, they do have a deal with Hitz Pizza and offer a 50% discount on the pizzas to be delivered. Simply chat with your party host when you arrive at the pool and they’ll place an order for you. All that is needed is a signature when the pizzas arrive (we ordered 1 large thin crust for every 4 guests and ended up with 2 leftover pizzas). If you’d rather, you can bring snacks, food and drinks, too — the only rule is no colored frosting or glass containers. Depending on the time of your party, you may not even want to serve food!
Gift Bags
Goldfish has thought of everything, even gift bags for each guest to take home! Your package includes 24 bags with a few pieces of candy and some swim safety information and free family swim cards to come back again. Want to add to the bags? Just drop off your swag and they’ll have the bags filled and ready for your party — or bring it the day of and they’ll take care of it!
Helpers
The staff at Goldfish is beyond what I expected. Staff members were incredibly helpful and insisted that I enjoy the day and let them take care of the party. From the moment we walked in, it was done. The party was completely set and decorated when we arrived. We brought in our items and the staff took over helping to greet guests telling them where to change and taking gifts out of the way. It was such a strange feeling to let them serve my guests food after we swam, but it was so freeing and we were able to fully enjoy seeing our kids celebrate! They walked around with pizzas and cupcakes to be sure everyone had what they needed. Even better, they loaded up my car when the party was over and cleaned up everything.
We all want our kids to love their birthdays and enjoy every moment with their friends. We’ve hosted at home and I am so incredibly glad we took this chance and let Goldfish take over the hosting. We were relaxed and enjoyed the entire time with those we love the most!
Be sure to let them know that Little Lake County sent you when you call to book your party!
Goldfish Swim School – Mundelein
1531 South Lake Street, Mundelein, IL 60060
(847) 371-9000 | Facebook
Disclosure: Goldfish Swim School Mundelein is a Little Lake County partner. The writer received a complimentary in exchange for a story and other promotional consideration. All thoughts and opinions are that of the writer and no other compensation was received.
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