Most little (and big) girls enjoy feeling pretty and pampered, especially on their big day. So a salon themed birthday party can be a real treat, especially for kids and tweens who get a big kick out of having their hair styled. It’s a particular delight, if you’re like me, and find yourself “hair challenged”. On a good day, I might manage to get my daughter’s hair into a pony tail. So, when Girlie Girl asked to have her birthday party at Shear Madness this year, I thought it was an awesome idea!
Locations
Shear Madness now has two locations in the Des Moines metro area.
Bridgewood Plaza
165 South Jordan Creek Parkway #130
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: (515) 457-7623
Email: dsm@shearmadnesskids.com
Website: http://shearmadnesskids.com/usa-franchise-locations-contact-info/west-des-moines/
Shops on Delaware
1701 SE Delaware Ave #150
Ankeny, IA 50021
Phone: (515) 963-8797
Email: ankeny@shearmadnesskids.com
Website: http://shearmadnesskids.com/usa-franchise-locations-contact-info/shear-madness-haircuts-for-kids-in-ankeny/
Pre-Party Planning
Making a Reservation
I called Shear Madness’ West Des Moines location about a month before our chosen party date. The Party Coordinator was very polite and ran through all of the party details with me and what I could expect on the day of the birthday party.
Your party is hosted by “Pink Starlets” in Shear Madness’ private party room. Parties last 90 minutes and are offered:
- Monday through Friday 5:00 to 6:30 pm;
- Saturday at 9:00 to 1:30 am, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, 1:00 to 2:30 pm and 3:00 to 4:30 pm;
- Sunday at 12:00 to 1:30 pm; and 2:00 to 2:30 pm.
Party Packages
Shear Madness has two party packages to choose from.
Girl DIVA Birthday Party Package
- Six Guests (including the Birthday Diva)
- Get to wear a La-De-Da Spa Robe
- Pretty Princess or Rock Star Rebel Up-Do
- Painted Nails
- Glittery Make-Up
- Tiara
- Headband
- Group Photo for the Birthday Diva
Boy Super Hero Party Package
- Six Guests (including the Birthday Dude)
- Color-Gel Spiked Hair
- Decorate their own mask and cape
- Group Photo for the Birthday Dude
Party packages start at $150. Additional guests may be added to the party for $25 per child up to 12 children max.
Side Note: One of my daughter’s besties is a boy and she really wanted to invite him to her party. I asked the Party Coordinator if we could accommodate him and they were more than happy to do so. He had his hair spiked and got to put some color-gel in it. They also let him pick a small toy, rather than a hair band at the end of the party.
Invitation
Shear Madness does not provide invitations, so you will need to come up with your own. I’m sharing the one I created for my daughter’s birthday party. Click on the link if you would like to download it: 12.21.15 Shear Madness Invite.
Decor
The beauty of hosting a birthday party at another location is there is no mess in your house and they take care of the decorating. Balloons are not allowed in the salon as they can pose a hazard. But, there’s really no need for them. The party room is sufficiently bright and cheery and well laid out for all of the festivities. The only “décor” I purchased were paper plates and napkins.
Party Day
Activities
On the day of the party you will be greeted by the “Pink Starlets” who will be your hostesses and stylists for the duration of the party. As guests arrive they are offered a robe to put on. Once everyone in your party has arrived the Pink Starlets will start glamming everyone up. One of the Starlets will start doing one of the child’s hair, while the other one paints their nails. Once their hair and nails are done everyone gets dolled up with some sparkly make-up.
It’s quite impressive to watch the Starlets adeptly move from one child to another. While guests are waiting on their “services” they can soak their fingers in a bowl of sudsy water, watch others getting their hair done or sing on the karaoke machine provided in the room. It takes about an hour for all six kids to get their hair, nails and make-up done and the time seemed to go by quickly.
Once everyone was sufficiently primped and pampered, the party guests enjoyed some cupcakes and light snacks, the birthday girl unwrapped her gifts, everyone took turns singing on the karaoke machine and we took a final group photo.
Food & Drink
You are welcome to bring a birthday cake or cupcakes and drinks in plastic bottles, pouches or cans to the party. Due to sprays and gels used during the parties, Shear Madness requests that you not use candles, to keep all little friends safe. It’s also against code for them to have food in their salon area and they ask that no “big” food like pizza is served.
We booked our party over the lunch hour and I was worried that the kids would be hungry, so I asked if a few light snacks could be served. The Party Coordinator told me light snacks like pretzels, veggies, fruit, etc. would be fine. There really didn’t end up being that much time to eat and in the end, all the kids wanted to eat were the cupcakes and sweet stuff! You will also want to note that you are responsible for providing plates, napkins and utensils.
Favors
At the end of the party the guests were allowed to “shop” for a head band as part of the birthday party package. The kids were shown which racks they could choose from. They all loved looking the head bands over to see which would one would be going home with them. It was fun to watch and see which one they picked. Some of the kiddos made quick decisions, while others took forever to choose. And, in the end, they all wanted the same one!
Have you hosted a party at Shear Madness? Tell us about it in the Comments section below.
