Go Bananas

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The Best Chicago Kids Birthday Parties, Rides, Games, and Family Fun! FREE ADMISSION!!!

Go Bananas offers the ultimate family entertainment experience -- combining the excitement of an amusement park with great tasting pizza and other family favorites! Looking for the best Chicago kids birthday party ideas? You've come the right place! Go Bananas has hosted Chicago Kids Birthday Parties. Go Bananas is conveniently located in Norridge, IL --- less than 30 minutes from Oak Park, Highland Park, Lincoln Park and Schaumburg. Admission is FREE at Go Bananas and parents ride for FREE. The weather’s always just right! For the young and young at heart, there’s no better way to spend the day!

Business History

Resting comfortably atop its perch as the ultimate in annual celebrations, the birthday party has enjoyed a long, diverse history. It is logical to assume that people have celebrated birthdays since the invention of the calendar. Earliest accounts of the celebrations date back to pagan traditions of warding off the evil spirits believed to be extra present on important dates such as birthdays. As these traditions evolved, it was primarily the nobility and royal classes who enjoyed birthday party celebrations. This was likely the result of the high costs associated with birthday parties. Of course, it was not long before all members of societies began to engage in birthday celebrations often utilizing the event as a display of one’s wealth and class distinction.

In many cultures, elaborate birthday parties are actually not an annual event but rather are celebrated only on certain years which have special cultural or religious significance. Frequently these events signify a coming of age as children enter into adulthood. Such celebrations include the well know Bar Mitzvah in the Jewish tradition as well as the lesser known “Krana” in Ghana, African traditions, the Fiesta in Mexico, and the “Quinceanera” in Latin America. Similarly many cultures have certain years that deserve extra celebration such as the 3, 5, and 7 year marks in Japan. These birthday parties are exceptional in Japanese culture and involve much singing and dancing. Throughout Europe, many modern traditions developed such birthday cake in Holland and even birthday spankings in Ireland. It was in Germany though where birthday parties became primarily a celebration for kids. Today, birthday parties run a whole range of celebrations. Of course, birthday cake with candles have become a mainstay.  Most birthday parties also involve some sort of goodie bag for the guests and presents for the honoree. American celebrations have also seen it become common place to hold the party at certain fun locations. These include theme parks and other destinations which provide games, rides and entertainment.

Our NEW TODDLER ZONE is just the place for your little ones to have their own Go Bananas experience. With six busy boards to stimulate exploration, toddler sized blocks and tunnels and their own safe soft play jungle jim, your kids will have a blast.