Are your kids climbing the walls and jumping from couch to couch? When it's too cold for your favorite park there are plenty of places to blow off steam indoors in Northwestern New Jersey.  Many of these venues offer open play or classes geared from little ones to tweens and most offer birthday party packages as well. Each is $10 or less per child and most offer group rates. The mommy bonus of indoor open play? Bring a box of joe and some juice boxes and make your own party- without the clean up!

As fans of movies from Studio Ghibli, particularly those directed by anime master Hayao Miyazaki — Ponyo, Kiki's Delivery Service and Castle in the Sky so far — my daughter Violet and I were excited to see The Secret World of Arrietty (opening today in 9 NJ locations). Arrietty is written and supervised by Miyazaki, but directed by first timer Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The film's glorious color palette, attention to nature, and charming details are enchanting, particularly since Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) is a Borrower, and very tiny. The pair of earrings used as climbing tools, sticky double-sided tape for scaling a cupboard, and rain drops that cling to Arrietty's clothes like snow globes, are quite captivating, as is Arrietty herself, with her scrappy personality, cute dresses and Julia Roberts' hair. The story, however, never brings the magic.

Ahh, 1st birthday parties. Is there really an event (besides a baby’s actual “birth day”) that’s as eagerly anticipated? For mom & dad, planning the 1st birthday is a mixture of emotions, ranging from, “This is the big day, let’s show the world how cute our kid is!” to “Wow, we actually survived the first year, let’s celebrate!” And somewhere in the midst of all of party planning, cake ordering and gift unwrapping, there’s a baby, totally unaware that he’s reached this important milestone!

No one can blame the proud parents for wanting to really throw the ultimate bash at the end of year one, but it’s also important to consider the honored guest. How do you throw a 1st birthday party that’s special for mom & dad, but that your baby will actually enjoy, ensuring a few of those two-toothed, camera-ready grins? And while hosting a party right at home can be a great option, many parents find themselves with limited space - or absolutely no desire to spend an entire day cleaning up afterwards! So here’s the lowdown on places in New Jersey that cater to families celebrating the big day.