The first article I read about Baby Loves Disco was a skeptical look at the then-nascent phenomenon. The writer seemed to chide the parents who participated in the kid-friendly dance parties as incorrigible grupsters who refused to give up partying for parenthood.
But I was intrigued by the premise: take over a nightclub in the daytime, stock it with healthy snacks and kid-friendly activities, spin some tried-and-true dance songs and get some baby booties on the dance floor. The party spread like wildfire and Baby Loves Disco is now in 27 cities from Boston to San Diego, as well as the U.K. and Tel Aviv. It was all started by an entrepreneuring mommy named Heather Murphy, who has turned her idea into a full-time gig.
The party just rolled into Orange County so me and a fellow mommy friend decided to take the kids to Costa Mesa’s Shark Club on Saturday and check it out. It started at 2 p.m. and it was quite the experience.
No detail was overlooked. There were bubble machines and maracas and scarves for the kids to dance with. The bar was laid out with a buffet of healthy snacks including fruit, Goldfish crackers, hummus and organic juice boxes. Balloons were free and plentiful. There was free face painting for the kids and neck massages for stressed out moms and dads. Maya cooled down with an organic strawberry-banana popsicle between spirited dancing and running around the darkened club.
She strutted across the stage, she bellied up to the bar and stared at the large fish tanks, she climbed into a tent and read a book in the “Chill-Out Zone.” She was a dancing queen and a superfreak, and she had a ball.
I saw sleeping infants, jamming preteens and everything in between. Young parents, middle-aged parents, and grandparents chatted while keeping an eye on the dance floor; some even nursed a drink from the full-service bar.
It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, though I was a bit tired from chasing Maya around the club. She wanted to inspect every corner of the expansive venue, and she did.
I walked away impressed by the whole concept and execution– and jealous of the brilliant mommy who came up with it and turned it into a stay-at-home career! And it was definitely a fun change after countless trips to Irvine Regional Park and the Discovery Science Museum. Am I a grupster for introducing my daughter to a nightclub at the tender age of 3? Who cares? All that matters is…we got our groove on.
Here’s an article by our own Cynthia Rupe on the first OC Baby Loves Disco, along with some great photos.
Have any of you been to Baby Loves Disco? What other alternative kid activities do you enjoy? Please share!
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