Kids' Birthday Party Entertainers and Experiences on Long Island That Come to You
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Karolina Molnar, of Posh-Nosh Picnics, on April 18, talked about her business, which sets up a portable, luxurious living room in your backyard, suitable for family dinners or a romantic evening. Credit: Linda Rosier
Before the pandemic, Jeff Eisenberg decided to scale back his outdoor rental business and concentrate on the indoor inflatables play space he owns on Long Island. He kept some of his outdoor equipment, "just in case," he says.
Then "just in case" happened.
The continuing pandemic has spurred him to bring back his outdoor options for this spring and summer — he’ll rent inflatable waterslides, bounce houses, even archery targets delivered to families. No need to wait for a birthday or special occasion to turn the backyard into a temporary fun zone.
Here are details about his offerings through Farmingdale-based Party Animals, as well as two other Long Island companies with backyard options — a brunch or picnic in an igloo-like tent from Posh-Nosh Picnics or a colorful Gymboree-style setup for babies, toddlers and preschoolers from Let Them Play.
The tent fits four adults and four children, or six adults. It can also be booked for a romantic dinner for two. Tent (with seating and other accessories) is $375 for two hours on a Friday evening, or Saturdays and Sundays either 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. "We don’t do anything midday because we need to sanitize," Molnar says. Adding on extra time is $50/hour. Packages that include brunch or a charcuterie board and dessert platter have an additional fee. Bookings, available in Nassau and western Suffolk County, are done through poshnosh-picnics.com.
POSH NOSH PICNICS
Karolina Molnar, owner of Posh-Nosh Picnics, sets up a tent in a backyard in Merrick this month. Credit: Linda Rosier
"We call it a bubble tent," says Posh-Nosh Picnics owner Karolina Molnar of Massapequa, who launched her business during the pandemic. She brings the tent with seating and pillows, a table, a butler’s cart on wheels and an LED sign that displays the message of the renter’s choice if they are celebrating an occasion. If it’s cold, there are heated blankets; if it’s warm, the tent has two flaps that can be rolled up to let a breeze in, Molnar says.
Jennifer Tand, 37, an elementary school teacher from Merrick, rented the tent in January for her twins’ 9th birthday after seeing a post on her Facebook page. "I thought, ‘You know what, this is really cool. This would be something unique and a way for us to do something as a family that is different.’ I had exhausted all my parenting bag of tricks over the past year. I thought this would be a way for us to ‘go out to eat’ without going out to eat."
The family enjoyed it so much that Tand booked it again for her husband’s 38th birthday in April, this time in the evening for a different ambience. "We had so much fun, I was looking for an excuse to do it again," Tand says.
By Beth Whitehouse
beth.whitehouse@newsday.com @BethWhitehouse1Updated April 27, 2021 5:00 AM