John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
p. (559) 323-1111

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If you’ve never been to a John’s Incredible Pizza location, you must jump in and look!

Summer birthdays and birthday parties are great. You never have to go to school on your birthday, the days are longer, and there just seems to be something magical and carefree about summertime. Between swimming lessons and playdates with our playgroup friends we like to keep our kids engaged and active throughout the summer. But it isn’t always easy. Summer weather in Southern California isn’t always as predictable as we’d like it to be. One week we’ll have a heat wave, while the next we’ll have wind, rain and even thunderstorms. This can make planning an event tricky.

When planning any event, particularly one as special as a birthday party, you’ll have to choose the right venue to ensure your party is a success. I go through this dilemma every year with two of my own summer babies to plan parties for. Do you have an outdoor party and subject everyone to possible sweltering heat? Or plan a pool party and then end up with overcast, even monsoon type weather? Either way, if you’re doing it at home or the park there’s a ton of party preparation and set-up and more clean-up afterward. Providing your friends with food and fun can be a tall order. Making sure the weather cooperates is impossible.

However, planning your party at the right venue can make sure your party is a big hit, and as a bonus make your life a whole lot easier. John’s Incredible Pizza Co. offers birthday party packages that can accomplish these goals. This type of party takes the anxiety out of planning your next event. You call and reserve your date, send out invitations (or maybe an electronic invitation at www.evite.com), and make sure you show up at the date of the party. The party leaders at John’s Pizza take care of all of the party room set-up and keep the kids entertained and having fun. The food is buffet style with something everyone will enjoy from salad to pasta and pizza. The games are all inside, including some pretty spectacular indoor activities like glow miniature golf, bowling, and bumper cars. Best of all, when the party is over John’s takes care of the clean-up and you get to go home, relax, and enjoy some family time.

Here are the main reason we really enjoy kids birthday parties at John’s:

First, they provide an all you can eat buffet that includes your favorite pizzas (and some specialty ones), as well as a pasta and salad bar. We mustn’t forget the dessert bar either with soft serve ice cream and other goodies.

Second, there are enough fun rides, games and other activities to keep the kids busy. In fact, John’s easily has sufficient offerings to consume half of a day or more, kind of like an indoor Disneyland with unlimited food.

Third, they provide private party rooms, which is a nice escape from the action to open presents, cut the cake and have that special time for pictures and video.

Last, they take care of the cleanup. All you’ll have to do is pack up the car with gifts and head home.

The price is right too so it just makes sense. You’d probably end up spending more money having a birthday party at home.

Community pick for kids birthday party place Fresno, CA:

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
p. (559) 323-1111

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John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is located in Fresno, CA and is our community pick for kids indoor activities this 4th of July weekend. Remember, this type of activity can easily consume a full day so plan accordingly.

John’s Incredible Pizza Company

7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 323-1111
Take a look inside!

4th of July celebrations and fireworks in Fresno are right around the corner. This year many people are opting to stay home in lieu of the expensive 2-week family vacation but doesn’t mean your holiday fun has to suffer.

Barbeques on the 4th of July are an absolute must otherwise the holiday just wouldn’t feel the same. Most grocery stores are having significant sales this year so check your local paper to see which chain has the best offers and make sure your barbeque has plenty of propane!

This year the Fourth of July falls on a Friday, which makes for a fun and short work week for most.

If your family is like ours you’ll start the day with outdoor games or swimming (if you have a pool) then move to the cookout and ice cold beverages. As the sun begins to set it’ll be time to pack up and get ready for the fireworks show.

This year you can find all of the Fresno County fireworks for the cities of: Clovis, Coalinga, Fowler, Fresno, Kerman, Kingsburg, Orange Cove, Reedley, Sanger, Selma, Shaver Lake on the Fresno county website. Most cities have gates opening between 5-7pm and fireworks starting around 9pm.

The fun part about having the 4th of July on a Friday is you then have the rest of the weekend to have more fun.

The kids will undoubtedly need to get out for some physical activity and other fun things on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures are expected to approach 100 degrees this holiday weekend so you might plan some indoor activities to keep the kids (and you) cool.

If the kids have the desire to have just plain fun with rides and games there are many options around California for parks, but again you’ll likely be dealing with intense heat. If you’re like us and you have a little one in a stroller, it’s just not an option.

Which leads us to the idea of kids indoor parks and playgrounds. We consider these to be a “must-have” in California. Fortunately, John’s Incredible Pizza Co. answered that call.

Here’s what you get and why we and our group of friends like it so much:

* John’s Incredible Pizza is huge! You’re not going to run out of space or fun things to do here. John’s is easily the largest indoor fun place for kids anywhere. Now you can even take an interactive look at what a typical John’s Pizza is like on the inside.

* John’s has many indoor rides and games. These are real indoor rides for kids, like the twister that spins you around at what feels like several hundred miles per hour and the coolest bumper car setup we’ve seen anywhere. The Fresno location also features laser tag, thunder alley bowling, and the virtual roller coaster.

* Interactive and fun video and other games

* Multiple themed dining rooms. Themes range from music videos to cartoons, each is easily the size of a standard restaurant.

* The reason for multiple dining rooms would be the all-you-can-eat-buffet. The buffet ties the rides for our favorite part of John’s. Simply said John’s has more pizza flavors than you can imagine, tons of pasta variations and a fantastic salad bar for those seeking a lighter fare. Of course if you dine on the salad bar you’ll have room for the all-you-can-eat dessert section too, which includes soft-serve ice cream, cakes, cookies and more.

John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is located in Fresno, CA and is our community pick for kids indoor activities this 4th of July. Remember, this type of activity can easily consume a full day so plan accordingly.

John’s Incredible Pizza Company

7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 323-1111
Take a look inside!

Community pick: Summer fun things to do, kid’s birthday parties, indoor activities on a hot day > Fresno, CA 93720

Other Locations: Bakersfield, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, Stockton, Buena Park (opening 2009 at Buena Park Mall)

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
p. (559) 323-1111
map

Summer vacations this year will be at an all time low due to the economy and rising cost of gas. The traditional 1-2 week family fun time will be spent at home this year for most, while others will simply shorten their vacation plans or plan full-day or half-day activities around town.

We’ve noticed at our local outdoor shopping mall a significant increase in the number of people there, taking advantage of live music and the fun mini-parks for the kids. However, we also noticed that not many people were carrying bags, which obviously means they aren’t spending money with the retailers. The reality is that an outdoor mall is an easy way to kill an hour or two but it likely won’t be that fun for the kids and it really won’t be fun for the parents if the family budget doesn’t allow for a little shopping spree.

There are other fun things to do for the kids this Summer, starting at home. Create a short list of indoor activities for the kids and keep it on the refrigerator. At the top of our list is arts and crafts, which includes many quick craft ideas we found simply by searching google for kids arts and crafts or kids activities, be sure to add the city name in there somewhere so you get local results for supplies.

Many of these ideas can be done with household items so there’s no need to make a special trip to pick up art supplies. If you do decide to get more creative there are a variety of stores that have great arts and crafts supplies for kids.

We also suggest pulling out the family board games or picking up a few new ones. The kids will enjoy the old time favorites just as much as we did. A few to remember are monopoly, twister, chutes and ladders, checkers, chess and a new one called cranium hullabaloo. Board games are a great way to eat up a couple of hours indoors when it’s too hot for outdoor activities.

And it will be hot this Summer. We’ve already exceeded temperatures of 100 degrees in many California cities and although we’re granted a few cooling off periods each Summer, you can plan on many more hot ones.

If you have a swimming pool you’re guaranteed immediate relief from the Summer heat but eventually the kids will want to mix it up a bit and get away from the house. Remember, for most Summer vacation is out, but half-day and one-day activities are in as they’re more cost effective while providing a much needed get away from work and home.

The kids playgroup we’re involved in has been to many indoor kids activity places in California from the simple play areas at Chick-fil-A to bounce houses and Chuck E. Cheese. They all have great services to offer and are an easy way to stay cool indoors while keeping the kids happy.

If you’re looking to consume a half-day or full-day though, you’ll need something with extensive offerings and lots of variety. Our choice has been John’s Incredible Pizza Company because they take care of the food, the fun and even provide a little break for the parents.

The Food: We’ll say this is the best food set up for kids and adults anywhere. John’s offers and all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and desserts. For each category they offer many toppings, flavors, combinations and choices. The kitchen is constantly bringing out hot pizza while replenishing the salad and pasta bar. Beverages are all-you-can-drink with an additional cost of $1-2.

The Fun: John’s is unique in that it is completely indoors but offers the fun of outdoor style rides and things to do. Our two favorite traditional rides are the twister and the bumper cars. We mix up the ride fun by playing video and other games then take a break from the action with a game of laser tag and a few frames of bowling. The great part is when the kids get hungry from all the play, you just walk back over to the food side and fill up again. This is one reason why John’s is perfect as an all-day activity for the kids.

A Break for the Parents: John’s is a very active environment, but they still offer quiet seating for dining in their multiple themed rooms. The themes range from cartoons to music videos and one with a more log cabin feel, which is intended to be the most quiet of the bunch. They also offer beer and wine with a 2 drink limit.

This Summer most families are staying local. The kids will eventually grow tired of the indoor activities at home or they’ll want a break from the pool. Create a short list of options and keep it on the fridge, you’ll need it!

Community pick: Summer fun things to do, kid’s birthday parties, indoor activities on a hot day > Fresno, CA 93720

Other Locations: Bakersfield, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, Stockton, Buena Park (opening 2009 at Buena Park Mall)

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
p. (559) 323-1111

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