Ice cream parties are always a hit, whether the occasion is a birthday, team party, school field trip, youth group outing… Oh who are we kidding, there’s no occasion that wouldn’t be improved with an ice cream party!

As great as ice cream parties are, the secret to a truly amazing ice cream party is right here at Merrimack Valley Pavilion: Richardson’s Ice Cream! Richardson’s is a family-run business located in Massachusetts, where they make delicious premium ice creams and frozen yogurts from scratch on the family dairy farm. Many try to make their own at home with the best ice cream maker they can buy, and whilst this stuff is usually amazing, people love being able to buy it too.

From locavores and foodies to those who just really love a good ice cream, the consensus is that Richardson’s is the clear winner in the Boston ice cream scene!

At MVP, we serve 25 flavors of Richardson’s ice cream and 6 flavors of Richardson’s frozen yogurt. Keep it simple with a cup or cone, or let your culinary imagination run wild at our Build Your Own Sundae Bar.

In addition to delicious ice cream and other tasty treats from pizza to chicken fingers in our Sports Café, we offer laser tag, arcade games, and mini golf for a full day of fun! Show your guests a good time with an action-packed game of laser tag in The Jungle, our 6,000 square foot, brand-spanking-new laser tag arena, or fire up some friendly competition on our Tiki Island mini golf course. After all, ice cream is always better after you work up an appetite!

To reserve a birthday party or group event at our Tewksbury family entertainment center, contact us online or give us a call at 978-988-2100!

Photo by Joy via Flickr (CC by 2.o)

Team sports have many positive effects on both children and adults who play them. Adult sports teams even have their own apparel as well, from the north melbourne merchandise to the Black Hawkes in America. It not only boosts morale and good feelings, it includes the spectators too. They encourage physical fitness, friendly competition, hard work, dedication, and friendship!

There’s no better way to celebrate the end of a sports season or school semester than with a laser tag party! As the holidays approach, sports teams, clubs, and classes are wrapping up for the year and looking for party options that are fun and affordable. At Merrimack Valley Pavilion, we make your group outing extra fun with laser tag, arcade games, and delicious food!

Laser tag adrenaline

Your group will love battling it out in The Jungle, our 6,000 square foot, multi-story arena! This experience (for ages 6 and up) takes about 30 minutes total with vesting and briefing. Play multiple games or let the group break off to explore our arcade and try their hand at winning tickets to spend on exciting prizes.

Flexibility for your group

We have plenty of great options to fit your group’s needs, whether you choose to  book a party package that includes time in our private room with the help of a party host, or you’d prefer a private event. Our cafe can hold a crowd, and with flat screen TVs and a selection of beer and wine, the adults are sure to stay entertained while the kids are having their fun!

Great food

It’s not a true celebration without a great spread of food! At MVP, we can cater your party with a delicious array of sweet and savory treats, from pizza to french fries to chicken fingers. We also sell Richardson’s ice cream, frozen yogurt, and you can even build your own sundae at our sundae bar!

As the holidays approach, things only get more hectic, so don’t wait; make your reservation today for your school or team laser tag party!

Photo by Greyerbaby via Pixabay

At Merrimack Valley Pavilion, we’re proud to be the place families and friends go for everyday fun, birthday parties, and group events north of Boston. We host all kinds of events, from corporate outings to school field trips to team parties, but one of our favorite types of events to do has to be fundraisers! We have plenty of team fundraising ideas for you to try in hopes of raising funds for whatever cause it may be.

We love helping local organizations raise money for a good cause, like the upcoming Wounded Warrior Car Show we’re hosting on Sunday, August 16th. If you’re planning a fundraiser in Tewksbury, Lowell, Andover, Wilmington, Billerica, Woburn, or elsewhere in the north of Boston/ Merrimack Valley area, give us a call today to discuss your event, and check out these awesome fundraising tips to help you make your event more effective.

• Know your goal. Before you can plan your event, you need to know what the purpose is! Decide whether your primary objective is to raise money to donate, to raise awareness, to create connections within the community, or some other combination of skills.
• Set a realistic budget. If the goal is to raise money for your cause, it’s vital that you know how much you’re spending on the catering, venue, entertainment, etc. Do the math beforehand and make sure your event will be profitable for the cause.
• Know your target audience. In any kind of event planning, it’s so important to know who you’re planning for, but especially so when you want people to open their hearts (and their wallets) to support your cause. For example, if you’re looking for some middle school fundraising ideas, your target audience might be students, teachers, and parents. Bear this in mind when you’re planning the fundraising activity so you can raise as much money as possible!
• Be prepared. Organizing a fundraiser is a lot of work, but the more you do ahead of time, the smoother it will go. You may not realize it but planning an event can be harder than you think. That’s why you may want to get a helping hand from an event production company in your area who will be able to take off some of that pressure; allowing you to focus on other aspects of the event. There are many other things that you can do to ensure that the event runs smoothly. Consider doing a run-through with your staff to ensure they know what they’re doing when the big day rolls around. This will give you time to adjust anything that needs some tweaking.

If you’re planning a north of Boston fundraiser, don’t wait! Contact us today to schedule your event.

Photo by Heather Paque via Pixabay

Team building can actually do just that- build your team, strengthen the bonds in your organization, transform your ragtag crew into a well-oiled machine. But let’s be honest, when most people hear “team building” they just can’t control the automatic eye roll and thoughts of “Here we go again…” For companies that are looking for something that may be a little more challenging and could bring your team together, you might want to look into something such as this Great Room Escape, as an example.

When it comes to team building you want to make sure that you create that perfect environment, one where your employees are happy to work in. There are numerous ways of doing this – you can have an office that is filled with all the office supplies that your employees might ever need (just take a look at Office Monster to see what they could get you), a good working environment, flexible hours etc, all help. But to make things even better is to offer team building, as this can help make your team happy to work together. This is something that team building can help with, as if all your team members get on great then they are likely to work harder and work well together.

If your first thought when you hear team building is trust falls, think again. At Merrimack Valley Pavilion, we make team building fun, easy, and effective. It’s time to ditch the boring corporate-speak and cliche activities and take team building to the next level with laser tag!

The first benefit of laser tag team building is that it gets everyone out of the office environment. Switching up environments is a great way to get people out of their comfort zone and engaged with their co-workers. Of course, a little healthy competition is a great way to get teammates to band together, and laser tag provides it in a fun, action-packed atmosphere.

Your team will learn to communicate more effectively, perform under pressure, and strategize, all while duking it out in our multi-level, 6,000 square foot laser tag arena! After the first round, head over to our Sports Café and treat your troops to pizza, chicken fingers, and delicious Richardson’s Ice Cream. We also offer beer and wine.

After some time to eat, drink, relax, and get to know each other better, you can let your employees head out to play some mini golf on our Tiki Island course, or head back into the arena for more team-building action!

We can help you create a tailor-made event that is perfect for your company and employees, so call us today at 978-988-2100 or contact us online to schedule your north Boston team building event.

Photo by podpad via freedigitalphotos.net

As your child’s birthday quickly approaches, you realize that your party to-do list is growing daily. You must figure out food, invitations, decorations, entertainment, get those kids superhero capes they’ve been begging for, and clean-up. Your family schedule is busy enough as it is, so how are you supposed to add party planning duties to the mix?

Step one: Don’t panic. At Merrimack Valley Pavilion, we make kids birthday parties in the north of Boston area a breeze. Read on to learn some simple tips to take the stress out of party planning

Book a party package

When you book a party package at Merrimack Valley Pavilion, we handle all of the details. We do the set up, we provide the fun and food, and when it is time to go hone, we do all of the clean up. All you need to do is show up. We offer laser tag, arcade games, mini golf, a ropes course, and an assortment of food and beverage options from our Sports Café to ensure your child and their friends have an unforgettable experience! If you wish we can even have Custom Water for you and your guests, the water bottles will have the birthday boy/girls name on them, the age they are turning, or even the names of all who are attending! Got to keep those little ones hydrated during their fun day!

Simplify the invitations

Don’t get hung up on the invitations. These days, most people are totally fine with a digital/emailed invitation. E-vites have the added bonus of being quick and easy- all you have to do is click send. If the recipients forget the party details, they can simply open their email to quickly find invitation. Of course, it is nice to have a physical invitation to hang on the fridge and remind guests of when your party is, but there’s no need to spend a lot of money on fancy invitations. Just print off copies of our free invitation!

Plan in Advance

If possible, plan your party a few months in advance. This increases your chances of getting the date and time that you want for the party. Send your invitations out about four weeks before the date of the party. This gives people ample time to make arrangements to attend, especially if travel is involved. Even if you’re just planning a simple pool party that’s at your home, you’ll need to let everyone know in decent time and ensure you have all of the essentials packed in, like a lifeguard for example, or hiring someone you know that has had sufficient Coast2Coast First Aid & Aquatics in Hamilton or elsewhere. In this event, this way you’ll know all of the kids are in safe hands and you’ve got everything sorted in good time.

As well as giving people time to make arrangements and ensure attendance, it gives you extra time to sort everything out for the party. In this time you should be able to get creative with invitations, sort out a food platter, decorate and think about what entertainment you’ll offer…what about looking into a bouncy castle hire perth? This will keep kids entertained for hours!

Your child’s party should be a happy day for you both. Give us a call today with questions, or book a birthday party online. Our parties are perfect for families in the north of Boston and Merrimack Valley areas, so come see how fun and easy parties can be at MVP!

Photo by Jeevan via Pixabay

If you’ve ever organized a fundraiser for your PTO, youth sports team, animal rescue, local charity, or any other organization, you’ve probably discovered that it can be hard to get people to commit to raising money online, as well as raising money in general. These days everyone is so busy; it’s not that they don’t want to help, it’s just too easy for fundraising to fall by the wayside in the face of all the other things crowding their schedules. Fortunately, you have one powerful secret weapon in your fundraising arsenal: Incentives.

At Merrimack Valley Pavilion, we are pros at helping local organizations raise money by harnessing the power of incentives. Read on to learn more about this simple concept to take your north of Boston fundraiser to the next level.

Motivating volunteers

Many fundraisers rely on individuals to hit the streets (or their social media feeds) to solicit donations from their friends, neighbors, and family members, or to sell a product (cookies, popcorn, magazines, etc.) from which a portion of the proceeds will benefit the organization. Raising money this way can be time-consuming, but it also requires the participants to go through the sometimes awkward process of asking people for money.

So how are you going to help your participants over this hurdle? Make it worth the asking! Set reasonable goals for your volunteers that, when fulfilled, will earn them a reward. For instance, if your volunteers bring in a certain dollar amount of donations, treat them to delicious sundae in our Sports Café. If they hit the next highest level, give them a free game of laser tag or mini-golf. If everyone hits their donation goals, throw a party for the whole crew, complete with arcade tokens and multiple activities. You could also book a motivational speaker to give a talk to the volunteers. This would be especially effective if you are fundraising for a sports team or something similar. You can find more information about motivational speakers at https://www.sportsspeakers360.com/basketball-speakers.php if you are interested in booking one. It could be the motivational spur that your volunteers need.

Raising public awareness

Sometimes the best way to help your cause is by throwing an event and getting the public involved for the day. Again, it all comes down to incentives, so the more fun your event is, the more likely people will take time out of their week to attend. Think themed events with props from somewhere like Eventlyst.com, or for a ready-made venue fundraising events at our Tewksbury family entertainment center are fun for all ages, and our spacious facility can accommodate large crowds, so you won’t have to worry about turning anyone away due to space concerns. Choosing a venue is important, however, it’s more important to focus on how you’re actually going to raise awareness for what you’re fundraising for. One of the best ways to do this is by producing some booklets, from companies like Printivity, explaining the reasons behind your fundraiser. This can help people to understand the issue, hopefully encouraging them to donate more. That’s one great way to raise more awareness from the public.

We have a variety of party packages and group event options, so give our Events Coordinator, Maria, a call at 978-988-2100 to discuss your Merrimack Valley fundraiser idea.

Photo by winnond via freedigitalphotos.net

When you’re looking for fun summer kids activities this season, Merrimack Valley Pavilion is the perfect place to go. In June we’ll be opening The Vines, a brand new rugged ropes course in Tewksbury that will challenge your kids while letting them have a good time.

Our rugged ropes course is designed for kids from ages four through 12 and features 12 unique obstacles that your kids will have to work their way through. When your kids take on this challenge, they’ll be having fun while also learning how to navigate obstacles. Don’t worry if your little ones have some trouble figuring things out. We’ll help them reach the next area with a little assistance. Since these obstacles can be a bit difficult to get through, we encourage parents to cheer their kids on as they work their way through the course.

When your kids reach the end, they’ll be all tired out but proud of themselves. Our ropes course is meant to make kids think hard and test their physical skills, which is a great way for them to burn off all kinds of energy. For just $6 per child, your kids can go through our rugged ropes course twice. This gives them a chance to put the skills they learn during the first round to use one more time. And once they’ve mastered this, you will need to start looking for other activities to get them involved with until it’s time for them to go back to school. Some of the activities that somewhere like Brookwood Camps have on offer could be ideal and there should be something there that all of your children will enjoy. But there are plenty of other things that your child can enjoy whilst here first.

Our north of Boston family entertainment center is also home to other fun summer activities, like our Tiki Island mini golf course on the banks of the Shawsheen River, the perfect place to enjoy the beautiful weather. We also have an indoor laser tag arena, arcade games, and our Sports Cafe where your family can enjoy pizza and a sundae bar serving up Richardson’s Ice Cream. Watch the game on our plasma TVs while your kids enjoy the attractions, or embrace your inner kid and play along!

Whether you’re planning a kids’ birthday party or an outing for adults, mini golf is the perfect activity to keep everyone entertained and engaged! At Merrimack Valley Pavilion, our Tewksbury family entertainment center has everything you need to throw a perfect putting party.

Tiki Island Mini Golf by the Shawsheen River

Our tiki-themed mini golf course offers 18 holes of fun obstacles and challenges in a fun and fantastical setting complete with geysers, waterfalls, and streams. The course is located on the banks of the Shawsheen River for an even more scenic experience.

Parties made easy

We make parties a breeze with our birthday party packages and group events options, allowing you plenty of flexibility to create the gathering that is right for your group. We have a private party room available for some groups, as well as reserved seating in our Sports Cafe. That’s also where you’ll find tasty treats to please your guests, from standard savory fare like pizza and chicken fingers to decadent delights like our build-your-own sundae bar featuring Richardson’s Ice Cream. We also serve beer and wine, so if you’re planning a party for adults you can enjoy some childlike fun on the mini golf course and follow it up with “grownup beverages” while watching the game on our plasma TV’s!

Laser tag and arcade games

In addition to mini golf, we also offer laser tag and an array of arcade games to continue the party! Your group can enjoy hours of fun at MVP, battling it out in our multi-level laser tag arena or playing classic arcade games to earn tickets and win prizes.

To learn more about our options for mini golf parties and other group events in Tewksbury, give us a call or contact us online!

Photo by Austin Kirk via Flickr (CC by 2.0)

When it comes to birthday parties for teens, you have to step it up a notch if you plan to impress! Fortunately teens love a good theme party, so if you want to plan the perfect birthday party for your child, just check out these theme party ideas and choose the one that fits their personality best. If they enjoy sports and various physical activities, these party packages may be for you, you could even think about providing the teens custom made sports shirts to wear during the party, you’re able to create using websites similar to Imprint and others online.

Combined with the adrenaline-packed experience of laser tag and the friendly competition of mini golf, your teen birthday party is sure to be a success. In fact, your guests may have so much fun that they actually forget to Instagram, Vine, or Snapchat the experience. (Or not… They are teenagers after all!)

Laser tag party themes

There are so many ways you could go with a laser tag party theme. Some fun and easy ideas include:

• Action hero- Invite guests to dress as their favorite action movie hero, from Rambo to Indiana Jones.
• Super spy- Everyone shows up in suits or head-to-toe black clothes and beanies.
• Camo– Make sure guests show up in camouflage, from army surplus to hunting gear.

Mini golf party ideas

Ask guests to wear their funniest golfing get-up, from poufy plaid pants to argyle socks to silly hats. Or, if you have a crowd of golf fans, ask them to dress as their favorite golfer! A straw hat for Greg Norman, crazy-colorful patterned pants for John Daly, and Nike gear for Tiger Woods.

Whether you choose a theme or let guests come as they are, everyone is sure to have a great time at Merrimack Valley Pavilion in Tewksbury! Check out our birthday party packages, and give us a call at 978-988-2100 with any questions.

Photo by tpsdave via Pixabay