- 23.09.2026
In Ottawa you can book a cooking party, a craft party, a science show, an animal presentation or a costumed entertainer that arrives at your door with the supplies and runs the activity for you. Public 2026 rates start around $160 for a one-hour animal show and reach about $485 for a two-hour cooking party where every child makes a full dish. Each format asks for something different from your home: table space, floor space, sometimes a stove. Below are the five formats Ottawa families book most, with published prices, what your space needs, and what to ask before you pay a deposit.
What "comes to you" actually covers
Some providers arrive, run a 45-minute show and leave. Others set up a work station for every child and clear the room before they go. Check how long the team is in your house, how many children the price covers, and whether setup and cleanup sit inside that time. Prices below come from the providers' own sites, checked 22 September 2026.
Five at-home formats for Ottawa families
1. Cooking party
Every guest gets an apron, a work station and an instructor, cooks a dish from scratch and then eats it. Cookiddoo runs this as a two-hour mobile cooking party at your home across Ottawa and Gatineau: 15 minutes to greet and set up, 60 minutes of cooking, then 45 minutes where the group eats what they made while the team clears the kitchen. The package is $485 for 8 children, $50 for each extra child up to 11, with a $150 deposit that comes off the total. Ages 4 to 15. The travel fee is arranged individually depending on your address.
Your space needs: a table or counter with room for every child, plus power and water. A stove top or oven is needed only when the chosen menu calls for one, and a no-cook menu is available for homes without a working kitchen.
2. Craft party
A mobile craft company brings materials, project kits and often a themed table setup. Party to You, an Ottawa mobile craft service, publishes packages "starting at $350" for up to 10 children with two craft projects over 75 minutes, $400 for 90 minutes, and a $450 deluxe package for up to 12 children with a themed setup (partytoyouottawa.com, checked 22 September 2026).
Your space needs: a table the whole group can sit around and a floor that can take glue and paint.
3. Science party
Science parties run demonstrations and hand every child a make-and-take experiment. Mad Science of Ottawa hosts parties at your house or a rented venue, for ages 4 to 12, with sessions of "50 minutes or more". Published packages scale by group: $189.50 + tax for 1 to 4 children, $214.50 for 5 to 10, $239.50 for 11 to 15, $264.50 for 16 to 21 and $374.50 for 22 to 35 (ottawa.madscience.org, checked 22 September 2026).
Your space needs: a clear area to sit and watch, plus a table for the take-home activity. The larger tiers are the cheapest per head on this list.
4. Animal show
A handler brings live animals, gives a presentation and lets children touch what is safe to touch. Little Ray's Reptile Zoo lists at-home packages at $160 for a show with 8 to 10 snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, amphibians and bugs, and $195 for larger animals including a small crocodilian, each about one hour plus 13% HST. The bug show at $160 is recommended for groups of roughly 15 to 20 or fewer, and outside the greater Ottawa area only the $195 package travels, with a possible mileage fee (raysreptiles.com, checked 22 September 2026).
Your space needs: floor space for a semicircle and a surface for the animal carriers. Ask parents in advance whether any guest is frightened of snakes.
5. Entertainers, magicians and character visits
This group covers princesses, superheroes, magicians, face painters and balloon twisters. Zoum Zoum Party, which covers Ottawa, publishes themed at-home parties from $345 to $359 (slime, science, glam, unicorn, dinosaur), magicians from $310 to $375, face painting at $300, balloon twisting at $340, and princess or superhero visits from $350 to $390. The company states that in most cases no transportation fee applies within 35 km of downtown Ottawa (zoumzoumparty.ca, checked 22 September 2026).
Your space needs: a living room the group can sit in and an outlet if the act uses music or lights.
Price comparison at a glance
| Format | Published price | Length | Group covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking party (Cookiddoo) | $485, +$50 per extra child; $150 deposit | 2 hours | 8 children, up to 11 |
| Craft party (Party to You) | from $350 to $450 | 75–90 min | up to 10–12 children |
| Science party (Mad Science) | $189.50–$374.50 + tax | 50 min or more | 1–35, priced in tiers |
| Animal show (Little Ray's) | $160 or $195 + HST | about 1 hour | no per-head charge listed |
| Entertainer (Zoum Zoum) | $300–$390 by theme | not published | not published |
Taxes, add-ons and travel differ by company, so compare final quotes.
Choosing by age and guest list
- Ages 4 to 6: short, hands-on and predictable. Craft projects, simple no-cook cooking menus and animal shows hold attention well.
- Ages 6 to 10: almost everything works. Cooking, science and magicians all land well at this age.
- Ages 10 to 15: older kids want a real task, such as a full cooking menu or an experiment they build themselves.
- Six to ten guests: formats with a station per child keep everyone involved.
- Twenty or more guests: a show format is the practical choice. Tiered science pricing and animal shows absorb large groups; cooking caps out earlier.
- Mixed ages: pick an activity an instructor can scale task by task.
Checklist before you book
- What is the travel fee to my exact address, and is it inside the quote?
- How many children does the price cover, and what does each extra child cost?
- Do setup and cleanup happen inside the booked time?
- Who supervises the children, and how many staff arrive?
- For food activities: do the instructors hold food handler certification, and how are allergies handled?
- What is the deposit, and what happens if we cancel or reschedule?
- Does anything need to be plugged in, heated or washed in my kitchen?
- Measure the table, count a seat per child, and tell the team where to park.
Where Cookiddoo fits
Cookiddoo is one option here, and it suits families who want the children busy with a real task for an hour. Parents' comments sit on our reviews page, menus and add-ons on the mobile party page, and ages, allergies and formats on the FAQ page. A cooking activity for a company family day or a festival is quoted as a kids cooking station, recreation groups book through community centres and camps, and families wanting more than one afternoon usually land on school-holiday cooking camps.
Frequently asked questions
How much space do we need at home for an activity that comes to us?
For a seated activity, count a table seat per child. A cooking party needs a table or counter with room for every child plus access to power and water. Show formats need floor space for the group to sit and a surface for the presenter. Measure before you book, since group limits usually come from your table space.
Who watches the children during an at-home party?
The provider's staff run the activity and the family hosts the party. At an at-home cooking party the Cookiddoo team runs the session while a parent stays in the house with the guests. Ask how many staff arrive and what they cover: a one-presenter show and a station-per-child workshop are staffed very differently.
Is there an extra charge to travel to Gatineau, Barrhaven or Orléans?
It depends on the company. Cookiddoo arranges the travel fee individually depending on your address. Zoum Zoum Party states that in most cases no transportation fee applies within 35 km of downtown Ottawa. Little Ray's notes a possible mileage fee outside the greater Ottawa area. Give your postal code when you ask for a quote.
What happens if more children turn up than we booked?
Most providers price in bands, so extra guests either cost a set amount per child or move you into the next tier. A Cookiddoo at-home party is $485 for 8 children and $50 for each extra child up to 11. Confirm the final headcount a few days ahead so portions and stations match it.
Can we run one of these activities in a condo or apartment party room?
Yes, and party rooms often beat a small apartment for table space. Check what the room has: water, outlets, tables and chairs, a booking window long enough for setup and cleanup, and whether the building asks the provider for proof of insurance. A cooking menu can be adapted when the room has no stove.
Do we still need to serve food at a cooking party?
The children eat what they cook during the last part of the session, so the main food is covered. Plan separately for the adults and for cake. Cookiddoo brings the ingredients, tools and aprons and takes the mess away afterwards.
Which format works for cousins of very different ages?
Pick an activity an instructor can scale task by task. In a cooking session the younger children mix, shape and decorate while the older ones handle more of the recipe, which keeps a 5-year-old and a 12-year-old in one activity. Animal shows also hold a wide age range.
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