MOCHA: An artsy birthday party in Oakland

May 27, 2015
by Whitney Moss

MOCHA, Museum of Children’s Art, in Oakland has recently moved and will book art parties again beginning January 5, 2019.

My friends Daniella and AJ hosted their youngest child Noa’s birthday party at Oakland’s Museum of Children’s Arts (MOCHA) a few years ago. While the location has changed and these photos are of the previous location, the structure of the party and the activities are the same.

Daniella shared with us that she selected this venue because you can have a large number of people and it’s great for multiple age groups.

“The adults were having just as much fun with the art as the kids!” she said of Noa’s sixth birthday celebration. “And you can serve adult beverages!”

What’s included at a MOCHA birthday party

For $375, you get private use of the studio space in the museum, craft materials for the number of children invited, and one MOCHA art teacher – which I know from having them in our public schools is a fabulous asset. The basic party is for 10 kids.

You can reserve 2 teachers (an additional $100) if you have over 15 kids. Daniella hosted 40 kids and reports that it was “totally worth it for the second teacher.” It costs an additional $10 per kid over 15 kids. She used a Groupon for the party.

Get prices and details on MOCHA’s website >

“They also had the museum spotless for us upon arrival and did a majority of the cleaning when the party was over.”

What do you need to supply yourself?

Families bring their own food, cake, drinks, and party favors.

What do kids do during the party?

Noa chose a general art theme, although they have more specialized themes – princess, mask making, pirates, etc. The artists set-up multiple art tables that the kids could visit. They had paper masks, tie-dye butterflies, play with clay, felt finger puppets, and paper owl making. There was also a paint wall, a chalk art wall and a LEGO/play room for the kids less interested in art.

MOCHA is located at 1229 Broadway, LL-49 in Oakland. If you’ve never visited, drop-in for open studio hours for free play with art materials on Friday and Saturday from 10 am-1 pm.