Sweet treats are always a favorite at birthday parties, so wouldn't it be amazing to have a birthday party in a candy store? Powell's Sweet Shoppe in downtown Novato offers fun and delicious scavenger hunt parties that allow you to do just that.

Each participating child gets a scavenger hunt map that lists over 30 different kinds of candy to search for. Kids then search around the store to find all the different varieties, and the map ends at the store's gelato counter where they each get a scoop. Best of all, children take home all the candy they find on their scavenger hunt. It's a fun and interactive way to celebrate a birthday.

Powell's is a nostalgic old-time candy store that's jam-packed with nearly every kind of candy you can think of—and probably a few kinds you didn't know existed. Just shopping here is like a scavenger hunt of sorts, and you never know when you'll run into a candy that you haven't had since you were a kid.

Looking for something fun and active to do on this rainy Saturday? PlayLand in Sausalito is now open on Saturdays from 9 am–noon!

If you haven't been to the PlayLand indoor bounce house experience in the MLK Gym in Sausalito, it's definitely worth a visit, especially if it's rainy or cold and you can't play outside. PlayLand is a full-sized gymnasium full of inflatable bounce houses, including a 40-by-20-foot sports arena, a 15-foot slide, a bounce house with basketball hoop, and a toddler bounce zone. They offer four different sessions: two for kids ages 0–6, and two for children 3–9.

We visited last week, and my kids had a blast playing at one of the afternoon sessions. They slid, jumped, bounced, and played basketball, all in a warm, safe, indoor environment. PlayLand was started by Marin dad Jeremy Williams, who also runs Mt. Tam Adventure Camps. He's often on-site with several coaches who make sure that everyone has fun. During our visit, a coach was making balloon animals for the kids, and there was even a remote controlled flying giant clownfish roaming the room. It's a fun and cool place to play in Marin.

There's no shortage of great places to hold your child's birthday party in Marin, but which ones are the favorites with local families? Here's our top-ten list of kids' birthday party venues throughout Marin County, as selected by us and by Marin Mommies readers. (Please not that we haven't included parks and playgrounds in this list, though.) You can browse more Marin birthday party venues on our Marin Birthday Party Guide, as well as search for entertainers, caterers, party supplies, bounce houses, and more.

Here's our selection (in no particular order):

• Love2Dance: Novato's Love2Dance is not only a great place for dance classes, but for active themed birthday parties as well! Themes for Love2Dance's two-hour parties include "Pretty Princess", "Hawaiian Hula", "Hollywood", and even "Disney's High School Musical", and include lots of dancing and games like the Hokey Pokey and musical chairs. Love2Dance provides all the decorations and suppiles, and you bring snacks, beverages, and the cake! Owner Tara brings tons of energy and enthusiasm to the party and is great with the kids. Read more about Love2Dance's birthday parties here.
• Cal-Star Gymnastics: Kids can have a ball and burn off some energy at Cal-Star Gymnastics' active birthday parties. Parties at this popular Novato gymnastics studio can accommodate up to 30 children, and include time in the foam pit—with swinging ropes and a climbing wall—and trampoline, as well as free play time and a session on the mighty three-person spinning Hurricane Swing. After all that, there's time for cake. Cal-Star provides tables, chairs, and use of their refrigerator. Parties are for kids ages 1-1/2 and up (all activities are age-appropriate). Read about our birthday party experience at Cal-Star Gymnastics here.
• Tutu School: This Larkspur ballet school offers princess parties for ages 2 and up. Tutu School's Ballet Birthday Parties are the perfect way to help your little swan or Sugar Plum Fairy celebrate their special day! Each and every party includes a brief ballet class, a special birthday story featuring the guest of honor, a delicious cupcake picnic, and delightful party favors.
• Bay Area Discovery Museum: Consistently voted "Best Kids Party in Marin" by the Pacific Sun, Sausalito's Bay Area Discovery Museum ranging from their themed "Birthday Bonanza" to party room rentals where you bring your own cake and goodies to the museum's Playhouse party room. Birthday party guests have full use of museum exhibits and free programs, too! BADM members get a discount, of course, as well as 10% of in their store, which stocks a great selection of birthday presents.
• Marin Treks: This popular natural history museum and nature center in Novato offers fun and educational live animal birthday bashes where kids can get up close and personal with their resident reptiles, amphibians, insects, arachnids, and other creepy-crawlies. Parties for kids ages 4–12 are available. Marin Treks also holds other hands-on events including nature hikes, science nights at the museum, drop-in hours, and more. Read our article on Marin Treks here.

If you're planning a birthday party, why not consider bowling? You probably went to birthday parties at the bowling alley when you were a kid, and you probably had a blast, too. Bowling is fun, exciting (remember when you knocked down that first pin?) and makes for a great birthday party experience. Throw in the fact that there's usually food and drink available on-site, and that you don't have to clean up, and it has the makings for the perfect party.

The crash of the pins, getting your bowling shoes, picking out that perfect bowling bowl, and learning to keep score are all part of the experience. It's a fun activity that all partygoers—kids and parents alike—can enjoy, too.

Country Club Bowl in San Rafael has been a local institution since 1959, and is Marin County's only bowling alley. They offer a birthday party package that includes:

• Two hours of bowling for both kids and parents
• Food to eat while bowling
• Rental shoes