Things to Do in Slidell

Thrown by professional hostesses in a fully decorated room, each My Lil’ Tea Party transports children to an afternoon of clinking china and unfettered imagination. Almost every two-hour open party is dedicated to a different Disney character, letting up to 20 young princes and princesses gossip while enjoying tea and light refreshments. Girls try on makeup and boys stamp their faces with temporary tattoos, and each child transforms into either a princess or a rock star in one of My Lil’ Tea Party’s provided costumes. A tyke-size fashion show lets wee ones model their new alter ego among lighting effects, music, and animatronic paparazzi. Finally, children can pose for a complimentary professional 4"x6" photo with the day's Disney princess or dance to show off their progress in popping and locking before heading home for a nap.

Kliebert’s Turtle and Alligator Farm hosts handicap-accessible walking tours that educate guests of all ages during interactions with exotic reptiles. Kliebert’s staffers call themselves “the original swamp people,” and accommodate thousands of cold-blooded critters in their watery hotel. During tours, reptile-loving guides introduce their scaly friends such as Big Fred, a 16-foot gator who's excited he recently turned 55, or Yetta, the 16-foot snake who's convinced her new neighbor, the crocodile, is a reincarnated pair of Rick James's shoes. Guests traverse the grounds to observe feedings or pose for photos with baby turtles and alligators. In addition to demonstrating their dedication to reptile preservation, the tour guides show visitors a bird sanctuary for egrets and herons. Once the riveting tour winds down, guests can browse the gift shop, where they’ll find alligator heads, turtle shells, and alligator meat for purchase.

Though his rhythmic past runs through hip-hop and breaking culture, Derik Dollis broke ground on Liquid Rhythm Inc. after seeing how seamlessly club styles meshed with the ballroom art of salsa. Dollis and a quintet of additional instructors schooled in dance styles such as ballet and jazz use salsa's unmistakable rhythmic structure as a loose guideline, allowing students to break from the idea that they need to master tricks to succeed. Classes encourage dancers to develop a personal style while learning posture, isolations, and body movement in tandem with adding sensual flair and the least-prickly ways of holding a rose in your mouth. The company also totes its New Orleans pride across the country to perform at national salsa congresses.:m]]

At The Spaceport, visitors live out futuristic fantasies via mini golf, laser tag, and arcade games. Players putt through the black-lit mini-golf course, passing by a crashed UFO and a robot factory in an alternate reality filled with space tourists. Alternatively, they can race around the multilevel laser-tag arena, playing in groups or going solo in individual scenarios where it’s every man for himself. Since costumes are welcome, Star Wars character sightings at the arcade aren't unusual as guests man the controls of a nitro-powered motorcycle or a jet-powered speedboat. However, booking a party package can ensure a visit from Darth Vader during laser tag and cake time—though it is important to note that galactic law forbids him from slicing the cake with a light saber.

At home in the French Quarter, the House of Blues New Orleans keeps its heritage ever near with a metal box of mud from the Mississippi Delta hidden beneath its stage. Around this, more than 290 pieces of folk art—one of the largest collections in the country—decorate the walls and cover up the evidence of indoor shot-put practice. Also bringing its Southern charm and homestyle feel are hardwood floors, no fewer than three bars, and two levels for concert viewing.