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REVIEW: My 10-year-old's Birthday Party at Xtreme Play Adrenaline Park

Save up to 20% with code MkP1 if you book your party by October 31!

By Meghan Friedland, Publisher/Editor, Macaroni KID Greater Danbury, CT September 16, 2022

My daughter has an August birthday so when it comes time to decide how and where to celebrate with her friends each year, it usually depends on the weather. There have been years we've had friends over to hang out in the backyard -- and that can be lots of fun with the sprinkler and water balloons and all that. But when it's been oppressively hot and humid we tend to steer toward finding an indoor place to celebrate. Not only does it help me escape the stress of having a house full of kids to entertain when everyone is hot and irritable, but it also provides a really fun organized activity for the kids to let out all their energy! Funny enough, this year the weather wasn't much of a factor in our decision making, even though the end of August WAS incredibly hot and humid. One day on the ride home from a playdate at Xtreme Play Adrenaline Park, my daughter couldn't stop talking about how much fun she had. She then suggested, "I think I want to have my birthday party at Xtreme Play this year! Can I?"

We had a lot of fun designing her invitation together in Canva, where she chose a colorful laser background to represent the laser tag activity that she was going to choose as part of the celebration. Then we brainstormed cupcake and goody bag ideas so that we could make our shopping list. Due to last-minute summer vacations, we didn't get as many kids able to come as we'd hoped, but we had a nice group of 8 kids to celebrate with!

Planning a party at Xtreme Play Adrenaline Park is so easy. You can book your date right on the web site although we did it in person. There are three party packages to choose from and there are several add-on options to customize your party exactly how you'd like. We chose the Xtreme Triple Play package. My daughter chose The Ropes Course, Laser Tag and Spin Zone (bumper cars that spin and light up! Very fun!) but there are so many other choices like the Ninja Course, Mini Bowling, Rock Climbing Wall and Virtual Reality Attractions. Like any package you choose, our package included two cheese pizzas and two pitchers of drinks (we chose fruit punch and lemonade, but sodas are also an option). We brought our own cupcakes and chose to bring our own goody bags (although there is an option to add on Xtreme Play party favors). See all package options here or scroll down to the flyer the end of the page.

About a week or so before the party, a member of the Xtreme Play staff called me to confirm all the details about our party which was helpful. This is when we specified which attractions we wanted to do and made choices for drinks and any add-ons. Easy peasy.

Meeting our Party Host! We arrived at the party about 20 minutes early and hung out in the upstairs cafe until all the guests arrived. Once our group was together, we were escorted to the party room by Kate, our party host. Kate was amazing. She was wonderful about rallying the kids, very organized and kept things running on time and checked in with me frequently. It was so nice to take a step back and socialize with a few of the parents who opted in to stay during the party because I knew that Kate had everything under control with the kids! We spent about 45 minutes in the party room which was when the kids could ate pizza followed by singing happy birthday and enjoying the cupcakes. 



After the party room, we headed out to the floor to enjoy the attractions. Kate led the kids as a group to one attraction as a time. One of my daughter's favorite attractions at Xtreme Play is the Spin Zone, so she did not hesitate when she picked this one as we were planning her party. These are not your ordinary bumper cars. They go forward, backward and spin 360 degrees. They also light up and sync to the music that is playing. The ride is longer than your typical carnival/amusement park ride, too.




What's great about having a birthday party at Xtreme Play is that the party gets to enjoy each attraction separately and privately. Even though the facility was open to the public during the party, when it was time for the party to go on the Spin Zone bumper cars for example -- no one else rode but them. And with laser tag, the party was broken into two teams (red and blue) and they were the only ones in the laser tag room during their game which made it really fun for the kids and made them feel like VIPs. These kids worked up such a sweat running around tagging each other. They had so much fun!




The attendants that run each attraction were very friendly and helpful. The attendant that ran laser tag took the time to help explain how the game works, helped the kids suit up and went over all the rules before playing. Then during the ropes course, the attendant there did the same thing - helped them suit up into their harnesses and explained how to navigate the course. At one point there were two of our party guests who got a little nervous as they were crossing the tire obstacles and needed some help get back to the platform. The attendant did not hesitate at all -- he geared up quickly and made his way out to help them. I sensed that every attendant running the attractions AND the party host Kate was there to ensure kids were safe and that they had FUN.  




Arcade Time! After the kids made their way through all three attractions that we selected, our party host Kate handed out game cards (they are included in the party packages) for the kids to explore the arcade. A large portion of the lower level of Xtreme Play is packed with arcade games so there were lots of choices! The kids had so much fun running around and earning tickets. The parents started to arrive during this time to pick up their kids, so it was a little challenging getting the kids to agree to leave! Some kids stayed a bit later and re-filled their game card to get a few more games in. We made a pit stop at the prize redemption counter which was packed with choices for redeeming tickets. Tickets are all tracked on the game card... no paper tickets to cart around which makes it easy to save them for your next visit!



As it as time to leave, I learned that our party host went ahead and gathered our belongings and gifts from the party room and locked them up for us (since she noticed we stayed a little later). This was so thoughtful and helpful. Our things were then wheeled on a cart outside to my car for an easy load into my trunk. I did not expect this level of service and was beyond appreciative.

I can't say enough about my daughter's birthday party experience at Xtreme Play Adrenaline Park. The entire process from booking to packing up to go home was smooth and enjoyable. Keep in mind that Xtreme Play has all sorts of additional attractions you can choose from that will appeal to kids of ALL ages. They have Ballocity for the younger kids (under 4), rock climbing, Ninja course and mini bowling.  And of course the really cool virtual reality attractions for older teens and adults like Dark Ride and the Omni Arena VR (I remember seeing this on Shark Tank- I haven't tried it but it looks VERY cool!). 

So if you are looking for and indoor space to hold your son or daughter's next birthday party, I highly recommend heading over to Xtreme Play to check it out! Ask for Debbie - she will give you a tour and tell you all about how the party packages are set up. She always greets you with a smile and is very passionate about ensuring the kids that come to Xtreme Play whether it be for a party or just to hang out, have a really FUN experience. Let her know that Meghan from Macaroni KID sent you. Oh - and be sure to use our discount code - MkP1 - good for saving up to 20% off a Birthday Party (party must be booked by October 31, 2022, but the actual party date can be later)!

Don't wait! Get your preferred date for your party before it's taken!

BOOK YOUR PARTY BY OCT. 31st WITH CODE MkP1 AND SAVE UP TO 20%! 

USE CODE MkP1 to save either 10%, 15% or 20% depending on which package you choose. 

If you book via phone, share the code and that you heard about the offer in Macaroni KID!

Publisher was given a complimentary birthday party in exchange for writing this review. All opinions expressed within are her own.