Laser tag is cool.
My boys had a great birthday party at Laser Quest. The staff was friendly, helpful and polite. What a change from some other places we’ve had parties. We had time for a game of laser tag, then pizza and presents, another game, and then cake and ice cream. I would recommend breaking up the games like we did. The kids need a little while to compare scores, go to the bathroom, and settle down.
The minimum age for playing is seven. There are good reasons for that. For one, you wear a heavy vest, and the laser gun is large, and not lightweight. Small children might also be afraid of the dimly lighted arena. It’s also get to get turned around in the maze of ramps, walls, and corners. It’s a little spooky.
Now that the mom in me has issued those hesitations, I have to say we had a great time. The first thing you do is come up with a code name. The kids came up with great names like Dragonfire, Mini Mouse, Shadow, and Barking Bear. The staff explained how everything worked, and we went over the safety rules. Everyone says the rules out loud, so there’s no pretending you didn’t know the rules or understand. (Something I might just copy for future activities!) Then we suited up in a vest, and went into the arena. Inside, it’s dim but not dark. You can see the other people, and see where you are walking. There are lots of walls and corners, to escape from people or to search others out. Sometimes people have teams, so you get points for tagging/shooting other teams, but get points deducted for shooting your own team. We just played everyone against everyone else, which makes it easier.
When you get shot, you have a few seconds where you can’t shoot anyone else. Your vest lights go off at that point. I learned that it’s best to get out firing range while you are “down”. Otherwise, as soon as the lights go back on, the same person can shoot you again.
At the end of game, the best players get awarded. Everyone gets their statistics printed on a card. The card shows how many times you got hit, how many times you shot other people, how many times you fired your gun, and much more. The kids really liked comparing cards.
Another birthday party down. My babies are another year older. I’m glad we did laser tag. I’m glad they had a good birthday. And, as I’m sure many parents can understand, I’m glad it’s over.
Birthday Party Planning