Recently I took my son to a kid’s birthday party at Pump It Up. I had never heard of this place before, but soon found out that it’s a facility with gigantic inflatables that young and old can jump on. Since Pump It Up has 140 locations scattered throughout the U.S. there might be one near you. If you’re considering celebrating your kid’s birthday there, here’s an idea of what you can expect.
The Fun
Most likely, I didn’t know about Pump It Up, because the location I went to was located in a warehouse in an industrial business park. If it wasn’t for the large sign on the building, I would’ve driven right past it. Inside, a host welcomed us, checked us in and had us sign wavers saying that we’re basically “entering at our own risk.” The first party room we were brought to had several giant jumpers. The nice thing was that the parties are private, so aside from the supervising staff, only invited people were in the room. After 30 minutes, everyone was brought to a second room with a giant inflatable slide, an obstacle course and a climbing wall. Needless to say, lots of energy was burned.
The Party Room
After about an hour of jumping and having fun, the guests all went into a private party room. Here, songs were sung, pizza, cake and soda were served, and presents were unwrapped. The hands-on staff even kept track of the presents so thank-you cards could be mailed later on. Before leaving, all kids received goody bags. For the moms among us, just know that the nice thing about having a birthday party at Pump It Up is that you won’t have to deal with playing the host and cleaning up afterward. You can just sit back and enjoy the smile on your kid’s face.
The Cost
The cost for a party at Pump It Up differs depending on how many kids you invite and how fancy you want it to be. The price can range from $199 for a basic party of 12 kids on a weekday to $475 for a party of 25 kids on a weekend with all the bells and whistles. Regardless which party package you reserve, all packages include access to the two play rooms and the festive party room, party invitations, a special gift for the birthday kid and access to the friendly staff. For an extra charge you can include pizza, drinks, cake, balloons and goody bags. You can also request a pirate, superhero or glow-light theme for an additional fee.
Things to Consider
Although ideal for birthdays, Pump It Up also has open jump times from 10 am to 12 pm from Tuesdays through Thursday. During these hours you can jump and bounce on the inflatables for $8 per child. Parents can join in free of charge. The facility is also available for fundraisers, school events and field trips.
References
Pump It Up
