We stopped doing birthday parties at our house about 5 years ago – it was too stressful and I often couldn’t be there for my birthday child as I was always running around taking care of everything else. It also became more and more challenging to host older children at home, especially our boys. We are always in search for new venues that also appeal to both girls and boys.
Birthday party logistics are always challenging because large numbers can be costly. The question is whether to invite 10 – 20 close friends or the whole class. Then, there is the organisation of party bags and food, and working out logistics can be stressful especially when you have multiple children to also care for. Much of the hassle is taken out by the Flip Out team who will look after the children for the next 2 hours and organise the party food leaving mums and dads with party invitations, cake and goody bags to deal with.
My husband and I are happy to farm out the experience to a venue like Flip Out who have the energy (more importantly) and experience when it comes to children’s parties and keeping the kids entertained. We hosted 30 children for our 4 children to say goodbye to their old school friends. It felt like a very large playdate of all their favourite friends!
The kids arrived along with their friends and had a 15 minute welcome and safety briefing with the team. The children wear similar colour vests so their instructors are able to identify them as part of the party. The children are usually divided into 2 – 3 groups, and depending on the ages, they will do archery, bubble soccer or trampolining. The typical format would include 1 hour of structured play + 1 hour of free jump or archery, and Flip Out Grip Socks will be provided for each child, and you will have one dedicated party host.
The instructors and Flip Out team are hot on safety so they do watch over the children. The instructors also got involved with the children demonstrating wall running, and taught some of the older children how to do backflips during the sessions.
We often worried with 4 different age groups how Flip Out would manage them but they actually split them into two groups and did age appropriate activities with them. Also, the younger children were not exposed to the large boys who might have accidentally toppled them over on trampolines. It is always reassuring for parents to see that the venue takes these issues seriously to ensure everyone has a good time.
Food
The party food at the venue is outsourced to a premium pizza delivery company, and it was popular with both parents and children alike. My Italian husband and kids approved of the taste and quality of the pizzas. The party package includes 2 slices of pizza per child (pepperoni or margarita), 1 organic juice per child, and unlimited water. It is optional to add potato wedges and chicken nuggets for an extra fee. The kids were starving after all their activities and everything gobbled up. Adult coffee, teas and beverages are extra but they can serve you in the party room or you can set up a table upstairs in their coffee area.
New changes to note
#They have also launched a new activity that the children loved called bubble soccer. They children wear an plastic inflatable ball and run around bouncing against each other.
#Parents are no longer allowed into the jumping area unless they have socks and a wrist band
Top tips
#Order pizzas for mums and dads because they are delicious and most parents are famished. Larger pizzas cost AED70 each.
#Book in advance because Flip Out is very much in demand especially on the weekends.
#Try to book a week day birthday party as it is more economical in terms of costs and the venue is not as busy so it is more manageable.
Pricing – it works out to AED185 per child for the party.
Check out also their winter flip camp (minimum age 5 years) from December 17th – January 4th.
Special offers in December – book a party this December, and the birthday child will go for free.
For more information head to www.flipout.ae
