Trampoline parks are not new in Orange County, and they are popular for birthday parties among the children. After been to several, I’ve noticed they’re all similar but have differences too. They all want to be family-friendly, accommodate play dates for small children, host teen nights and fundraiser nights for local schools, and they all want to be everyone’s birthday destination. Let’s take a look at Big Air Trampoline Park in Laguna Hills for example. I believe they were the first ones to open a trampoline park in Orange County. I’m not talking indoor bouncy houses but trampolines. I remember when they first opened in 2013, it was new and exciting. My kids were toddlers and preschoolers at the time, and they couldn’t contain themselves. However, when I was at Big Air, it felt safe letting them run around, tumble, flip, jump off the walls, and jump into foam pits. Adults are welcome to join but why is it harder for us to climb out of the foam pits? My kids are third  and six graders now, and they still have a blast!

Lazer Maze!

Adding to their list of things you can do like a Big Slam Dunk Courts, Dodgeball Courts (they have two), a challenging climbing wall, and a Battle Beam, last year they added a Lazer Maze! It’s the first trampoline laser maze on the West Coast! There are two ways to play with the most popular being is to get from one side of the room to the other without breaking the beams. For younger children, Beam Buster is the way to go, because you want to break as many as you can. Either one is fun to do with friends but my buddy and I couldn’t stop laughing in Beam Buster. We were both grown women stumbling and trying our best to not fall on our faces. (I forgot that others can watch from the outside on the monitors.) It’s on a timer and the line moves pretty fast. It doesn’t cost extra and is included with regular admissions.

Amenities

Amenities include free WIFI, a concession stand that serves food and snacks, lockers, dining area, several party rooms, and a parent’s lounge with comfy chairs, TV’s and charging stations. We’ve tried some of their pizzas, and thought it was good. It’s nice that the food is conveniently located on site. When you have a party at Big Air, ordering food onsite is encouraged. There are a few items you can bring in, but you’ll want to avoid unnecessary added fees. Always check with them ahead of time. The party host and I were in constant communication so I knew ahead of time what I could and cannot bring. She also emailed me a helpful check list.

Party Packages

You can create your own custom birthday party, team party or work event with various options to fit every need. Most of the packages include one hour jump with 40 minutes reserved table time, a dedicated party host, and food. You can always upgrade to add additional jump time, additional food, additional party time, Dippin Dots, or ice cream sandwiches. Outside food is subject to a catering fee. Their Mega Room includes projector and additional media. I highly recommend adding the extra jump time and the party favors.

Birthday Party Tips

Most recently my nine year old had a birthday party at Big Air. The children all had a blast, but as party host, it was a very stressful event for Mom. They allowed me to check-in a half hour before the event, but they did not allow me to go back to the party room until 10 minutes before our designated time. Supposedly we were assigned three party hosts that will set up for me, but they were all running behind from another party which made me nervous. Luckily our room was unoccupied so while the children were jumping the first hour, they allowed me to go back there. 10 minutes before cake and pizza in my opinion is not enough time to personalize or set up. (As mentioned the party hosts are suppose to set up for me so all I had to do was come in 10 minutes before everyone arrives and make any last minute changes.)

We had the children first jump, eat, then jump again. We were allotted 40 minutes in the party room which goes by really fast. I spent half of the time, making sure the children were all there and that they didn’t leave the room until we did cake. Beware, when they gather up the children to go to “The Wall”, that means – PARTY’S OVER! Adding that extra jump hour made a world of difference. All the children loved the party and their parents tell me their kids didn’t want to leave. Now that I survived the party, I’ve come up with some tips to help you survive your own party.

1. Pick simple decorations that don’t require a lot of time to set up. They generally supply table clothes, paper plates, and napkins, but they can’t guarantee a color. If you want a specific color, you will have to bring your own.
2. Don’t buy anything that needs to be hung on the walls or confetti. You can’t tape anything to the wall, however, we brought a banner and we tapped it to the edge of the cake table. Bring tape just in case. They had scotch tape which worked better than the painters tape that I brought.
3. No balloons without anchors. The ceiling is super high so the balloons will most likely end up there. I had them on anchors but the children were pulling on them. You won’t have time to blow them up, and you might not want to drive around with a bunch of balloons in your car. Avoid them all together but if you must bring them, don’t go crazy and bring a bunch of balloons. You’ll also need room in your car to bring back presents.
4. Bring a cooler with wheels and fill them up with water bottles, juice boxes, and ice. I wheeled it around to hydrate my guests.
5. Bring cake, cake plates, candles, a cutter, and a lighter. Staff members will help you with it.
6. Keep your menu simple. You only have 40 minutes in the party room. I spent most of the time, getting the children to stay in the room until we do cake. I brought unnecessary snacks and extra desserts that takes time to eat, and I should have just kept it simple with just pizza and a salad. We had a lot of food and cake leftover. If you’re worried about the adults, remember it’s a kid’s party and they will understand.
7. Add the extra hour for your jumpers. Most of the parties do not include that second hour to jump. Imagine how sad you would be if you had to say good-bye after cake. The children were happy to be able to jump again.
8. Get the party favors. The themed water bottles are $6. It came with sunglasses, a one hour jump pass, stickers, a pencil, coupon, and dinner mint. I made little thank you tags and put them in there. They had them ready when I checked in and they let me return the ones I didn’t need. Finding themed party favors is a challenge for me so these were perfect!

Clean-ups are usually my least favorite thing after a party, but their clean-up team are trained to turn the room over quickly. They put everything on a cart for me and pushed it back up to the front. I was very impressed. For more information about having a birthday party at Big Air, please call or visit their website.

Big Air Trampoline Park

23251 Avenida de la Carlota
Laguna Hills, California
(949) 305-9788
www.bigairoc.com

ADMISSIONS: $15/hour for all ages, Group rates available. See below for more specials!

SPECIAL JUMP DAYS –

• TODDLER TIME: Wednesdays/Thursdays morning for ages 7 & under. $8/toddler for three hours of jump (10am – 1pm)
• COSMIC NIGHTS: Fridays & Saturdays (8:30pm – 11pm) – $19/jumper.
• SPECIAL NEEDS: Tuesday 3pm to close; Every Wednesday 1pm to close. $8/jumper for up to two hours. 1 caregiver/therapist is free. Family members also jump for $8.
• FUNDRAISER NIGHTS: Earn up to 50% back to your organization!