Jumping Castle Alternatives: Active Kids Party Ideas for Your Backyard
Planning a children's birthday party at home and looking for an alternative to a jumping castle?
There are plenty of ways to keep children entertained, but if you're looking for something that gets them outside, active and playing together, DIY laser tag is an option worth considering.
Suitable for children from around 6 years, laser tag turns your backyard into a game area where kids can run, hide, work together and try to tag the opposing team.
It's a little like hide and seek with infrared technology.
Looking for an Alternative to a Jumping Castle?
Jumping castles have been a popular choice for children's parties for years, but they're certainly not the only option.
Many parents are now looking for jumping castle alternatives that provide a different type of entertainment, particularly activities that encourage children to get outside and be active.
Laser tag is one option that combines physical activity with a game that keeps children engaged.
Rather than simply playing on a piece of equipment, the children become part of the game.
They have to move around, find places to hide, look for the other team and decide when to make their next move.
Why Choose an Alternative to a Jumping Castle?
When you're planning a party at home, you want an activity that is easy to organise and keeps the children interested.
An active party activity can also be a great way to get children away from screens and playing together.
Some of the things parents look for when choosing an alternative party activity include:
* Something suitable for different ages
* An activity that gets children moving
* Entertainment that can be set up at home
* Something that encourages children to play together
* An activity that can keep a group occupied
* Something a little different from the usual party entertainment
DIY laser tag ticks many of those boxes.
Laser Tag Is a Great Jumping Castle Alternative
Laser tag provides an active game that can be played in your own backyard or another suitable area.
Players use laser taggers to tag opposing players using infrared beams. The technology is similar to the infrared signal used by a television remote control.
There are no paintballs or physical projectiles.
The game itself encourages children to move around. They can run, walk, hide behind cover, search for the other team and work together to achieve their objective.
For younger players, it's a fun game of running and hiding. As children get older, they can introduce more teamwork, tactics and strategy.
Active Fun for Kids 6+
Our DIY laser tag equipment is designed for children from around 6 years of age.
That makes it suitable for a wide range of children's birthday parties and family events.
Younger players can concentrate on the excitement of running around and tagging their friends, while older children often start developing their own strategies and team tactics.
And because the game itself provides the motivation to keep moving, you don't have to spend the afternoon trying to convince everyone to get off the couch.
Like Hide and Seek, With Laser Tag
If your children already enjoy hide and seek, they will understand the basic idea of laser tag very quickly.
Players have somewhere to hide, they search for the opposing team and try to tag them before they are tagged themselves.
The infrared technology registers the hits electronically, turning a simple game of hide and seek into a much more interactive experience.
Play It in Your Own Backyard
One of the advantages of DIY laser tag is that you don't need to book a dedicated laser tag venue.
Your backyard can become the playing area.
Trees, fences, garden features and other suitable objects can provide places to hide and move between.
If you have a larger backyard or acreage, you can create a much bigger playing area.
The idea is simple: create a space where the players can move around and use cover as part of the game.
Other Jumping Castle Alternatives for Kids' Parties
Laser tag isn't the only alternative to a jumping castle.
Depending on the age of the children and the space you have available, other options could include:
* Treasure hunts
* Scavenger hunts
* Obstacle courses
* Outdoor sports games
* Water games
* Craft activities
* Team challenges
* Outdoor adventure games
The advantage of laser tag is that it combines several of these elements into one activity.
Children are moving around, searching, hiding, competing, communicating and working as a team, all within the same game.
Why Laser Tag Works in a Backyard
You don't need a purpose-built arena to play laser tag.
A backyard can provide everything you need to create a fun playing environment.
A few trees, fences or other suitable features can become hiding places, while additional portable cover can be used to create a more structured playing area.
We also offer Tag Shield™ pop-up cover, developed specifically for laser tag.
The covers provide additional places for players to hide and can be arranged in different layouts depending on the space available.
This means you can create a simple playing area or build a more involved laser tag arena for the party.
How Does a DIY Laser Tag Party Work?
One of the reasons we developed DIY laser tag hire was to make it possible for families to run their own laser tag party without needing a professional entertainer.
Choose Your Playing Area
Find a suitable area where the children can move around safely.
A backyard, acreage or other open area can work well.
Set Up the Equipment
Set up the laser taggers, game equipment and any additional cover you're using.
The equipment comes with simple instructions to help you get everything ready.
Create Your Playing Area
Use the natural features of your yard along with any supplied or hired cover to create hiding places.
You can make the playing area as simple or as elaborate as you like.
Divide Into Teams
Split the children into teams and explain the basic rules.
The games are designed to be straightforward, so children can get into the action quickly.
Start Playing
Once everyone has their equipment, it's time to start the game.
Players move around the playing area, find cover, search for the opposing team and try to tag them.
After a game finishes, reset and play again.
How Much Space Do You Need for Backyard Laser Tag?
You don't need a huge backyard to play laser tag.
The playing area can be adapted to suit the space you have available.
Think of it like hide and seek. You need enough room for players to move around and some suitable places to hide.
A larger area gives you more options for creating different games and layouts, but even an ordinary backyard can provide a fun laser tag environment.
Is Laser Tag Suitable for 6-Year-Olds?
Yes. Laser tag can be a great activity for children from around 6 years of age.
The basic concept is easy to understand, so younger children can get involved without having to learn complicated rules.
As children get older, the game can become more strategic, with players developing teamwork and tactics as they play.
This makes laser tag an activity that can work well when a party includes children of different ages.
Why Choose DIY Laser Tag Hire?
DIY laser tag gives you the flexibility to run the party yourself.
You don't need to book a laser tag venue, and you don't need a professional entertainer running the activity throughout the party.
You hire the equipment, set up your playing area and run the games.
Our equipment is designed to be straightforward to use, with simple instructions provided with your hire.
It's a practical option for parents looking for active kids' party entertainment at home.
A Different Kind of Kids' Party
If you're searching for jumping castle alternatives, you don't have to settle for another activity where children simply take turns.
Laser tag gives them a game to become involved in.
They run, hide, search, communicate and work together while enjoying the excitement of trying to beat the other team.
And because it's DIY, you can create the experience in your own backyard and run the party around your own schedule.
For families looking for kids' party ideas in Tasmania, backyard birthday party activities or DIY laser tag hire, laser tag provides an active alternative that is a little different from the usual party entertainment.
Create Your Own Laser Tag Party
Laser Tag Mania Hire is a family-owned business with more than two decades of experience in laser tag.
We've spent years providing laser tag entertainment for parties, schools, community events, regional shows and family events across Tasmania and Victoria.
Now you can bring that experience home.
You provide the backyard. We provide the laser tag equipment. You run the games.
Turn your backyard into a laser tag arena and give the kids a party they will actually remember.