If your kids are in the nine-and-up age range, you may feel like me when it comes to birthday party planning – been there, done that. Bouncing? Check. Jumping? Check. Painting? Check. Pool Party? Check. Game truck? Check. (Spoiled? Check. I know.)
All of these parties were fantastic, but apparently repeating any of them is not an option, and with two kids close in age, it seemed like we were running out of birthday party entertainment ideas. I really started to panic when my soon-to-be 9-year-old proclaimed, “Let’s just have it at the house.”
ACK! Twenty rambunctious kids running aimlessly around our house for two hours did not sound like a good idea, and I knew I didn’t have the time or creativity to keep them busy and entertained. Then I remembered a cool new business I had recently discovered, River City VR (virtual reality). I quick check and I discovered that yes, they DO bring their gear to homes for kids’ parties – hooray!
Booking was a breeze, and the owner, Rob, and his helper arrived right on time to prepare our living room for the big adventure. We only needed to move the coffee table to make enough room for the experience (it can be done in a minimum of 5’x5’), and by the time the kids arrived, we were ready for the fun to begin. One at a time, the party-goers put on the headset while the others enjoyed watching, eagerly awaiting their chance to step into that amazing cartoon world. We could see everything they were seeing through their headset on our home TV, so it was fun for all of us. First, the kids took turns playing a game called Job Simulator, where they got to choose a profession and act it out. As the guest of honor, my son went first, and he chose to be a chef. We watched and laughed as he made his way through the kitchen, blending crazy ingredients, burning more than a few food items, and making a huge mess that thankfully only existed in the VR world. Next up was a cool bow and arrow target game called Longbow, and we made it a little competition by keeping score to see who had the best aim.
The River City VR staff was great with the kids and kept the whole turn-taking thing moving along without whining, which kept me free to take pictures, chat with parents, and get the cake ready.
The experience is best enjoyed by kids ages seven and up, and adults love it too. It’s a great office team-building event or Christmas party activity, and they have two stations available to rent, so more folks can play in a shorter amount of time. River City VR currently has over twenty VR experiences to choose from, everything from the popular Fruit Ninja to Tilt Brush 3D Painting to theBlu, a journey through a series of ocean habitats.
Check out all the options at rivercityvr.com.
(Margaret received a complimentary trial of this service in exchange for sharing her thoughts with RFM readers.)
