HOW TO THROW A TRAMPOLINE PARK BIRTHDAY PARTY

For the last seven years, you’ve thrown little Johnny the best birthday parties. For his first birthday, you threw a luau (because let’s be honest, this one was for the parents) where a lady in a grass skirt came and taught the older kids how to hula while you and the other parents drank blue cocktails from coconuts. It was epic, and you took 1st place in birthday parties from then on.

For his fourth birthday party, Johnny and all his friends dressed in Star Wars costumes, which you made, and had fake lightsaber tournaments to win little Yoda statues. For the seventh birthday, it was Legos everything, including a trip to the Legos movie, with a Legos cake, cookies that looked like Legos, and party favors that were bags of glorious Legos. Awesome.

This year, you’re ready to top them all, and you’ve figured it out — a trampoline park birthday party is a perfect idea! The kids get a ton of exercise, you get to relax, the food and favors are taken care of, and the kids go home tired with fun memories. And you don’t even need to clean up afterward!

We just happen to be experts in this particular type of rockin’ party, so here are some tips on continuing to set the standard in awesome birthday parties:Collect waivers first. Because no one can enter a trampoline park like Launch without waivers (bouncing or not), make sure waivers are completed online beforehand (they can even be done through your smartphone). If a child or adult arrives without one, we can always call the parent and have them sign digitally, but no kid likes to be the one waiting behind while everyone else gets to play, so it’s best to get waivers signed. If a parent brings their kids to your party, they can sign when they arrive.

Bring an instant camera. I know what you’re thinking: I have my camera phone! However, wouldn’t it be fun to take photos of funny mid-bounce straddles and splits, which the kids can take home with them to show their parents?

Order “early” food for non-bouncers. Typically at a trampoline park birthday party, the food comes after the bouncer’s time is up. (You may guess why it doesn’t come first!) Right as everyone is winding down, fresh hot pizzas begin to show up, but it’s nice to provide parents and kids who won’t be bouncing with some early snacks while they wait.

Create a bouncing theme. Although Launch will take care of all the decorating, you’re totally welcome to bring your own theme. What bounces? Bunnies do, as well as kangaroos, frogs, wallabies, crickets, Mexican jumping beans… what else? These are all great kickoff ideas for a trampoline park birthday theme.

Buy souvenirs instead of favors. Party favors can be a cinch at a trampoline park because there are two really cool things they can use that day and bring home as souvenirs: grippy socks and a water bottle. Grippy socks will help keep them from sliding on the trampolines, and a water bottle will keep them hydrated while they bounce! Buy them right from Launch, and we can set up the party so that every kid gets his or her gifts upon arrival. And guess what? Water bottles filled with candy come with our Blast-Off package… how fun!

Bring brightly colored Post-It notes to mark gifts. Because we’d never want little Johnny to misplace any of his gifts, you could mark all gifts with a brightly colored Post-It note. This way all the gifts given can be easily identified and kept together.

Get ready to pose. There are so many snap-worthy opportunities to get cute photos of your kids and family at a trampoline park birthday party; you’ll want to get great ones! Our mascot Joey, the kangaroo, will hop on over and visit, and loves to take group photos!

Go beyond bouncing. For older kids, consider extracurricular bouncing activities like setting up a private dodgeball tournament, or a basketball game.

Rent out the whole facility. Large family and lots of friends? Go ahead and rent out the entire facility. We love taking in large groups and there’s nothing like having the whole place to yourselves.

Bounce first, cake last. Bring a cake from home or your favorite bakery if you want. Of course, like most parties, the cake comes last, and when it comes to a trampoline park birthday party, this rule is no different. No need to turn that birthday cake into a birthday shake in little bellies!