Jumbo Jungle (Bazooka Ball)

If you've always wanted to try paintball, or if you have played paintball and want a safer version for your kids, you have to try Bazooka Ball.  As usual, if it hadn't been for Groupon, I wouldn't have even known that this place existed. Jumbo Jungle is located in an industrial warehouse park in Ashburn,VA,  and is not a huge place but well equipped to spend a few hours....lots of fun for the kids as well as Mom and Dad.

As you enter the building, there are two large enclosed trampolines where you can play Aeroball. Two people go in (one on each side) and there is a barrier between them with a hoop on each side and a soft, plush ball. Basically, it's volleyball/basketball combo played on a trampoline. Watching the kids, it seemed easy enough so my husband and I decided to give it a try. After about 2 minutes of bouncing and shooting baskets, I was exhausted.  The kids made it look so easy! (The fact that I am extremely out of shape doesn't help either.)  There is also a free video game room for the kids to use. These two things are used to occupy time while you wait your turn for Bazooka Ball.

When you are called for Bazooka Ball, the group goes into a room where you watch a brief video on the rules of the game. Then you are given a high impact sensor vest, a mask, a gun (complete with pressurized air cannister for maximum ball power), and a bag of foam balls.  The group is divided and put on either side of the glow-in-the-dark arena and.......the team with the most hits wins! There are short walls scattered throughout the arena to hide behind but once your bag of balls runs out, you have to scour the floors to get replacements and that's when you're vulnerable. Who knew a foam ball could hit so hard?! I took a couple hits to the head and thought, "Holy cow! What do the paint balls feel like?"  The session is about 10 minutes long and for me, breathing under that mask was a killer. Dad and the kids survived and had a blast.

 

Pricing is reasonable. There are several options depending on how many times you want to play. They also do birthday parties. We had 2 sessions with some Aeroball in between and it really was a lot of fun. I definitely think it's something we would do again.

http://www.jumbojungle.net/