Review: AZ Air Time Birthday Parties
By Meg Brunson
Is it just me, or do kids only get weirder as they grow up? Kailyn turned 10 last week and was adamant that she wanted to have a pickle-themed party. I don't know anyone who loves pickles more than this girl. We explored other more typical themes, but she could not let go of pickles. When AZ Air Time called to confirm her party last week and asked what colors she wanted for her tablecloths, balloons, and plates, green was the only color that made sense. We went with two shades of green - because they usually do two or three colors - and I mentioned that she wanted a pickle party. When I saw the chalkboard in the room it was an instant warm-fuzzy feeling. I mean, they took it a step further to really customize the party experience. How cute is that!?
AZ Air Time is located in Scottsdale, on the North West corner of Scottsdale Road and Thunderbird Road. Upon arriving for the party, guests checked in and parents completed a waiver if they had not done so already. We hosted our party in their private upstairs party room, which is really nice. There were totes upstairs to keep shoes and socks organized and the party included jumping socks for all guests. I did notice that similar bins were located throughout the venue for guests. The bins are a nice touch over the cubbies I typically see at similar venues. They allowed us to bundle socks/shoes of the whole family together, and it just seemed more secure than an "open" cubby.
The kids wasted NO time. They only remained in the party room long enough to put on their jumping socks and they were OFF!
Little Jumpers at AZ Air Time
The littles (6 years old and younger) bolted to the Kid Zone. The Kid Zone includes 2 smaller scale (but still plenty large enough!) half-pipe trampolines with a seating area for parents to watch their little ones bouncing around. In the same area, there were two bounce houses with climbing, sliding, and basketball features. The little ones aren't required to stay in this area, but it is nice knowing that they have a retreat they can access if they need a break from the big kids. Staff was attentive about monitoring the area to ensure that the kids in the Kid Zone were within the age guidelines.
Bigger Jumpers at AZ Air Time
The bigger kids (and the brave littles) had so much more to explore. There is a much larger half-pipe trampoline area, and kids of all ages were jumping, flipping, running, and falling (only to bounce up with laughter). Beyond that, there are separate trampoline areas for the kids who want to play dodgeball or shoot hoops and a foam pit which allows the kids to have fun jumping off the trampoline! There is also a rock climbing area that allows the kids a completely different type of "Air Time." Kiddos climb up the rockwall as high as they can, then when they reach the top (or as high as feels comfortable), they push off the wall and "fall" back to the ground using their tether and the AZ Air Time staff is there to catch them!
Parents
Throughout the facility there are many places for parents to sit and watch their kids - and there is free wi-fi, which made it easy to share photos on Facebook! Our party in the upstairs party room had some amazing vantage points of the facility. Parents were able to socialize a bit while still keeping an eye on their kids playing dodgeball, jumping on the half-pipe or in the Kid Zone, and in many of the common areas. The upstairs party room also has a TV, so the dads were able to watch football (that's what I get for planning a party on a Sunday during football season!).
Birthday Parties at AZ Air Time
When the kids were called back to the room for pizza, then for cake, we switched from the game and they watched Bunk'd - a favorite of Kailyn's since she got to meet the actress who plays Emma, Payton List, earlier this year at the Phoenix Children's Festival! Even the TV couldn't hold them: They all ate quickly so that they could jump around some more. We enjoyed 3 hours of partying with AZ Air Time - and it was amazing. At the end of the party the kids were nice and tired, and the parents all enjoyed watching the kids and chatting with the other adults. The best part for me - not having to clean up! It's the number one reason why I prefer to host our parties outside the house, along with my love of supporting local businesses!
AZ Air Time offers 1, 2, or 3-hour parties and offer a private room, semi-private room, or reserved tables in their party area. They order their party pizzas from Hungry Howies (which my family loves) and have additional food/drink options that you can purchase from the snack bar. I had a "mommy fail" and completely forgot to buy party favors for our guests - but luckily, this is something that AZ Air Time offers. The party favor bags had several little toys for the kids. The contents were definitely better quality than what I would normally buy in the party section of Target, and in my opinion, well worth the investment. As I am writing this, it's been three days and they are still playing with the play-doh, squishy animals, suction cup ball (which actually works!), sticky snake, and the light-up toy from their goody-bags.
Kailyn enjoyed getting a birthday gift from AZ Air Time. She received a birthday party shirt from AZ Air Time in hot pink - with a GREEN logo (like pickles!), and a pass for a free return visit. All of our guests received coupons for $5 off their next visit - which means we'll be back for SURE! Learn more about the variety of birthday party packages offered by AZ Air Time by visiting: http://www.azairtime.com/birthday-parties-sc.
*Note: we hosted a "Triple Threat" Birthday Party at AZ Air Time, some of the things that were included with our party may be add-ons if you opt for a different party type.
© 2017 Meg Brunson
Meg is a mommy blogger, Facebook marketer, and much more. She is a mom to four kids who live in Peoria, AZ and is the local Editor of KidsOutAndAbout Phoenix - helping parents and caregivers find free and affordable things to do with kids, out and about in Arizona. As a former Facebook employee, Meg remains a Facebook addict and handles KidsOutAndAbout.com's Social Media Marketing in addition to running a digital marketing agency at EIEIOMarketing.com.