Does your 9-year-old want an artsy birthday bash but is bored with painting ceramics? Has your athletic 11-year-old outgrown bounce houses? From glassblowing to go-karts, here are some inspired party options for older kids and tweens in the Greater Seattle area.
1. Race on the go-kart speedway.
For a very fast ride, try go-kart racing. A party at K1 Speed in Redmond includes a 12-lap qualifying race, a 12-lap final race (14-lap final for teen parties), pizza, soda and medals for the winners and the birthday kid.
Good to know: You must have at least seven racers for parties, and although there is no minimum age requirement, kids must be at least 48 inches tall (or 4'10" for a teen party). Adults and kids may not race at the same time.
Cost: Kid party: prices start at $60 per person. Teen party: prices start at $65 per person
Address: 2207 N.E. Bel-Red Rd., Redmond
2. Navigate the city.
Not a fan of heights? Take the celebration to the streets of Seattle for a scavenger hunt with Urban Adventure Quest. Following a map and a series of clues on your smartphone, your party will travel from Seattle Center to downtown (via the Monorail and on foot), completing challenges and answering trivia questions along the way.
Good to know: Set aside two to three hours, and plan on walking 2 miles.
Cost: $49 per team of 2–5 people
3. Try an escape room.
For your thrill-seeking kid, book an escape party with Conundroom in Redmond. Your group (participants must be age 7 or older) will have the option of choosing one of several adventures, including Northwest Express and Time Travel (for teens and adults) and The School of Magic and The Crafted Adventures.
Good to know: If your kids are younger than 13, you’ll need at least one adult at the party, and that supervising adult is free to attend. Regardless of the number of players, there will only ever be one group in the game.
Cost: $31 per person (visit the website for party package rates)
Address: 8250 165th Ave. N.E., #208, Redmond
4. Create glass art.
Looking for the hottest party around? At Seattle Glassblowing Studio, your child and up to four friends (ages 5 and older, with the option to add two more) will work with an instructor to create blown-glass masterpieces, such as an ornament or a sea float.
Good to know: You will have to go back and pick up your works of art two days later, since pieces need to cool.
Cost: Cast or Press Party (two hours) is suitable for ages 5 and older and costs $420. Five participants will create a molded piece of glass art. Blown Party (two and a half hours) is suitable for ages 11 and older and costs $900. Five participants will create a blown piece of glass art.
Address: 2227 Fifth Ave., Seattle
5. Get your (vintage) game on.
If your tween loves screen time, bring the party to 8-Bit Arcade, an old-school video arcade in Renton (think Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man, pinball, etc.). After the quarters run out, head to the nearby cupcake shop (Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes) to end the party on a sweet note.
Good to know: No private party room is available, but, if you call ahead, you may be able to reserve the outdoor patio or the tabletop game area.
Cost: $0.25 to $0.50 cents per game
Address: 916 S. Third St., Renton
6. Zip through the forest.
For another aerial adventure with a bit more speed (and scenery), take the party on the Bellevue Zip Tour, a zip-line tour in Bellevue's Eastgate Park. Guests ages 8 and older will zoom through the forest on a series of zip lines high above Bellevue.
Good to know: Riders must weigh between 60 and 250 pounds and be accompanied by an adult if they are younger than 17. Each adult may supervise a maximum of three kids. There are no tandem harnesses; each rider travels alone.
Cost: Youths (ages 8–17), $75 each; adults (18 and older), $90 each
Address: 14500 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue
More zip: Canopy Tours NW operates zip lines on Camano Island. There’s no minimum age, but riders must weigh at least 65 pounds, be at least 48 inches tall, and must be accompanied by an adult if they are younger than 12. Prices for kids start at $75 per person.
7. Have a kickin’ time with footgolf.
For a more dignified variation on soccer than the bubble kind, book a round of footgolf at Crossroads Par-3 Golf Course. Like golf, the goal is to get a soccer ball into the (21-inch-wide) cup in the fewest kicks. Four people play each hole, but shotgun starts are allowed for larger groups.
Good to know: The course has limited balls for rent ($3), so you might want to bring your own (size 5). No soccer cleats are allowed on the course.
Cost: $16 for adults, $12 for juniors (younger than 18) for unlimited play ($20 for adults and $16 for juniors on the weekend)
Address: 15801 N.E. 15th St., Bellevue
More footgolf: Jefferson Park Golf Club also has a footgolf course.
8. Try a virtual arcade.
For STEM fans who love brand-new tech, Seattle virtual reality arcade Portal is a great choice. Located in Ballard, Portal aims to make VR a social — and family-friendly — pursuit.
Good to know: The standard Portal party includes 10 VR booths reserved for up to 10 people, but you can also reserve Portal all to yourself with special pricing. Party participants must be at least 10 years old.
Cost: Party bookings start at $400.
Address: 2601 N.W. Market St., Seattle; 2105 140th Ave. N.E., Bellevue
9. Bounce over to a trampoline park.
Impressive Seattle trampoline park DEFY Seattle (formerly Flying Circus) offers 53,000 square feet of trampolines, foam pits and obstacle courses.
Good to know: There are no posted age restrictions for the jumping activities, so parents should monitor kids and decide if a particular jumping activity is too dangerous for their child. That said, there are staff members on hand throughout the jumping space to ensure that jumpers stay safe.
Cost: Rates start at $300 for 10 jumpers.
Address: 455 Andover Park E. in Tukwila
More flying options: Eastside families could also try Vertex for trampoline-jumping fun, and Bothell families should check out Elevated Sportz.
10. Take a swing at the driving range.
For a different spin on the traditional driving range golf experience, try a party at Topgolf in Renton. Your crew of seven to 12 players will take over two climate-controlled hitting bays for two hours. Combining sports, virtual games, a restaurant menu and party vibes, Topgolf is birthday-celebration-ready — no golf skills necessary.
Good to Know: Party packages are available for kids ages 12 and under, as well as teens 13-17 and include food and drinks from a preselected menu, as well as the use of clubs. Kids younger than 16 will need a supervising adult.
Cost: Youth party packages start at $300 for kids and $420 for teens.
Address: 780 Logan Ave N., Renton
Editor's note: This article was originally published a few years ago and updated most recently for 2023.
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