For ages 12 to 17, and the weather gets no say
Interactive game park · Beverwijk
A party for
12, 13 or 14 year olds
that doesn't feel too young
Interactive game rooms in Beverwijk where you run, aim and have to finish a challenge together before the clock runs out. Indoors, with a score that keeps itself.
- 9 game rooms, all of them indoors
- €24.50 per player, Battle Standard
- 2 x 30 min of play, with a break in between
Around the age of twelve it grinds to a halt
What was still a good idea last year is too young this year. And the birthday kid now has a say: you get to do the searching, they say yes or no.
This page is about a party for 12, 13 or 14 year olds at PlayKinetix in Beverwijk. We call it a teen party, but do search for it as a kids' party if that's the word you'd use. It's the same afternoon, minus the bits a thirteen-year-old would be embarrassed by.
And it takes place entirely indoors. Rain in October, a storm in January, a birthday in the middle of February: the date you book is the date that goes ahead.
Why eight teenagers end up on the sofa at home
Ask a parent who has tried it at home how it went. The first half hour is good fun. After that half of them are on their phones and the rest are watching over their shoulders. Not because they find each other boring, but because there's nothing for them to disappear into together.
What breaks that is competition with a score. As soon as there are points riding on what you do, the phone goes back in the bag. Every player gets a wristband that tracks the standings automatically. Nobody has to keep count, and afterwards there's no argument about who won.
You're on your feet the whole time. No screen, no controller. The floor reacts to where you step and the walls are covered in buttons that light up.
Where teenagers normally lose interest
Four objections we hear a lot.
There's always one who won't join in
In most rooms the whole team scores, not just the fastest player. Anyone who'd rather not be out in front still has a job to do.
It has to be about something
The wristband tracks the standings per player and per team. The conversation afterwards usually lasts longer than the playing did.
Isn't it the same thing five times over?
There are 9 game rooms and each asks for something different: aiming, running, timing, talking it through. LAVA ARENA and FREEZE GAME have nothing in common.
What if it rains?
Everything is indoors. A party in November runs exactly like a party in June. Nobody has to call anything off.
How an afternoon like this runs
With the Battle Standard you play two blocks of thirty minutes.
- 1On arrivalWristbands on
Everyone gets a band with their name on it. From that moment on, everything counts.
- 2First 30 minutesWorking out how it all works
You make your way round the game rooms. For the first few minutes it's all fumbling about and laughing at each other. After that it gets serious.
- 3BreakA sit-down and a look at the standings
A drink and a chance to get your breath back. Usually the moment when deals get struck about the second half.
- 4Second 30 minutesClawing back the deficit
By now everyone knows what they're doing and it's played differently. This is the block that produces the winner.
What it costs
Prices per player. No enquiry form to fill in first.
Teen Party Battle Standard
- Two half-hour blocks of play
- A break in between
- A wristband that tracks the score automatically
Teen Party Battle Extended
- When you book, both packages are shown side by side with exactly what's included
You can hold a date with no obligation first and only book it for real afterwards. Handy, because you usually know when the party is before you know who's coming. See which dates are still free.
Girls, boys, or a mix of both
Almost every list of party ideas splits things up: something for girls, something for boys. There's no need for that here. It's about reactions, timing and whether you finish a challenge in time. There is no boys' version and girls' version of that.
A mixed group is easier here rather than harder, because the teams can be different every round. That helps when half the class is coming.
Looking for something for a younger age group? Have a look at the kids' parties. What happens in the rooms is set out on the game rooms page.
Which parts of the province it works from
Let's be fair: Beverwijk isn't in the middle of Noord-Holland. From Haarlem it's about twenty minutes' drive, from Zaandam about twenty-five, from Alkmaar about half an hour. So count on doing the drop-off and the pick-up, or on splitting it between two cars.
Parking is free and right outside the door, so unloading ten teenagers takes care of itself. By train, Beverwijk station is an eight-minute walk away. From Haarlem, Heemskerk, Castricum, Uitgeest and Alkmaar there's a direct train every half hour; from most other places you'll have to change.
Questions parents ask us
From what age, and up to what age does this stay fun?
The teen party is meant for roughly ages 12 to 17. Under twelve you're better off with the kids' party. Over sixteen it depends on the group; mostly they just play harder.
Won't a fifteen-year-old find this childish?
That's the question we get most often, and it's a fair one. The answer is in the set-up: you win or you lose, and it's all recorded. There's nothing here you can be too old for, just a set of standings you don't want to be bottom of.
There are only six of us. And what if twenty turn up?
Both work. Twenty players is fine — the park holds 70 people at once. With a group of six it all gets more direct, because the teams are smaller. Not sure? Ask us via contact.
Which days can we come?
The park is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday open at 12:00, with starts until 18:00. Friday also from 12:00, but then until 22:00. Saturday opens at 10:30 with starts until 22:00, Sunday opens at 10:30 with starts until 18:00.
Set out town by town
Whether the birthday kid and their friends can get here on their own depends a great deal on where they live. It's worked out for each town.
- From Haarlem — direct train, they can come on their own
- From Alkmaar — direct train, half an hour
- From Zaandam — by car, about 25 minutes
- Isn't the child twelve yet? Then have a look at the kids' parties.
Fix the date before the rest of the class plans something
Hold a date with no obligation and sort out the rest later. Not sure yet? Have a look around the teen parties first.