An Indoor Birthday Paradise: Ocean5

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I am here to talk about birthdays...again. It feels like my kids have back-to-back birthdays. Oh wait, they do! My younger son has an early December birthday (see post), and my older son has a birthday at the start of January. It's wild. It's hectic. We have a birthday, we have the holidays, we have another birthday. Once January rolls around, I am ready to be done. But I have to power through that last birthday. 

I need something easy but fun. And indoors because, hello, it's January. Oh, where or where can his birthday be? Oh (light bulb), Ocean 5. 

It was the perfect spot for my son's 8th birthday party. It was funny because all the event rooms indicated 8th birthdays. Apparently, this is the prime spot for 8th birthdays. Of course, younger and older birthdays are also great here, but the number of 8th birthdays happening was hilarious. 

No joke, Ocean 5 is the birthday party hub. The building is quite large! I saw two floors of event rooms. Then, they offer bowling, laser tag, an arcade, and a restaurant. All inside Ocean 5. 

Ocean5 has the birthday party thing down. For my son's birthday party, we picked the bowling party package. This package provided for an event room, an hour of bowling, and time in the arcade. We also had a dedicated Party Host while we were in the room. She helped us set up the decorations, coordinated the food and beverage delivery, and was there for any questions.

Before the party, the Ocean5 event team was very helpful. Our contact emailed the timeline and ensured I had all the information I needed for a smooth event. This organization was the help this tired mom (me) needed. 

Party Time

Party Setup: We arrived about 15 minutes beforehand to decorate on the party day. Our Party Host escorted us to the room and assisted in getting our room transformed into a Harry Potter theme. You don't necessarily need to bring decorations, but we promised Harry Potter, so we delivered. 

Room Time: The kids played while we waited for everyone to arrive at the party. Then the pizza and drinks came, and we settled down to eat. Afterward, we sang "Happy Birthday" and dived into the cake. It was $15 extra to bring my dessert from outside, but look at this cake: it was worth it. 

Note: Cake is from AndiCake (sorry, she’s moving away). Decorations are from Oriental Trading. Feather pen favors are from Amazon.

Arcade: With the sugar-loaded kids, we headed to the arcade. Each guest received a loaded card of arcade credits. It's a sizable arcade, so I had a parent stand guard at the entrance, but seriously, what kid would have considered leaving? We didn't have time for it, but the kids could earn points playing games and redeem them for some cool prizes at the prize store.

Bowling: The party moved along quickly, and soon, we found ourselves bowling. We had the option for classic 10-pin or Duckpin. The traditionalist in me picked classic 10-pin, but after learning more about Duckpin, I might give that a whirl next time we go bowling. 

Laser Tag: Bowling was the official end of the party, and many of our guests took off. However, we invited everyone to hang out longer for some laser tag if they wanted to pay their way. I was curious about laser tag since we had yet to play it with our sons. The verdict: they LOVED it. Honestly, the birthday boy enjoyed this the most. The arena is amazing. I discovered it is the largest laser tag in Washington state. It has two stories inside the area and has an opening on the second level to look down. It was amazing, and the kids (and parents) had a blast. 

My Thoughts: 

This birthday party turned out to be fantastic. Everyone had a good time! I recommend it as a birthday party for your kids. Scratch that; it's a great place for any party or event. I had been to an adult bowling party and also had a great time. 

Some things I learned for next time:

  • Some parents dropped their kids off, which is fine, but watching all the kids made the arcade a bit hard as they were running all around. Luckily, there was only one way in and out, so we had a parent stand guard. 

  • When we went to bowl, the lane assignments were not ready. There was a list in the event room to fill out beforehand that I should have filled out. Be sure to have that ready so when you show up to bowling, you are not scrambling. 

  • Our party started in the room but ended at bowling. Some kids didn't remember to take their party favors along since they left them in the room. Next time, I'd bring the favors and hand them out at bowling. 

  • Laser tag was the winning activity for my 8-year-old son. I would do the laser tag party next time! My recently turned 5-year-old had a hard time in the laser tag because the vest was heavy, and he got lost. With a parent, it was fine, but my husband got caught up in the game, and I was on the opposite team. Don't let that happen to you!

Some awesome things about Ocean 5:

  • It is so clean and nice, even in the arcade and the laser tag arena! 

  • The staff was helpful and available when we needed them. 

  • You can go anytime, not just for parties! We often go to the arcade on a rainy day. Now, we will go for laser tag, too!

  • Plentiful parking and free! 

  • There are three packages for kids' parties: a bowling party, a laser tag party, or an adventure party. Other party and event packages that are non-kid-related are available as well.

  • The pre-party communication is smooth and organized. 

  • Lots of specialized touches to the party. The birthday kid has their name on the tv screen in the entrance, in the room, and right outside the room. Also, the birthday kid gets extra arcade credits. Woot woot!

What are you waiting for...get to Ocean 5! Rainy days, super hot days, Sunday Fun Day, a party, or just a regular day that needs some fun, it's there for fun with your kids!