With so many group birthday parties choices for a nine year old boy in front of me- ...

...I had to do some research to decide what to do for my kiddo’s 9^th birthday.

We’ve bowled, ice skated, had a sleepover and even roller skated. So when we heard about Panther Family Fun Center- the new laser tag and cosmic mini-golf place- we figured we would check it out to see if it was “cheesy and lame” like my son’s opinion of another local laser tag place.  Well, happy to say, we were not disappointed.

We all got geared up, received our instructions from the friendly Panther Family employee, and entered the laser tag gamer zone- ready for battle! Techno music pumps up your adrenaline, black lights on fluorescent accents illuminate safe zones and complete darkness camouflages good hiding places. Two levels add to the difficulty and risk of getting taken out, and make you even MORE frantic to keep from getting tagged! We had the greatest time EVER.

Sneaking around corners to score points by hitting the vulnerable spots on the vests, lying in wait for an unsuspecting gamer to come around the corner… awesome fun! We played as individuals, as opposed to teams, where your ranking was determined by the color of the lights on your vest.  My vest was mostly red- go there to find out what that means… ahem.  Anyway, my son beat all of the adults, and lost by just a few points to a 13 year old who was unstoppable! Obviously- Panther Family Fun Center got the family vote for the birthday party. 

12 kids- and all had such a wonderful time! The kids came pouring out of their 20 minute laser tag game, sweaty and pumped up. They spent the entire time in the party room recounting the laser tag moments, laughing, reenacting, and just being boys. The pizza came from a nearby shop- Wings 'n' Things- and it was hot, perfectly cheesy, the crust was crisp and tasty- I had to stop myself from having a 3rd piece. The party attendant was great about keeping the room cleaned up and keeping enough soda flowing.

We added a round of cosmic golf to the party, and the boys cycled their way through it after they gobbled down the pizza (they obviously didn’t appreciate the nuances of the pizza as I did- I don’t think many of them even chewed…) I didn’t play golf but the boys all said it “rocked!” They loved the black lights and bright colors, and said it was pretty easy to get a hole in one.

Panther Family Fun Center is clean, well-kept, nicely laid out, and a fun way to spend a few hours, especially when the weather is gloomy. I don’t know that I would take a child under 6 through the laser tag, but cosmic golf is age appropriate for younger kids. There are plenty of token sucking video games to keep the kids busy, as well as skee ball and air hockey. I’ve begged Terry, the owner, for a Centipede game and he promised to work on it… what’s up Terry???  

So if you haven’t taken short ride from Ashburn down Old Ox Road (606, over the Greenway,) it’s really worth the trip. Get geared up and join your kids- you’ll have a blast and come out sweating like you just did a 20 minute Tae Bo class. Word to the wise: try not to forget that you are 30 or 40 something, and get overzealous trying to zap your 5th grader from around a blind corner, resulting in a knee, hip or ankle injury. If you do- no worries- just check out the Flying Colors Review for CHHC Sports Medicine! 

Whether you want to spend a few hours playing as a family, let your kid have fun with a group of friends, want to plan a party, or a team building corporate event- this is on its way to being one of the best alternatives around~

Panther Family Fun Center Passes with Flying Colors!

note~ new management has taken over since the this review was written

http://www.pantherfamily.com/Enter.html
 

23520 Overland Dr  Unit 146

Dulles, VA 20166 
(703) 661-4204