Birthday parties were always easy to organize for my son. As long as he had ice cream, balloons, and some special friends to play with he was happy. However, now a pre-teen at the grand old age of 10, my video game-obsessed kid has a few more requests. That’s why we were so pleased to find a birthday party experience that worked right here in the city. Read on to find out more about what’s on offer in this VRAdventures.ZONE review.
What Is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that creates a computer-generated world that your child can explore and interact with using special equipment, like the Meta Quest 3 VR headset. It’s like stepping into a completely different world without actually leaving your home. Although you can choose to visit alien planets or fantasy lands you can also stay closer to home with more domestic games like Neko Atsume Purrfect where you get to care for a collection of adorable cats. Even adults can enjoy VR games or get a workout in with applications like Supernatural where you can try out boxing moves, go through a stretching flow, or even meditate.
How Do Virtual Reality Headsets Work?
Virtual Reality (VR) headsets like the Meta Quest 2 and 3 are like high-tech goggles that let your child step into amazing digital worlds. Screens inside create a 3D effect, making everything look real and immersive. As your child moves their head around, the goggles follow along, making it feel like they’re actually inside the digital space they’re exploring. That can sometimes make people feel a bit dizzy which is why it’s important to take breaks.
VR headsets usually also have controllers that let your child interact with what they see, adding a hands-on element to the experience.
In a nutshell, VR headsets turn gaming and learning into a super cool adventure. Just keep an eye on how much time your child spends using them and pick games that match their age and maturity.
What VR Experiences Are Available?
VRAdventures.ZONE is a good choice to visit with your family for a fun-filled adventure without having to pay for your own home-based VR headset. Located on Merivale Road, VRAdventures.ZONE Ottawa offers a range of different VR experiences including free-roam games, VR escape rooms, arcade party games, educational experiences, and of course awesome birthday parties.
VR Adventures Zone Review
Booking your child’s birthday party is straightforward, simply choose your preferred package which can include from four to 16 kids, (prices ranging from $230-700), pay a $100 deposit and they take care of the rest. Kids need to be a minimum of 7 years old to attend and you’ll be able to select the kinds of games and experiences you want them to have including any you would rather they didn’t play. Packages include your own private party space which you can decorate, 45 minutes of virtual reality activities and adventures, and a further 45 minutes in the party space to enjoy pizza and drinks which are included in the price. They even sort out loot bags for the entire group.
When we arrived, I was a bit nervous about how many kids would turn up as most hadn’t sent us back an RSVP. However, I needn’t have worried as we had a good turnout, and the party organizers were quick to adapt to the changing numbers as we had a couple of no-shows. Once settled in, the kids were taken to their dedicated gaming area and fitted out with headsets and hand controllers. Chairs are provided for the adults so you can watch and keep an eye on the party, but I was pleased that it was a hands-off experience and that the staff were completely supervising the children, including making adjustments to their headsets or the game as required.
The kids had so much fun and spent the entire time laughing and yelling out to each other. Halfway through my son felt a little dizzy and needed a break so I took over in a fun series of shoot ‘em up mini-games called Toe To Toe where I play a cowboy and get to shoot at some of my son’s friends! After sitting out for a few minutes and having a drink my kid felt much better and continued the experience.
It got a little loud for me so after a while, I decided to try the more peaceful games and opted for one of the relaxing experiential experiences where I went underwater to view giant turtles and whales.
It was then time to eat so we headed back to our party where the staff had brought our pizzas and juice. All the kids were buzzing, talking excitedly all about the different games and how it felt to be immersed in a totally different world. My son said it was his best birthday yet and as I didn’t have to clean up anything at all, I have to agree!
You can learn more about VRAdventures.ZONE including how to book by following their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok or visiting their website.
Disclaimer: I wasn’t paid to attend, and my opinions of the party and service are my own.
