Review of Pump It Up
May 31, 2009
by Amy VanDenburg
10110 Battleview Parkway, Suite 110
Manassas, VA 20109
703.749.8006
Google Map
“Get your jumping socks on!” shouted the familiar Pump It Up invitation from inside the mailbox, and inwardly, I groaned. “Another two hours of your adult life spent watching kids jump on moonbounces…” sighed the dark side of my parenting brain selfishly, tallying up the number of visits we’ve made in the past couple of years using both hands and a few toes. And then I came to my senses. Because really, how fortunate we are that the western Prince William area boasts at least four of these indoor bounce houses, where our children can laugh and play safely with good friends, burn off energy in a controlled environment, and enjoy birthday parties absent parental stress. Our-Kids highly recommends a Pop-In Playtime visit or Pump It Up Party at the Manassas location of this party facility chain. With its tightly controlled franchise experience, cleanliness and skill at hosting parties for exuberant youngsters, Pump It Up, the original inflatable party facility, has earned its “Best For Families” awards.
High Fives!
Kids can experience the Pump It Up inflatable playspace through Pop-In Playtimes, scheduled birthday parties, or special events such as school field trips and scouting excursions. On all of our visits to Pump It Up, this reviewer has been impressed with the consistency of safety expectations, the cleanliness of the facility (signs promote their national relationship with Clorox) and the professionalism of the young staff.
Each child must be checked in with a signed liability waiver. Guests are measured with a ruler against the wall. Children must be over 24 months to use the equipment, and must be at least 34” tall. There is one obstacle course inflatable that has a 42” height requirement. Children must wear a colored bracelet to designate their height category. Socks must be worn, and can be purchased if you’ve forgotten them—easy to do in sandal season. Open cubbies are available in the inflatable rooms for shoe storage. Before playing, the party guests or Pop-In Playtime visitors are gathered in a carpeted area in the front lobby to view the safety video.
Fun begins after the long check-in process. The first room has a Bounce House with basketballs and a hoop, an obstacle course, and two huge slides that bring you down even faster if you remember to bring a slide mat with you. The equipment is sturdy and monitored by staffers who make sure sliders don’t bunch up or go down on their bellies. The obstacle course in this room is a big one, though. We watched our 6-year-old OK reviewer go in for his first try, and then waited...and waited...and waited for him to come out before attempting a rescue mission. He was a bit disoriented, but none the worse for wear, and didn’t miss a beat as he headed back toward the more straightforward slide.
The second room, to which you are rotated after 45 minutes during a birthday party or Pop-In Playtime, has two (bigger?) slides, a friendlier obstacle course and a jousting arena. There is also a quarter-driven air hockey table. This room is larger and has a water fountain (there are very clean bathrooms and another fountain down the hallway). The slides are the biggest draw with the longest lines, but the jousting arena is a close second.
Down Low?
House of Bounce has a coffee lounge for parents. Kid Drop Zone has a soundproofed garden room with free WiFi to escape from the chaos within the playspace. Pump It Up has...a bench. So, OK recommends that if you can’t escape ‘em, join ‘em! Forgo the bench, grab a slide mat and tempt fate. Impress your children with your jousting skill (but the youngsters won’t go easy on you). Shimmy through the obstacle course. If you get stuck between the rollers, no worries; a snickering child will probably come to your rescue and pull you through. Yes, you will feel it the next morning, but what a great excuse to act like a child again! This will help take up some of the 45 minutes you must spend in each of the two rooms during a party or Pop-In Playtime. If you choose not to play, it can make for a long 90 minutes.
One other note on Pop-In Playtime: make sure you arrive 15 minutes early in order to view the safety video in the lobby, and if you are planning to meet a group of friends, arrive together. We came late to a Pop-In Playtime last summer and were directed to the room where our friends were not. It took us fifteen minutes to gain approval from a manager to switch rooms so that we could meet up with our playgroup friends. We understood the abundance of caution so as not to overcrowd the equipment, but we felt as if we were marooned on Inflatable Island.
Children under age two are not permitted to use the inflatables. This is for clear safety reasons, but causes a dilemma for parents with older children. There are a few small ride-on toys in one room to entertain this age group, but otherwise this creates a long period of time to occupy a small child who will no doubt want to try out the brightly-colored inflatables, and will be upset to find out that they cannot.
Parties at Pump It Up
Similar to many facilities supporting the Birthday Party Industry, Pump It Up promises (and delivers) an unforgettable, hassle-free birthday party experience. Party guests receive 90 minutes of inflatable playtime and 30 minutes in the party room. Pump It Up provides set-up, clean-up, paper goods and invitations, and a party attendant to facilitate the festivities. Pizza, balloons, soda, Maggie Moos Ice Cream Cake, and goody bags can be ordered at add-on prices. (Cakes, packaged dry snacks, balloons and goody bags may also be brought in from outside).
There are several party packages from which to choose:
- Weekend Classic, 25 guests, $325
- Weekday Classic (before 4 p.m.), 25 guests, $225
- Weekday Mini Classic, 14 guests, $170
- Weeknight Mini Classic (M-Th after 4 p.m.), 14 guests, $195
Additional Information
- Manassas’ Pop-In Playtime offerings have expanded this year. Pop-In Playtime is (usually) offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10-11:30, and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 1-2:30.
- Pop-In Playtime cost is $8/child.
- Family Jump Time is offered most Tuesday evenings from 5-6:30 p.m. Family Jump Time cost is $8/child. Parents jump for free.
- Pump It Up also hosts special events for private groups, so always check the online calendar before planning to attend a Pop-In Playtime or Family Jump Time.
- Pump It Up has several locations in the Washington, D.C. area, including Leesburg, VA; and Waldorf, Bowie, and Elkridge, MD.
- Summer Art Camp (“Jump N’ Art”) is offered at Pump It Up for children ages 5-10, beginning June 23.
