As one of the oldest in her class I noticed last year that my eldest daughter had started to get a bit bored at birthday parties. The standard party in a hall with an entertainer no longer seemed to be holding her attention and she claimed they were too babyish for her (even though she clearly enjoyed herself at times).  I'm not really familiar with what other options there are for parties for primary school age child, but I when I was offered the chance to review a Kid's party at Hollywood Bowl Dagenham it seemed the perfect way to find out. You can win your own Ultimate Kid's party package here to help celebrate the venues first birthday.

It’s easy for parents

A hosted Kid's party at Hollywood Bowl means you just need to invite guests and bring a cake (optional), with the Ultimate party package everything else is arranged for you. They can even provide invitations and party bags! It was honestly the easiest party I have ever held.

Party hosts make the party go smoothly

We were greeted by our lovely party host Viki and from that moment on I could just relax and enjoy myself. She managed to get 10 over excited children to sit down and listen to the health & safety essentials, took their names and food order and set them all up on the system so they were all ready to go. Any questions or help anyone needed throughout the party she was only too happy to help with.

There is a great atmosphere

Held in the VIP area we had 2 lanes and a private seating area to ourselves which helped keep the children contained, but the whole venue just screams "fun" and has a great party atmosphere. You can have up to 6 children a lane and with 10 guests overall we found that none of the children waited for very long between goes. It was also great to see that with our group they weren’t being competitive between individuals, but between the 2 groups so it didn’t matter if one player was much better, or worse, than the others. The balloons in the party area perfectly added to the atmosphere.

You can sit back and let the children enjoy themselves

I must admit I was worried about the noise level and exuberance of our party. There was laughing, cheering and general merriment, the only people who really sat down were the parents! When I shared my concern about the noise etc I was told they just loved seeing the children having such a great time and the staff were totally relaxed about everything, even potential squash spillages. This made is so much more enjoyable for me as a parent. There are a few health and safety aspects to pay attention to like no drinks by the lanes and don't stick your hand down the ball return, but I didn't have to worry about "nagging" them.

It's great for different age groups

Our party had a mix of ages from nearly 3 to 9 and they all had a great time. We had the bumpers up in the lanes and used a rack to roll the balls down so it didn’t matter if the children had bowled before. The older ones helped the younger ones and the highest scores overall ended up being by 2 of the youngest.

Food and drink is included 

While bowling we had jugs of squash in our booth and once we had finished the game the children went over to a long table in the Diner area for food. The party menu had a choice of about 5 hot dishes ranging from spaghetti bolognese to chicken nuggets and chips. I made a query about dairy free food and they were very helpful with allergy information. I didn’t try any of the food, but the children all ate an impressive amount (so often at parties they are too distracted and barely touch the food) which suggests it was tasty.

The attention to detail

The children got stickers for things like getting a strike (and what child doesn’t like stickers!), they got a certificate at the end with their score on and the host took a photo of all the children together at the end which they received a print out of. It’s these little things which turn it from a game of bowling into a great party. Last time we went bowling as a family my eldest was 5 and she didn’t really enjoy it, mostly because she wasn’t very good with it, but at the Hollywood Bowl Kid's party everyone had a great time and I know they will all be asking their parents if they can go bowling again. Handily there is a free game voucher for each child included with the Ultimate Party Package.

The staff were great

Viki our host was brilliant, but all the staff I spoke to while I was at Hollywood Bowl Dagenham were so helpful and friendly. We had a mix up with one of the meals which they sorted out as quickly as they could, but otherwise there is nothing I could criticise about the whole visit.

What are the Kid's Party Packages at Hollywood Bowl Dagenham?

We experienced the Ultimate Kid’s Party Package which I would definitely recommend, there is also a slightly cheaper party package, but you don’t get the party host. Based on our experience having a host made everything so much more simple.

The Ultimate Party Package includes: a game of bowling, food after the game, unlimited squash, a host, balloons, a photo of the party, a game voucher for each child and party invites (free collection or posted for a fee). 

Party packages range in cost from £9.49 to £13.49 depending on the type of package and day of the week, party bags cost extra.

What age are the Kid's bowling parties suitable for?

Hollywood Bowl recommend their children's parties for 5 to 10 year olds and I would agree, but if a few people in the party are older or younger they will have a great time too. They also offer a party package for teenagers.

About Hollywood Bowl Dagenham

With free parking outside and 20 bowling lanes inside as well as pool tables, an amusement arcade, licensed bar and diner serving snacks and meals Hollywood Bowl is a great place to go for a few hours of fun. You are even allowed to wear your own shoes (as long as they are flat soled).

***Disclosure: we were invited along to have a party at Hollywood Bowl Dagenham to celebrate their first birthday and in exchange for providing an honest review and hosting a giveaway***