FlagTagAZ - Family fun in Flagstaff, Az!

 

When we travel, I try looking for local family-friendly attractions to visit in-between seeing the typical tourist destinations, so that we can get the most out of our vacations. We wanted to beat the summer heat, so we decided to head up north to Flagstaff where the weather is significantly cooler than in Phoenix. The main three spots we wanted to visit were Walnut Canyon, the lava cave and Out of Africa. However, I knew we were going to have some downtime, so instead of hanging out in our hotel room we decided to look for something exciting to do together. We were looking for something that was indoors & out of the weather, FlagTag Az fit the bill. FlagTagAZ offers Axe throwing & Laser tag, plus they have a small arcade. I do want to note that this spot is geared towards pre-teens, teens & adults. We visited on a Saturday afternoon and were surprised by how few patrons were visiting at the same time. We were originally told that Saturday is their busiest day, so we were expecting packed throwing lanes. Needless to say, that surprise worked out in our favor as it was quieter than normal, and we didn't have to worry about feeling cramped next to other large groups.

You can purchase each activity individually or opt for one of their packages which give you a bit of a discount. During our visit we opted for the 'Groovy Combo' for $35 per person which includes thirty minutes of axe throwing along with two laser tag games. We've visited other Axe throwing locations & something that makes FlagTag stand out a bit from the others is that fact that they also allow you to throw knives & ninja stars.

The throwing lanes are equipped with a tablet that allows you to choose one of their digital games you'd like to play while throwing. The game is cast onto the wooden planks at the end of the lane using a projector. You can choose from games like battleship or just do regular axe throwing, it all depends on if you want to throw for fun or compete against a friend/family member. I do wish that they offered different weighted & sized axes, the larger sized axe they offered was a bit awkward for me to use compared to smaller versions I've used at other throwing lanes. I do not necessarily think it was due to the weight, but the length as I felt like the handle was too long for the way I tend to throw. 

Throwing the ninja stars was an interesting experience, they were so light weight compared to the axes. I am not going to lie; the first time I tried to throw the ninja star it flew up much higher than I was aiming for and stuck above the wooden planks, I almost couldn't reach it to get it back down! However, I know I am not the only one who has overthrown the ninja star because there were quite a few spots next to where I threw it & some marks even higher than where my star landed where others have hit. Your time on the lanes will go by faster than expected, so I would keep that in mind when deciding on which game you'd like to play. 

After we finished our half an hour of axe throwing, we went over to the laser tag. The space they have for the laser tag is actually pretty large and even includes a second story. I didn't go into the laser tag, so I cannot personally comment on the laser tag experience however my family members who played had a fantastic time! While we waited on our laser tag group, the rest of us had a look around the facility. 

There is a cafe area where you can pick up snacks, or drinks including alcohol. You'll also find a small selection of arcade games plus a row of claw machines. I had also noticed that they have a small corner set up with a number of family board games and a giant version of connect four. The last activity they offer is Dart throwing, where you can use either regular plastic tipped darts or metal tipped darts. We had fun checking out everything FlagTagAZ had to offer, and I think it is a fun spot to bring your family. FlagTagAZ is currently located at 1801 W Rte 66 #102 Flagstaff,AZ 86001 however, by the end of summer they are hoping to be in their new location, so please check their website to verify the address before visiting. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  FlagTagAZ provided us a discount in exchange for a review, no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Battle it out with family & friends at Game Show Battle Rooms!

 

My family & I are big fans of game shows, from old shows like Family Feud to new shows like The Floor we love watching them together. We've always thought it would be amazing to be on one, & my husband and I were actually able to audition for one once. We recently learned about an awesome family friendly entertainment spot called Game Show Battle Rooms. You are able to put together teams then compete against one another to see who the champions are. They have several locations spread out across the US, so you may be lucky & find one near you. We were able to swing by the location located in Chandler at 6909 W Ray Rd Suite 29 Chandler, AZ 85226. It is located in Chandler, but on their website, it is listed under "Phoenix". 

They offer two different game show experiences, you can select the Classic show down which includes games such as spinning a giant wheel & completing a phrase or answering survey questions. Or you can book a Prime-Time showdown which includes games like sixty second skill games. It is $36.95 per person & each game show session last for one hour. If you have an extra-large group, a little bit more time will be added to your session to give everyone a chance to play. 

We did the Classic Show Down & had eight people in our party, which we split into two groups of four. Upon arrival you will be able to come up with a team name & each person will be given a name tag. We were asked to not put our legal names instead come up with something fun for a stage name. My nickname is Luna, so I ended up going with "Luna Mistress of the Dark" and it was funny hearing them call it out while we were playing. Before heading into the game show room, they have a bathroom you can use, and they also have a section where you can buy drinks. Our team names were the X-Force & The Iron Maidens. 

The game show room itself looks fantastic, it has everything you need to feel like you are on a live game show minus a live audience behind you. There are spotlights, all of the game pieces, two different team tables, plus two game show hosts and fun upbeat music of course. Our game show hosts JD & Talon were fantastic! They were very energetic, had some great jokes, played fun music and did a fantastic job pairing up people for the head-to-head competitions. One of the head-to-head team ups we had was the battle of the moms where it was my mom verses my husband's mom. You'll be pumped the entire time you are playing, everyone was hooting & hollering, clapping and laughing together. 

Everyone in our party had an absolute blast! Every aspect of the hour we were here was amazing, we had a great time competing against each other guessing answers, playing plinko and even dancing. After our session was over, everyone was already talking about coming back to try the other type of game shows. We were also told by our hosts that even if we booked the same classic game show that every session is different so there will be different questions, different products to price, etc. This is a fantastic spot for a friend's game night, birthday party, company team building and more. 

If you pop over to my Instagram page, you can find a reel with some footage from our game together! 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Game Show Battle Rooms provided this experience to us for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Review!

 

Did you know that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is back with an all new and updated show. One of the biggest things they've updated is that the show no longer features live animal acts, instead you'll see an adorable robot dog performing some tricks instead along with an action packed show. The team at Ringling went all around the globe to collect a variety of acts to perform in their new show. We were recently invited to check out their show when they were in Phoenix. 

The show last about two hours with a short intermission between, they've set everything up to where you can see the action no matter where you sit. Not only do they have main focus acts in the center, but they often had secondary acts to the far sides of the state as well so the show felt up close and personal. The way the show flows is done so well, the staff are very quick with getting the stages changed out and making sure the next act is ready to go. 

We were very happy with all of the acts who went on. There were some pretty awesome tricks and stunts that take years to master. The mixture of acts from someone playing the drums to acrobats jump roping on a tight rope and fast paced bike stunts this show is sure to have something for everyone's taste in acts. 

They are currently on tour & may be stopping by a city near you. Tickets range in price depending on where you choose to sit. This show is completely family friendly & fans of all ages will enjoy this show. The new show was a lot of fun to watch, we enjoyed it and we are glad we were able to attend to see all the new acts that have been added. I look forward to seeing what they do next! Stop by their website to see where they are headed to next.

Disclaimer- Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey provided tickets for us to visit for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Escapology Tempe Review!

 

My kids have both done at home Escape "rooms" with us in the past & have been wanting to do a in person Escape room for quite sometime, so I set out to look for one that is family friendly. I found a spot in Tempe that not only offers regular escape rooms, but if you are looking for a birthday party idea they also have rooms specifically designed for kids to escape together as a group. The room we selected isn't specifically geared towards children, however it was a moderate challenge room & our children who are ten and fifteen felt confident they would do just fine. Escapology Tempe was kind enough to have the four of us out to test out one of their escape rooms & write a review for them. Escapology Tempe offers seven different rooms, plus they have a kids mode as well. Rooms at Escapology are private so you will not need to worry about another party joining in with you. 

The room we selected was Batman: The Dark Knight Challenge.The theme for this room was is that you & your group are part of a training course who is sent out on a mission by Batman to stop a disaster from happening in Gotham. You have sixty minutes to find & solve clues that will help you complete your mission, save Gotham City & escape the room. If you get stuck your game master will be able to help provide some clues to help you progress. So, were we able to beat the clock and save Gotham City? Keep reading to find out. 

This challenge consisted of three rooms full of puzzles that need to be solved & completed before the clock runs out. You start off your adventure in the Batcave being given instructions by Batman, once he is finished giving you a run down of what your mission is the first step is to find your way out of the Batcave. I enjoyed how they had everything set up in the Batcave, you did feel like you are in a real room set up by Batman for briefings and training. This is also the area where you'll find a screen which will hold any clues you ask for along with a basket to hold any belongings you do not wish to carry the entire time. I honestly wasn't keeping a close eye on the clock so I can not say how long it took to get out of the first room.

The second room was well thought out as well with how everything was decorated and made to feel as though it was part of the Gotham City world & that you are actually in Arkham looking for clues as to how you will stop the disaster in the city. This room had a lot more physical things that were able to be found, moved and completed which was a lot of fun & I felt like we all did a great job contributing to certain aspects of different puzzles to figure it out as a team. 

Entering the last room we had just under sixteen minutes left to complete the final steps. We were able to do one of the puzzles & collect a piece we needed for the final puzzle however one of the puzzles that needed to be completed in this room stopped us in our tracks. I do not want to go into complete detail of what the puzzles was as that would ruin the fun for anyone else wanting to do this game. I will note though that when the screen dinged after we spent quite a while on the puzzle, the clue that was on the screen already matched what we had figured out & what was written down on our little notepad. We had tried the combination forwards, backwards and with a combination of signs as well but nothing seemed to work. We did sadly end up losing! When our host came in after, I asked her if she could show us what the answer was along with showing her on our notepad our list of the order + the different ways I tried to punch them in. She went to hit the same buttons I had & said it should have done something so I honestly have no clue if it was something we had done wrong or if this particular puzzle wasn't working properly. She had let us know she would tell her manager about it as she seemed slightly puzzled as well. My husband & kids felt slightly robbed with that puzzle, but it happens! 

Even without escaping we did have a lot of fun & it was great seeing the kids in action figuring out puzzles and helping with clues. My husband and I think they did a fantastic job and we are looking forward to taking them to do another escape room in the future. We went on Easter, so Escapology actually had some Easter eggs hidden around their lobby area which was a cute way to decorate for the holiday. I had thought it was just the lobby eggs were hidden, but during our escape game my son actually found an egg hidden in one of the rooms! It had candy and a little note to take it to a staff member to redeem for a free game in the future. I thought that was a nice touch to add for guests coming in on a holiday. Escape rooms are always fun to do with friends or with family! If you are looking for something exciting to do, why not try out an escape room? Stop by their website to see the different themes they offer and book a escape challenge today. Prices for the rooms range from $36 per player for the kids mode up to $44 per player for certain rooms. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer- The experience mentioned above was provided by  Escapology Tempe for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Jurassic Quest - A Dinosaur Experience!

 

Over the weekend we went to check out Jurassic Quest for a family day! We were originally going to visit back in 2020 when they were in Arizona. However, the pandemic had just hit so all the shows were cancelled, so we didn't get a opportunity to visit again until now. What is Jurassic Quest? It is a fun dinosaur adventure & mobile dinosaur museum. They have life sized dinosaur statues, baby dinosaurs & their trainers, interactive kids activities, ride on dinosaurs and more. If you don't have any kind of dinosaur attraction near you, this is a great way to get to experience something similar when they stop by to visit your state. 

General admission is $22 which is for ages 11-64 and children 10 & under had two different purchase options, general admission which is also $22 or Kids unlimited which is $36. I definitely recommend the unlimited wrist band for smaller children, it will save you quite a bit of money since you won't need to buy rides and activities separately and your child will be able to get back in line for the rides & bounce houses as much as they'd like. They are in each location for three days & tickets can sell out so get your tickets early. Many of the time slots of our location were sold out for Saturday & Sunday, the line was a pretty decent size when we first arrived but the staff were quick at getting everyone through and into the event. Everything is self guided & is pretty easy to navigate where you are going.

This event is fantastic for small kids (under 10), it is an exciting space for them to explore and all of the bounce houses plus the ride on dinosaurs will help burn off some of their extra energy for the day. While we were there we saw seven or eight large dinosaurs the kids could ride on, three off them actually walked along a set distance while the others were in place like the one shown above but still had hands & heads that moved to make it feel alive. There were also several bounce houses, a fossil dig area where kids could use a paint brush to uncover bones in a large sand pit or they could go to the table area and break apart a fossil dig block. I think the only thing I would have changed about the location where this was hosted at here, is that the space was bigger. Based off of what I've seen online it felt like they weren't able to fit everything into the space at Bell Bank Park.

If you get snackish, they had a small concession stand with food and drinks. They also had a gift shop set up where you could buy shirts, light up wands or dinosaur shaped balloons. Trainers were walking around with adorable baby dinosaurs in their arms that you could take photos with, they also had a raptor show where kids could watch a raptor do a few trips and touch it. Before leaving they had a few photo opportunities set up where you could take a photo inside of an egg, or with a baby dinosaur. While it definitely felt geared specifically for small children, this was still a neat event for adults to see some massive dinosaurs & spend some time with the family. We enjoyed walking around and talking about the variety of dinosaurs they had on display and were able to see a baby dinosaur as well. 

I think they did a great job with setting up the large dinosaurs and the backgrounds that go with them. There are a lot of great photo opportunities in front of the dinosaurs & they had a variety of signs with information on the dinosaurs which is always fun because you might learn something new. This is a traveling event so they are in a new city every weekend, if this is an event that your family would love head over to their website to see which city they are headed to next. They will also have Canadian stops this year as well! 

Disclaimer- Tickets to the event for my family were provided by Jurassic Quest for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Family Friendly Events coming to Arizona!

It is the start of a new year which means a bunch of the early events will be back soon! Here is a list of some of the events coming to Arizona within the next few months that you & your family may want to check out. You can visit each events website directly by clicking on the name of the event.

Monster Jam - 

March 31st- April 2nd in Tucson,AZ
April 15th in Glendale,AZ

Tickets start at $25 at either location, Pit Passes are available. Even if you aren't a huge Monster Truck fan, this show is a lot of fun to be at. Seeing these massive trucks race around a track, jump into the air & sometimes even crash will get your adrenaline going. You can check out my review from the last time they were here, by clicking on this link.

Harlem Globetrotters - 

March 3rd in Prescott Valley
March 4th in Phoenix
March 5th in Glendale

Ticket prices in Prescott start at $40, Phoenix & Glendale start at $20. Honestly, I have never been a big sports fan but I absolutely loved their show the last time they were here & we were able to see them. The show is very energetic, they get the crowd involved in the show and it is fun for the whole family. You can check out more from the last time they were here by clicking this link.

Arizona Renaissance Festival - 

Open all weekends February 4th until April 2nd in Gold Canyon. 

Tickets are $33 per adult & $21 per child. This event is fun for the whole family, come as yourself or come in costume either way there is a ton for you to do. You can catch one of a few dozen shows, visit the petting zoo, take a photo with a unicorn, watch the Knights, grab some food or visit some of the many shops they have to offer. I've visited several times as a child & as an adult and love it every time, you can check out my review from last years event by clicking this link. 

Super Motocross -

April 8th in Glendale 

Tickets start at $15 for the 12pm show & $20 for the 6:30pm show. I haven't been to this event since I was a kid, but it was always a fun high-paced environment for those to be in who love dirt bikes/motorcycles and seeing them race and perform stunts. 

AEW (All Elite Wrestling) Dynamite/Rampage - 

February 22nd in Phoenix 

Tickets start at $29. This is the first time AEW will be in Arizona so it is an exciting opportunity for fans of AEW to see their favorite wrestlers live and in person. 

WWE Monday Night Raw -

March 27th in Phoenix 

Tickets start at $20. Another great event for wrestling fans to see the show live & in person. 

33rd Annual Phoenix Chinese Culture & Cuisine Festival -

January 21-22nd in Phoenix

This event is free to the public, there will be live entertainment, a children's area & more. There will also be food for purchase along with vendors to check out.

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There are also a ton of musical acts coming back to AZ, plus a lot of your local favorites such as the Phoenix Zoo have their yearly events coming back. FEBRUARY 22, 2

See Dinosaurs at Pangaea in Scottsdale, Arizona!

If you have a small child who loves Dinosaurs then Pangaea in Scottsdale, Arizona is an attraction that you might want to consider checking out at least once. We recently stopped by and redeemed our free admission using our POGO Pass, If you don't know what a Pogo pass is then stop by my review here to learn what it is all about. Without a Pogo pass general admission is $17.95 per child & $19.95 per adult, or you can purchase the Paleo pack for $32.90 which comes with extra activities. We went on a Thursday afternoon shortly before their last admission for the day, they are open until 5pm however they stop selling tickets at 4pm to allow everyone enough time to explore before they close. We had the entire place pretty much to ourselves which was nice because we were able to go at our own pace.

After getting your admission tickets you will walk through the gift shop into the back where the entrance for the exhibit is. Inside you'll find a few dozen very large Dinosaur figures & animatronics. You'll find the inside easy to navigate as they have your stroll set up, so you are self-guided along the trail which is set up to free like you are in another point in time. 

Seeing as this is self-guided tour there is no one there to tell you about each of the dinosaurs, so how are you supposed to know what you are looking at? Along the exhibit you will find touch screen kiosks that will tell you all about each dinosaur. It was neat to read some of the information such as what their names mean, how big they were, etc. You will also find a number of stations that have a chain & stamp attached to them, this is so children can stamp the little dinosaur field guide they are given at the start to complete as they walk through. 

At the end once they have collected all of the stamps, they will get a prize. My kids received a small shark tooth! There are additional activities that can be purchased such as a rock sifting, dinosaur dig & more. They also have a small game arcade and grill you can order food from if you so choose. There were only a few other people there so even walking along slowly taking photos & videos along with checking out the information monitors and collecting stamps we were done in about twenty, that was with stopping to take a few photos.

The dinosaur animatronics were neat to see up close, they are literally within just a few feet of you & some are directly in front of your face. Sadly it looked like a few visitors may have taken advantage of being so close to them as a few were missing teeth and small pieces off their backs. The baby dinosaurs were so cute & they have everything set up to get some fun photo opportunities with the kids and family.

What were our final thoughts? It was a cute experience, however it doesn't take very long to look at the figures, read through the tablets, collect the stamps & reach the end. Entrance into the exhibit for two adults and two children is just over $75 which is slightly pricey for the amount of time spent here. It was fun to visit once, our kids enjoyed it though they may have been a little more excited if they were younger, we probably won't make a second visit as we were able to see everything during this visit.  Using our Pogo pass we were able to get the four of us in for free & it adds onto the savings we've already saved using our passes. You can get a Pogo Pass for a discounted cost $59.99 using code 6c8d10a3. You can learn more information about the pogo pass by visiting my review here.

You can find more Arizona attractions, events & restaurants by clicking the "Things to do in Arizona" link on the right hand side of my blog or click the purple link in this sentence. 

**This is not a sponsored post, we stopped by here as a family & I decided to share about our experience with my readers.

Illumination AZ Review!

**This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Illumination AZ for the review free of charge.**

My family and I were recently invited to the VIP preview of the Illumination AZ drive through light show, my kids love looking at Christmas lights and it was something I loved doing as a child as well so we decided to go. What is Illumination? It is a large drive through light show, there are thousands of lights all synced up to light up and turn off to the beat of Christmas songs, this is it's first year running. If you pay before hand tickets are $30 and if you buy them once you arrive tickets are $35 per car load not per person.

I really enjoy the idea of a large drive thru light show, however this is their first year running so they do have several bumps they need to smooth out so this review isn't completely positive unfortunately. The show was due to start at 6:15pm so we were all asked to arrive as close to 6pm as possible. We arrived about twenty minutes prior to the time and there were already a decent amount of people waiting, once 6:30 rolled around there were still no lights and no movement. The person in charge of the light show that needed to be there and on stage arrived a bit late and then got stuck in-line so we had to wait for them to get set up. Once everything got turned on and started moving it was a little bit of a mad house, they had 4-5 lines of traffic all merging into one single file line and there wasn't anyone directing traffic so everyone was just trying to squeeze and rush their way to get into line first. I think they should have someone standing at the front directing traffic to make things a little easier as this is something I've noticed a lot of people commenting about on facebook as well.



Once you get into the line things start to move pretty smoothly from there, as long as you follow the speed limit, set your radio to the station they provide and shut your headlights off you shouldn't run into any issues. Along the drive there were a lot of neat features such as drive thru light tunnels, giant Christmas trees, peace signs, cactus, and more. Each one was a different color and some of them did different lighting effects than the others but we did notice that several trees and sections of lights weren't on/working at all which was a bit of a bummer because it left gaps in the drive. The kids had a lot of fun looking at all of the lights though. At the speed we were going I would say it took us about 15-20 minutes to drive from the start to the finish of the lights. At the end of the lights there is a section set up for you to park and get out, there are food trucks, sweets vendors, crafting stations, bathrooms, Santa's workshop where you can take photos with Santa and more.



The park and stroll section has a giant light up Ornament you can walk through, has bounce houses for the kids plus a number of other fun activities for your enjoyment along with music and food. The kids had a lot of fun because it was like a mini carnival. The Illumination AZ will be open nightly until January 14th. It is located on the I-17 just north of the Norterra shopping center, 27701 N. Black Canyon Highway Phoenix, AZ 85085.