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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think 11 is a bit young for paint balling?

18 replies

BegoniaBampot · 24/05/2013 08:06

Son wants to go paintballing for his 11th birthday with friends. The stated age is from 10 yrs old. Anyone done this for kids, how old and was it ok? Have heard it can be painful and sometimes dangerous. Son is desperate and I'm the big bad mum putting the kibosh on it.

OP posts:

Budgiegirlbob · 24/05/2013 08:11

My son went to a paintball party for his friends 11th birthday, and had a great time. They only allowed to use one type of gun, that fires a single shot, and had to wear safety gear such as eye protection.
It did hurt though, he did have quite a few bruises.

boardingschoolbaby · 24/05/2013 08:12

To be honest it depends entirely on the people involved. I know our middle school (8-13) take the boarders sometimes and those that go absolutely adore it.
I on the other hand i did it in a hen do aged 31, hated entry minute of it, and cried (in my defence the opposing team of adults that they set us up with were all TA blokes that go every weekend and they took it all incredibly seriously and they kept shooting us in the head which is forbidden and continuing to shoot after we gave the opt out signal).

As long as there are either enough children to make 2 teams or they book them in with another childrens group then they will have a blast if they are the rufty tufty type.

Usually the staff are really helpful so if you are unsure go along to have a look at how they structure their sessions etc

ChasingStaplers · 24/05/2013 08:16

I've worked on play schemes where the youngest participants were about 8 (this was a long time ago though!) all of them loved it and there are varying degrees of protection you can wear although the more you do wear, the slower you are
Generally I found the guys who worked at the one we went to were very professional and supported the younger ones really well.
Bloody hurts if you get shot though!

Original poster

BegoniaBampot · 24/05/2013 08:22

Thanks, they are all boys and sporty so I know they would love it - Nerf gun fanatics. Will rethink, already had tears this morning.

OP posts:

Bumply · 24/05/2013 08:24

Ds2 did this for his 10th birthday. The boys all loved it. I got fantastic bruises and it bloody hurts, but think it didn't help I was a bigger target.
Main thing to check is if they're sensible enough to follow the rules. Saw two lads of similar age being booted out close to the start because they raised helmets - one was a birthday boy and very upset at missing out on his treat, but at least it showed the staff were safety first.

Bumply · 24/05/2013 08:27

Also expect to pay a LOT of money on the paint pellets. You start them off with what you think are plenty and the kids just have no thought for being frugal and they're all shot within minutes. It was a grown man who hadn't closed the pellet storage thingy and lost £10 worth when they all tipped out. You're not allowed to pick up dropped ones as they ate slightly sticky and pick up twigs and gravel making them dangerous . Another bankable offence

Doilooklikeatourist · 24/05/2013 08:27

DS did this at age 11 .
It was the year 6 leavers treat .
Organised by the school .
A great time had by all .

Yonihadtoask · 24/05/2013 08:29

I don't think it is too young.

DS has been a few times. He enjoys it.

Not my thing. I don't scene like laser quest.

As long as they have the proper safety gear and its a professionally run outfit all should have fun.

(Although how about laser quest as a safer option if you aren't sure?)

Bumply · 24/05/2013 08:29

Bannable not bankable

treas · 24/05/2013 08:29

Ds absolutely loved it when he went to an 11th birthday party.

He can be a bit of a wussy drama queen if he stubs a toe but he really enjoyed showing off his battle scars bruises to the girls at school

Dededum · 24/05/2013 08:31

My son is doing this for his 10th birthday treat - they do it it only with 10-15 year olds. Seriously expensive so just 4 of them doing it, all day, then pizza and sleepover. Think I am mad!!

Wouldntyouliketoknow · 24/05/2013 11:31

I think it's perfectly suitable - but just warn them that it will hurt! You do come away with multiple bruises. They'll have a great time though.

Floggingmolly · 24/05/2013 11:40

One of dd's friends is doing this for her 12th birthday soon; I had no idea they hurt and left bruises? .
Don't know whether to tell dd or not, she doesn't exactly have a high pain threshold, (still screeches when brushing her hair if it's tangled, for example ).
Should be interesting...

theoldtrout01876 · 24/05/2013 13:03

Oh god paintball

My boys and all their mates were in to this at that age.It costs a fortune to get the kit. Every bloody weekend I was paying to get their co2 tanks filled. Went through millions of paintballs.They loved it though

Few things I can pass on from years of paintball mothering.

Never leave a box of paintballs any where warm :o

Only buy those paintballs that fade after they hit something

Always know what colour paintballs your child has and make sure their friends all have different colours. That means you can tell,when the anal twat NDN turns up to complain about paint ball stains,who did it

You get used to the feeling of worry eventually :o

Get them the right kit,paint balls hurt.

Good luck :o the kids love it btw an if you have woods they can run around in all the better

CloudsAndTrees · 24/05/2013 13:18

My ds was 10 when he went to a friends paintballing party for his 11th birthday. They loved it. It did hurt a bit, and they came home with a couple of small bruises, but they were all desperate to go back and do it again!

I think if they know it might hurt and still want to do it, and they are sensible enough to be trusted to follow the safety instructions they are given, then it's fine.

Grammaticus · 24/05/2013 13:21

You need to check who else will be there. If they are all similar ages then your worst risks are a) bruises from the pellets and b) them blasting through loads of pellets and costing you a fortune. If there are older lads there the little ones could well get shot a lot and consequently get upset.

bigTillyMint · 24/05/2013 13:23

Both DD and DS did this aged 11.

Just warn him that it might hurt a bit!

They enjoyed it, though DD was a bit at the adult men in the team -v- her all 11/12yo girls team who were shooting at them way closer up than the instructors said.

They are both going again next week with a very kind mad mum of their friends!

SanityClause · 24/05/2013 13:23

DD1 took friend for her 11th birthday. They were at a girls school, so none of the "that's for boys" rubbish.

There was a scary person (in a mask) who could come and challenge you to a duel, and one of them was a bit freaked about him, but was okay when I said it was unlikely to happen to her.

I do remember it being very expensive. It seems okay when you book, but I had to keep buying loads of paintballs, as they kept running out.

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