Even with a troubled economy, indoor children's entertainment facilities continue to provide a cost-efficient and fun place where families can hold birthday parties.
While Berks County houses large businesses such as Ozzy's Family Fun Center, 5411 Pottsville Pike, Leesport, or Chuck E. Cheese's, with two locations in Reading, Schuylkill County has a few businesses that provide similar services.
Climb-a-Lot Clubhouse, 45 Plaza Drive, Suite 350, Tamaqua, is for children ages 10 and under. It features a 2,800-square-foot, handicap-accessible indoor playground where children can climb and play in a tree house, navigate through tunnels and tubes, bounce in a bounce area and slide down four slides.
There is also a special play area for children under 3 years old, a large party area and kid-friendly arcade games.
To ensure that the children are safe while playing, the staff is headed by a certified teacher and all staffers have CPR and basic first-aid training and child abuse and state police background checks on file.
Karen Tharp, Climb-a-Lot owner, said with two party packages, the business holds about 325 parties in a year. Most of its customers are from Schuylkill County, the Lehigh Valley, Hazleton and even as far away as Scranton.
The two packages include a party with up to eight children on weekdays, and parties with up to 16 children that can be held anytime.
Tharp said that the economy has not affected her business, as Climb-a-Lot still has people celebrating birthday parties with them. Situated fairly far away from Berks, they don't lose business or even consider the kid party places competition, she said.
"We'll be open three years in December and we opened in the worst economy," Tharp said. "We found that children are the one place that families don't cut back and can afford a party once a year."
While it may not have tubes and slides, another location that is popular for parties is the Roller Roost II, Westwood Road, Pottsville, which has been a special place for roller skaters for more than 30 years.
Besides skating, it offers other activities including video games, a rock climbing wall, billiards and laser tag. There is also a snack bar.
"Usually, some days we have seven birthday parties during a 1 to 4 p.m. skate," owner Thomas E. Smith said. "We have parties on Saturdays and Sundays, along with our private parties."
Although there are businesses where child-friendly parties can be held in the county, many are going outside, according to Gary Seibert, general manager at Ozzy's.
"We actually do a tracking of every party to see where people are coming from," he said. "We get parties that come from Schuylkill County and every place between. It's really amazing how far people will come for a birthday party."
Although a bulk of the party-goers are from within an eight to 10 mile radius, Seibert said there have also been people traveling from Lancaster and Philadelphia.
Ozzy's sees 1,500 to 2,000 parties a year, Seibert said. Children can participate in an array of activities. There is the adventure challenge - a three-story play maze complete with tunnels, bridges and spiral slides - an arcade, go-karts, laser tag, roller skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, bumper boats, mini golf, an inflatable center and sports arena.
Seibert said there are five party packages, plus private party room rentals.
For more information about any of these businesses, visit Climb-A-Lot Clubhouse at www.climbalotclubhouse.com or call 570-668-1966; Ozzy's Family Fun Center at www.ozzysffc.com or 610-926-6162; or contact the Roller Roost II at 570-628-4032.