Trampoline Park Birthday Parties by Chain: Sky Zone, Urban Air, Altitude, Defy, Launch

$612, before the cake. That's what the average trampoline park party for 12 kids actually rings up at on a Saturday afternoon once you add per-jumper extras, mandatory grip socks, and pizza. The headline "$300 package" is for 10 kids and excludes most of the line items the cashier reads back to you at signing.

Here are the major trampoline-park chains operating in the US (Sky Zone, Urban Air, Altitude, Defy, and Launch) and what each charges, what each includes, and what each leaves off the package page. We're not ranking them. We're presenting the structural differences so you can pick the one that fits your kid's age, your headcount, and your tolerance for upcharges.

A market note before you call: in DFW, Andretti dominates "trampoline park near me" search results but is not a trampoline park. It's a karting and entertainment center. Don't book it expecting trampoline. WhirlyBall Plano closed in 2023. If you saw it ranking, that's stale data.

Note: HiveParty is a directory, not a venue inspector. We don't test, rank, or vouch for individual locations. Pricing, policies, and availability change, so call ahead and confirm in writing. Outcomes vary by location, season, and headcount.

Five criteria you can hold up to any chain's PDF. We checked corporate party pages, read per-chain Reddit threads, and mapped the structural policies that decide whether a party is a $300 day or a $560 wound:

Cost band, all-in for 12 kids on a weekend. Not the headline package number. The real out-the-door number with pizza, extras, grip socks, and tip. Age fit. Most chains require kids to be 5+. Only one has a real under-5 option. What's included vs. what's an upcharge. Pizza, grip socks, party host, room time, jump time. RSVP/headcount flexibility. Per-head and prepaid, almost universally, but with variance in adjustment deadlines. Parent gotchas. Things only Reddit threads tell you (mandatory waivers, grip-sock policies, room time vs. jump time).

Cost band (12 kids, Saturday afternoon, all-in): $420–$540 Base package: $300 for 10 jumpers, $25–$35 per additional jumper Age fit: 2-and-up at locations with Lil' Air (toddler zone). 5+ at locations without. Confirm your branch. Not every Sky Zone has Lil' Air. What's included: 60 minutes of jump time, 30 minutes in a party room, party host, paper goods. What's not included: pizza ($45 for two large), grip socks (mandatory, $3–$5/kid), goody bags, the cake, host gratuity. RSVP flex: Per-head, prepaid. Most locations lock at signing. Some flex 48 hours out for repeat customers. Ask in writing. Parent gotcha: Lil' Air is location-specific. The Sky Zone in your suburb may have it. The one a town over may not. Don't assume. Call.

What to ask before signing: Does this location have Lil' Air? What's the per-jumper extra rate? Is pizza included or an add-on? Is the 30-minute room time hard-stopped, or do we get the room while we eat?

Skip if: your kid is under 5 and the closest Sky Zone doesn't have Lil' Air. Drive to the one that does or pick a different format.

Cost band (12 kids, all-in): $440–$560 Base package: $350–$450 for 10–15, varies by location and adventure tier Age fit: 5-and-up at most locations. Some locations have a designated "Funkville" or toddler area. Same disclaimer as Sky Zone: call. What's included: 90 minutes in the park, 30 minutes in the room, party host, plates and cups. What's not included: pizza ($40–$50 for 2 large), grip socks ($4–$6/kid, often mandatory), goody bags, the cake, climbing-wall or sky-rider access at base tier. RSVP flex: Per-head, prepaid, but corporate policy at many locations allows headcount adjustment up to 48 hours before. Confirm in writing. It's location-by-location. Parent gotcha: Adventure tiers. The base "Adventure" package at most Urban Airs doesn't include the climbing wall, ropes course, or sky rider. Kids will see them and ask. Either upgrade ($50–$100) or explain in advance.

What to ask before signing: Which adventure tier are we on? What attractions do the kids see in the building that they can't access at this tier? When is the headcount-adjustment cutoff in writing?

Skip if: every kid in your group is 6+ and you want the climbing wall and the ropes course and the sky rider. The base tier won't satisfy them.

Cost band (12 kids, all-in): $400–$520 Base package: $325–$425 for 10, includes pizza at most locations Age fit: 5-and-up; some locations have toddler hours but not toddler party packages. What's included: jump time (60–90 min), party room, party host, and pizza (most locations). This is the structural difference vs. peer chains. What's not included: grip socks ($3–$5/kid), goody bags, the cake. RSVP flex: Per-head, prepaid. Most locations lock at signing. Parent gotcha: Coverage is patchy. Altitude isn't in every market. If you're in DFW, the Northeast corridor, or the Midwest, you likely have one within 30 minutes. Phoenix, Florida, the Carolinas: coverage is thin.

What to ask before signing: Is pizza definitely in the package at this location, or is that a regional thing? How many pies, and what size? What's the grip-sock policy?

Skip if: there isn't an Altitude within reasonable driving distance. Don't drive 40 minutes for trampoline.

Cost band (12 kids, all-in): $450–$570 Base package: $375–$475 for 10 Age fit: 5-and-up. Some locations advertise "junior" sessions for under-7 but not as a party tier. What's included: access to the park (trampolines, foam pit, ninja course, dodgeball), 90 minutes, dedicated party host, fully private room for cake. What's not included: pizza ($45–$60 for 2 large), grip socks ($3–$5/kid), goody bags. RSVP flex: Per-head, prepaid. Lock at signing at most locations. Parent gotcha: Defy's ninja course is a draw, but it has height and skill requirements that can leave smaller kids out. Read the policy before promising it to the under-7 crowd.

What to ask before signing: Is the room fully enclosed or just a sectioned-off area? What are the ninja course height/skill requirements? Are siblings under 5 charged the full per-jumper rate?

Skip if: mixed-age group with kids under 7. They'll get blocked from the ninja course and feel the difference.

Cost band (12 kids, all-in): $400–$580 (huge range, location-dependent) Base package: $300–$450 for 10 Age fit: Mostly 5+. Some locations have toddler zones; many don't. What's included: Wildly variable. Some Launches include pizza; some don't. Some include party hosts; some don't. Some include grip socks; most don't. What's not included: Whatever the specific location chose not to include. RSVP flex: Per-head, prepaid. Locks at signing. Parent gotcha: Launch is a franchise, and what you get depends entirely on which Launch. The corporate site lists the option for each feature; the local location decides what's actually in the package. Read the local PDF before signing.

What to ask before signing: Send me your local party PDF in writing. Confirm pizza, grip socks, party host, room time, and per-jumper extra in that document. Don't rely on the corporate site.

Skip if: you can't get the local package details in writing. Don't book a Launch off the corporate site alone.

These are universal. Build them into your budget before you call any chain.

Per-head, prepaid pricing. Four no-shows = $100 you don't get back. The single biggest financial risk in this category. Mandatory grip socks at most locations. $3–$5 per kid. Often not in the package even though they're required to jump. Plan $40 on top of the headline number. Waivers required for every kid. Send the waiver link to every parent with the invite. If a kid arrives without a signed waiver, that kid sits in the lobby for 20 minutes. Jump time vs. room time. Most packages run 60–90 minutes of jump time, then 30 minutes in a room for cake. Read the contract. Some locations cut room time short. Pizza upcharge. $40–$60 for 2 large. Outside food is almost universally not allowed (cake usually is, ask). No-show acknowledgment. Eight kids said yes. Four came. Per-head pricing means every confirmed kid is $30 you've already spent. Send the 7-day text and the 48-hour text. Per-head pricing punishes maybes. Get yes-or-no answers in writing.

The single piece of information that decides whether your party is $400 or $560: the per-jumper extra rate, the grip-sock charge, and whether pizza is in the package or an add-on. Three of the five chains bury this in PDFs the booking flow doesn't surface until you've already engaged the sales rep. Ask all three numbers in writing before signing.

| Age | Chain options that fit | Why | |---|---|---| | 2–4 | Sky Zone (Lil' Air locations only) | Only major chain with a toddler zone | | 5–6 | Sky Zone or Altitude | Lil' Air option still applies; Altitude includes pizza | | 7–9 | Any of the five | All five chains accommodate this age band | | 10–12 | Defy or Urban Air | Ninja course / climbing wall / ropes course | | 13+ | Defy | Strongest teen-engagement features; least toddler-coded |

The American Academy of Pediatrics has formally recommended against home trampoline use and flagged commercial trampoline parks as higher-injury environments than most kids' venues. Sprains and fractures are the most common injury type. Three planners we talked to said the same: parties go fine; the injury risk is real but small (under 1 percent per party, anecdotally). Read the waiver policy before signing. Some parks require a parent on-site for under-7s. Some don't. Ask.

If you're in DFW and Googled "trampoline park near me," Andretti is probably in your top results. Andretti is not a trampoline park. Andretti is a karting, arcade, and bowling center. Their birthday parties are fine; they're just not the trampoline format. If you wanted trampoline, scroll past.

WhirlyBall Plano closed in 2023. If you saw it ranking, that's stale data. Drive somewhere else.

Identify the chain with a location within 20 minutes of you. (Don't drive 40 minutes for trampoline. Pick a different format.) Call. Ask three questions in writing: per-jumper extra rate, grip-sock charge, and is pizza included. If your kid is under 5, confirm Lil' Air at your specific Sky Zone location. Send the waiver link to every parent with the invite. Send the 7-day-out RSVP text to every yes.