Overview
Approaching milestone ages of 20, 30 and 40, it's easy to find yourself wondering when real life adulthood will kick in. You may already be rocking the two-piece suit which you shelled out a week's pay for, or planned out your meals for the next month, but there are times when it's okay to put your feet up on the coffee table, eat ice-cream straight from the punnet and giggle at Wallace & Gromit, basking in a moment of the simple life you once lived as a child.
Someone, somewhere once said, 'the older you get, the younger you feel', which is grounds enough for us to make up a list of eight kidult activities that will have you feeling like your six-year-old self again in no time. No suits allowed, and yes, sugar is required.
Clip 'N Climb
GO ROCK CLIMBING AT CLIP 'N CLIMB
There's nothing quite like the sweaty-palm sensation you get when you reach for a precariously planted rock just out of arm's reach and haul yourself to the ceiling. Clip 'N Climb has two locations in Auckland (Balmoral, Albany) where you can climb to the top of 40 artistic walls, take the leap of faith or drop down the vertical slide. They also have a state-of-the-art belay system which requires no human contact, so you can race your friends without having to take turns holding the rope.
$18 // 610 Dominion Rd, Balmoral or 59 Corinthian Drive, Albany
LET OFF SOME STEAM WITH BUMPER BALL
Bumper Ball is an ideal activity to get physical, have a laugh and shred some calories. The game is a cross between soccer and bull rush, with each contender strapped inside a huge inflatable ball. After the whistle blows it's everyone for themselves as the game quickly turns into full contact smash and bounce.
$180/per hour // Anywhere in greater Auckland
Uptown Bounce
DO SWEET FLIPS AT UPTOWN BOUNCE
At Uptown Bounce the entire floorspace is covered in trampolines. Have fun double bouncing small children and laugh yourself silly. It's also nice and handy to some great bars to treat yourself after the full body workout. In fact trampoline exercise can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour.
$10-16, 565 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
Auckland Council
HANG TEN AT WEST WAVE
Memories of West Wave remind us of school holiday birthday parties featuring a hot chip and L&P lunch, with an abundance of birthday cake. Visit off-peak for some kidult fun, and don't leave without doing a loop of the river-ride and sliding down the pipe hydroslide.
$7.50 // 20 Alderman Drive, Henderson
Odyssey
GET LOST AT ODYSSEY SENSORY MAZE
Located in the heart of Queen Street, this hidden attraction has become popular in recent years. Delve into the dimly lit maze and awaken your senses in the neon-lit fantasy. As Rhys Darby puts it, "The Odyssey is more than a maze, it's a multi-dimensional sensory space adventure." Don't be put off by the tagline 'A-maze-ing journey', we know they're just having a laugh.
$19.50 // 291-297 Queen Street, CBD
Gloputt
SINK SOME BALLS AT GLOPUTT
There's nothing worse than rained out mini golf. Instead, head indoors to Gloputt and play the 16-hole course of glowing technicolour through buildings, foliage and pathways. Don your hyper-colour threads and whitest whites for a fun day out. To make the experience even more enticing, you can play for free on your birthday.
$15 // 28 Barrys Point Rd, Takapuna
Megazone
PLAY LASERSTRIKE AT MEGAZONE
One game will set you back only $8 and you can invite as many competitive friends as you like. Channel your inner ninja warrior as you sneak around in the dark stealthily shooting people with lasers. This activity is guaranteed to work up a sweat and let out some pent up aggression from a stressful week.
$8, 15 // Locations in Grey Lynn, Mt Wellington, Papatoetoe and Whangaparoa
Great Escape
TEST YOUR MIND AT GREAT ESCAPE
Find yourself stuck in Alice's dreamland, charged for crime and behind bars in prison, locked up in hospital, or undercover as an officer on a mission. Great Escape is a challenging, real life strategy game where you have only one hour to problem solve your way out of one of the exciting themed rooms. Take the friends you would pick for a quiz night, and don't worry, all rooms are large and claustrophobia friendly.
$25-28 // Lorne St, Auckland CBD