Paintball is an incredible outdoor activity for all ages, but what is the minimum age for paintball in the UK and what are the alternatives to Paintball if your kids are too young to play paintball?
Can 6-year-olds do paintball?
No, 6-year-olds cannot play paintball in the UK. They are too young. Even the kid’s version of paintball would be too much for a 6-year-old. Be very wary of any venue that offers paintball for 6-year-olds. It’s too young. The perfect alternative to Paintball for 6-year-olds would be Kids Laser Tag. Players shoot each other with a harmless beam of light. Kids still get to play in the superb game maps, but without being hit with anything.
Can under-9s play paintball?
If we consider under 9’s being in school year 4 and below, then no, they cannot play paintball. Alternatives to paintball would be;
Nerf Wars from year 3
Gelball from year 3.
Nerf is a game played in our woodland village where players shoot soft foam darts at each other. The fun doesn’t stop there though, during the event, we introduce a treasure hunt, where players look for hidden coins and finally, a golden skull. All while shooting each other and taking control of territory.
Gelball is played in our award-winning game maps. The world’s biggest paintball bridge and the airfield etc. Players are armed with a full auto machine pistol with 800 rounds of ammo per game (3 games).
The guns fire water-based gel balls, they are completely harmless and hit with only slightly more impact than a Nerf dart. That said, the gelballs fire at the same velocity as a kid’s paintball (Around 120 feet per second), so they have a range of around 40M.
What is the minimum age for paintball in the UK?
The minimum age for paintball in the UK is school year 5 (9 and 10 years). The event they would play would be “Kids Paintball”. In kid’s paintball, we use a specially designed pump-action spring-powered paintball gun. The paintballs shoot at around 120 feet per second. Sounds a bit fruity, but the adult version of paintball shoots at over 300 feet per second, so a kid’s paintball hits with around 1/3 of the force of an adult paintball. Youngsters absolutely love Kids Paintball.
What is a safe age for paintball?
School year 5 is a safe age for Kid’s Paintball. School year 7 is the starting age for Paintball. Paintball is an adult game that kids can play. A group of 12-year-olds will absolutely wipe the floor with a group of over 40’s. Adults tend to be slow, unfit and sometimes quite big and are a great set of targets for 12-year-olds, who go on a turkey shoot. We get parents asking all of the time, “Will my kids be playing against adults?” thinking that they would be at an advantage. The more appropriate question would be from over 40’s asking, “Are we playing against kids?”.
Being young, fit and bendy is an absolute advantage when playing paintball. Remember paintball is not rugby, it’s a non-contact sport. Youth is definitely on their side.
So, for kids, Year 5 and 6, kid’s paintball is absolutely safe. From year 7, adult paintball is very safe.
So the answer to the age to play paintball is… As long as the venue has fully qualified UKPSF-trained and certified staff;
10 Years (or school year 5) for Kids Paintball
12 years (or school year 7) for adult paintball.
Kids younger than this should be looking at alternatives such as Laser Tag, Nerf Wars and Gelball. Whatever the age though, getting out into the woods and shooting your friends is great fun for any age. Paintball birthday parties are especially popular.
Book Kids Paintball (10 Players)
The minimum group size is ten players for Junior Paintball. There is no maximum number.
It is £22.50 per player. (10% Discount for 10 am Slot)
This gives all the equipment needed and also 300 paintballs per participant.
All players must be in school year five and above.
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Laser Tag
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Is Airsoft a Realistic Alternative to Paintball for Your Stag Do Event
