Put a gang of overactive kids in a dimly lit room, give them a paintball and permission to throw it around at random and you can guarantee they'll love it. It's hard to imagine a group of children not having fun at Paintball Headquarters - unless they are on the receiving end of too many paintballs which, according to several of our all-girl paintballing party, sting if they hit certain places. But what's a little pain in return for firing gelatin-coated balls of coloured water at your friends? The Paintball Headquarters is one of those places most parents in Hong Kong don't know exists until their children reach a certain age or height (eight years or 130cm tall) and the invitation for the birthday paintball sessions arrives. For overprotective parents, the waiver they sign for under 18s may be daunting, especially as it warns that playing paintball or misusing the equipment puts your child at risk of 'partial/or total paralysis, eye injury, blindness, death ... or other ailment that could cause serious disability'. However, the staff take safety seriously and insist on goggles being worn at all times while on the course - an air-conditioned room of hideouts and obstacles. It costs a reasonable HK$250 for adults and HK$200 for the under 18s for a 90-minute session of six games. You do, however, need at least eight in your group. For a party of 11 to 26 the same price will get you a two-hour session. You get 150 paintballs, a paintball 'marker' (gun), safety goggles, gloves, a shirt and jogging trousers, a team bandana and instructions on safety and games. The games are versions of hide and seek and tag, and involve crawling around as zombies, soldiers or bunnies, hiding, shooting and trying not to get shot. It's good old-fashioned fun with mess thrown in. Expect dirty knees, scuffed shoes and smiles. The venue also includes a resting room where parents can view the action from a safe distance and set up refreshments, the birthday cake, or take-away pizzas or burgers. It is also relatively easy to find, being close to Megabox in Kowloon Bay and a 10-minute walk from Kowloon Bay MTR station. Verdict: A great way to have a ball but not for little princesses. It's a good alternative, reasonably priced birthday bash for active kids who enjoy getting messy. Paintball Headquarters G/F, Po Lung Centre, 11 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay. www.paintballhq.com.hk
