Theme & Amusement Parks in Buford

In 1976, busy California mother Joan Barnes wanted nothing more than to find a play place where she and her kids could enjoy age-appropriate, educational activities. Finding none, she developed her own innovative play environment within a developmental-based program structure now known as Gymboree Play & Music. Today, kids tumble and learn in locations around the world, engaging in open play and classes designed to build cognitive and motor skills. As parents participate in their child’s development, their child learns to paint, play music, and interact socially outside of preschool knitting circles.

A motley collection of secure and sanitized play structures dominates each Catch Air location's indoor play arena to sate the lively imaginations of children as well as the safety concerns of their parents. Each of the four locations opens its doors seven days a week to unique lineups of attractions, including three-tiered castles covered in colorful nets and padding, with space shuttles attached to appease every child's love of anachronism. Tykes 12 and younger can wade through ball pits or take to an interactive, light-up dance floor to practice moves before they reach the age when practicing becomes embarrassing. The staff maintain a watchful eye at all times and clean every play structure daily before opening. Staffers also host parties to celebrate birthdays or the end of second-grade finals week.

Banks of fog roll through the neon passageways of a seaside village beset by a dastardly pirate in Laser Voyage Cafe's themed laser-tag arena. When not blasting lances of light at each other through the watery maze, players crawl and bend through a maze of laser lights designed to emulate a scene from a heist movie or an extreme version of Charlotte’s Web. A host of arcade games invites guests to unleash their trigger fingers on digital foes, press pedals to the metal, or settle disputes with disco-lit dance-offs.

Street Games’ mobile fun vehicles roar up to parties and events with a full complement of activities in tow, be it video gaming, laser tag, or trapping the host in a giant inflatable Zorb ball. Up to 20 guests pile onto the couches of the mobile gaming theater, clashing controllers in front of high-definition screens hooked up to Wiis and Xbox 360s. Pixel fatigue can be cured under the hailstorm of light beams that rains down on forces locked in games of laser tag, officiated by a friendly party concierge, or by entering an 11-foot-diamater inflatable Zorb ball, which gives riders the sensation of running inside a hamster ball or being a the mayor of a giant snow globe. Water Blaster Wars cool off summer shindigs with cannons that spray up to 60 feet, and Strike Force’s Velcro vests and balls provide a low-intensity alternative to paintball and dodgeball.

At Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf, 27 challenging holes test the putting skills of players of all ages while steeping them in 18th-century pirate lore. As balls bank off rails and roll between obstacles such as boulders, the greens wind past colorful flower gardens under shady evergreens and a towering pirate ship. Throughout the course, a waterfall cascades into a stream that flows under wooden bridges, recalling how Blackbeard made his prisoners slowly walk the plank before doing a cannonball, for everyone's safety.

A giant inflatable Superman towers above Bounce-a-Rama's indoor playground, whose air-filled attractions accommodate children eager to slide, climb, and explore. Tunnels and popups wind through a Batman-themed inflatable, and a steep, two-story slide lets kids safely experience free fall. Characters like Dora the Explorer and Scooby-Doo preside over other bouncers in areas specifically designed with younger children in mind. For noninflatable fun, Bounce-a-Rama stocks its game area with arcade staples such as Deal or No Deal and skee-ball. To reenergize youngsters after playtime, the facility's aviation-themed Fly 'n' Dine restaurant serves treats such as chicken nuggets and slices of housemade pizza.