Things to Do in Farmers Branch

Between all of the concrete walls, inflatable obstacles, and cleverly positioned barrels, it’s hard to get a good look at anyone at Reno Indoor Paintball. On any given day, the 27,000-square-foot facility hosts dozens of well-armored players, who sprint around the grounds and splatter their opponents until supplies run out or they accomplish their missions. During battles, the staff remains on hand to help players to gear up and to ensure things remain civil. And on select days, staffers also host training sessions or events for larger groups looking to celebrate occasions such as birthdays, bachelor parties, or a high-school graduate’s first successful load of laundry.

The art connoisseurs at Creative Hands guide patrons of all ages through the artistic process with a cache of ready-to-paint plaster and ceramic items. Equipped with provided paints and glazes, budding Picassos can transform bare figurines, plates, bowls, and goblets into masterpieces as personalized as the Mona Lisa's thumbprint. Guests can tote away freshly decorated plaster pieces after a 30- to 45-minute glazing-and-drying process or enlist the warming powers of a kiln to seal in a ceramic creation's luster and then pick up the fired work of art a week later. Creative Hands' roomy studio fosters a suitable space for large groups or birthday parties and houses a ladies' night on the first Thursday of every month.

Inside CooCoos, a spacious, color-splashed play area accommodates pintsize patrons with full-size servings of fun. Stretched across more than 20,000 square feet, the recently opened facility buzzes with the giggles and squeals emitted from kids as they scramble and spite gravity during birthday parties, field trips, and open-play sessions held Monday through Friday. A lineup of unique zones, such as those with UFO, jungle-course, and alligator themes, whisks adventurers to far-away worlds, and 3-D carpeting and black-light sections enable youngsters to accurately mimic their favorite Grateful Dead–concert moments. For an extra dose of amusement, guests can visit on Friday Night Fun Night, when 3-D glasses help to transform playtime into a multidimensional experience.

The members of The National MudRunners Association strive to build challenging and entertaining obstacle courses with their medium of choice—mud—motivating participants to get fit while having fun and getting filthy. Each of their events attracts nearly 14,000 participants, who sprint across muddy terrain, climb over walls, and splash through muddy pools of water created by dinosaur footprints. After crossing the finish line, dirt-caked participants can amble into the event's post-race area to pick up their medal, grab a T-shirt, stroll around vendor booths, and dry off while soaking in live music. Committed to giving back to the community, The National MudRunners Association gives a portion of its events' proceeds to charitable organizations, which have included the American Red Cross.

Indoor Safari Park embodies childhood dreams of the Serengeti with a varicolored landscape of tropical murals, plush jungle creatures, and both educational and entertaining activities. Cerebral toys teach little tykes the basics of numbers and colors, and wooden train sets review the basic origins of interstate commerce. Around the facility, mechanical elephants and zebras trot through a safe indoor jungle beneath giggling children and a kid-size, primary-colored train chugs to life around a palm-flanked track. On an obstacle-flecked mini-golf course, prehistoric creatures guard the borders of each pin and avoid the ball pits that colorfully resemble the meteorites of their ancestors' demise. Age limits become obsolete with a specific play area for toddlers, and a huge retail area generously yields gift ideas to stumped shoppers.