When you call an indoor play centre to book a birthday party, the first thing you want to know is what’s included and what isn’t. The typical surprise on the day of the party is realising that the cake was extra, so were the invitations, and that extra time costs €30 an hour. This guide explains what a celebration at a ball pit play centre in Badajoz usually includes, what you’re usually charged extra for and how the alternative at Peta Zeta Park works: hiring the whole park for your group.

What’s included at almost every venue

There’s a common minimum across the industry. With a few exceptions, a birthday party at an indoor play centre in Badajoz includes these six things:

1. Access to the play centre for 2 hours

This is the core of it. Two hours is the standard length and almost always includes free access to every attraction in the play centre (ball pit, climbing wall, trampoline, baby park, etc.). Some venues offer an extension to 3 hours at extra cost; others don’t.

2. Basic themed decorations

A themed tablecloth (with the film, sport or character you choose), bunting or a garland with the birthday child’s name, matching balloons. They’re basic decorations, but thought through: the table is ready when you arrive and looks good in photos.

What’s not included is usually: a personalised photo booth, giant numbers with the name, a fully decorated backdrop wall. Those are almost always extra.

3. A reserved table for the adults

A table or designated area where the accompanying parents or relatives can leave bags and presents and sit down for a drink during the two hours. Important: ask how many chairs are included and whether there’s a table for parents separate from the children’s table. The difference between “one long table” and “two separate tables” is huge when 25 guests turn up.

4. A basic party tea for the children

The most common: juice, water, sweet snacks (biscuits, corn puffs, sweets) and sometimes pizza as the main dish. If you want pizza, make sure it’s included and check how many slices per child.

What’s NOT usually included:

Cake (it’s almost always charged separately, or you bring your own)
Drinks for parents
Special food for allergies (some venues include it, others charge it as an extra)

5. Singing Happy Birthday and cake time

The “star turn” of the party: music, candles, photos. Some venues have their own format (with someone from the venue leading the moment), others simply give you the time and space.

6. A present for the birthday child

A final touch: a little bag of sweets, a soft toy, a medal or something similar. Small, but expected.

What’s USUALLY extra (and worth asking about)

This is where the surprises come in. These things often aren’t included and are charged on top:

Personalised cake — if you want it with their favourite character or a photo, add €25–€50.
Dedicated entertainer — if you want someone to run games during the party, it’s an extra cost (typically €30–€60 for the two hours).
Personalised themed photo booth — a decorated wall with the name, an Instagram-friendly backdrop. Usual cost: €20–€40.
Piñata — a classic that many venues don’t include. It costs €15–€25 whether you or the venue provide it.
Adult menu — if 10 parents are coming and you want something more than a coffee, it’s usually extra.
Extra time — if the party goes on longer than 2 hours, almost every venue charges. Ask the price before you start.
Printed invitations — some venues give them away, others sell them. These days almost everyone uses WhatsApp, but if you want them on paper, ask.

Three ways to celebrate: a package, made to measure or the whole venue

Three very different models exist side by side in the industry:

Package with fixed options (most venues)

They offer you 3 options (basic / standard / premium). You choose one and it’s delivered exactly as it stands. Advantage: quick and simple. Disadvantage: if you don’t fit the mould (number of children, allergies, an unusual theme, a special time slot…), they charge you extras or tell you it can’t be done.

Made-to-measure celebration

The venue asks what you need (children, ages, allergies, theme) and puts together a proposal with its own food, decorations and extras. More conversation beforehand, but it fits your group better.

Hiring the whole venue (what we do at Peta Zeta Park)

At Peta Zeta Park we don’t sell parties: we hire out the whole park, by the day. The group hiring it has the park to itself for the whole day, with every zone: a ball pit with slides, a children’s climbing wall, a trampoline, a football pitch, a Baby Park for under-3s and an inclusive sensory swing.

Decorations: you bring them and set them up yourselves, in an area set aside for them.
Food, drinks and cake: you bring them. There’s a kitchen at your disposal to prepare and serve them.
The children: they’re looked after by the adults in your group. There are no park staff on site during the hire.
Price: from €110 per day, with no price per child or per guest.

What does a party for 15 children end up costing in total?

At a venue that charges per child, it depends a lot on the extras. Here’s a rough calculation for Badajoz:

Base (15 children × €12–€18 per child): €180–€270
Cake (if you bring it): €0. If the venue orders it: €25–€50
Premium decorations / photo booth: €0–€40
Entertainer: €0–€60
Extra time (1 h): €0–€50

Realistic total: between €200 and €400, depending on how much you personalise it.

When you hire the whole venue, the sum is different: the day’s hire (at Peta Zeta Park, from €110), which doesn’t change with the number of guests, plus whatever you spend yourselves on food, cake and decorations.

Honest tip: if your budget is tight, do the full sum before you decide: what the venue charges and what you’ll be providing yourself. A good venue gives you a clear price from the start, rather than selling you the premium package.

Why hire the whole park

The hire model isn’t for everyone, and it’s worth saying so plainly. It has advantages and it takes some work:

The park is yours alone. There are no other groups and no public: the children play with their own friends and you set the pace of the party.
The whole day, not two hours. You have the park during that day’s hire times, so there’s time to set up the decorations calmly, play, have the party tea and tidy up without rushing. The times for each day are on prices and hire times.
The food is your own. If there are allergies or intolerances, you control every ingredient because you prepare it yourselves, in the park’s kitchen or at home.
The price doesn’t go up with every guest. The hire is per day, from €110, with no per-child price.
In exchange, you organise it: you provide the decorations, the food, the cake and the games, and the children are looked after by the adults in your group.

And the inclusive area, which matters

A special note: at Peta Zeta Park we have an inclusive sensory swing, the only one in Badajoz, designed for children with autism, hypersensitivity or other sensory needs. Any child in the group can use it during the hire. If any of the guests has sensory needs, it gives them a corner to regulate in, and because the park is yours alone, you can slow the pace and lower the noise whenever they need it.

How to book

If the date you want is a Saturday or a public holiday, book 4–6 weeks in advance. Weekends in May, June and December are the first to fill up.

To book the park:

WhatsApp on +34 698 992 995 — the quickest way; we reply in under 2 hours during working hours.
Contact form — if you prefer email.

We’ll confirm whether the date is free and the hire price for that day before we lock it in.

Summary

What’s almost always included at a per-child party: 2 hours in the play centre, basic decorations, a table, a light party tea, cake time and a final present.
What’s almost never included: cake, entertainer, premium photo booth, adult menu, extra time.
At Peta Zeta Park the whole park is hired out to your group, from €110 per day: you bring the decorations, the food and the cake (there’s a kitchen and an area for decorating).
Always ask for the total price including extras before you confirm.
Book 4–6 weeks in advance for weekends.

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What's included in a ball pit birthday party in Badajoz