Rainy Day Activity for Pre-Teens and Teens

At the end of our spring break week, a group of us took our kids to an indoor go-kart racing facility,  Speed Raceway in Horsham, PA.  It just happened to be a rainy day which was perfect for an indoor activity.  We just made sure we left early enough to beat any crowds.

We bought our tickets ahead of time from Groupon and paid $55 for four rides – (2 rides for each of my 2 boys.)  Each ride is 12 laps long for the Junior cars.  Even though the older kids (ages 12 and older) qualified for the adult sized cars, we were all new to this, so everyone drove a junior car.  Plus, that way they could race each other.  The adult cars used a separate track and were supposedly a little harder to handle anyway.

The kids had a blast!  At first I think they (and I) were a little nervous about operating the go karts but they got the hang of it quickly and were speeding around the track in no time!

The place was huge and as you can see, our group was lucky enough to have it to ourselves in the beginning.  More people did show up later but it  never got too crowded.

Their race times were recorded and each racer was ranked up on the scoreboard.  The kids loved seeing their names up there.  They even received a printed out sheet with their racing statistics!  Such fun!

As a mom, I liked that the facility took safety very seriously.  Obviously, we had to sign safety waivers but I felt very comfortable with the way things were run.  The staff was very professional and discussed all the rules with the kids before they went out.  Safety was always stressed and I was happy to learn all the strict rules they had in place; no bumping allowed, helmets must be worn at all times, etc.  These rules put me at ease and I felt a little more relaxed letting my kids drive these vehicles around.  I was even happy to see that they provided disposable head covers to wear inside the helmets.  If you have kids, you know that catching lice is always a worry!

After the racing sessions were over, we spent some time in the arcade and then headed out to lunch.  It was a fun day for everyone!

Here are a few tips if you plan to head out to  Speed Raceway:

• Check their website for specials.  Like I said, we got a better price from Groupon but you never know.
• Register online before you go.  It will save a ton of time when you get there.
• Wear closed toe shoes.
• Go as close to opening time as possible if you want to miss the crowds.  We were the first ones there.

There are two locations for Speed Raceway – Horsham, Pa and Cinnaminson, NJ but I am sure if you look around, you could find similar go kart facilities where you live.  It really was a great activity for our pre-teen group but I can see adults having just as much fun!

Have your kids ever gone go kart racing?