iT'z Pizza, Houston

Houston, Texas (Northwest) - Finding things to do with kids on a rainy day or a 100+ degrees day when you just can't play outside is hard to do. iT'Z Pizza, http://www.itzusa.com/houston/index.htm , is a pizza and fun place that is a good location to celebrate something special. I say celebrate, because the cost is way too high for an everyday event. You will not get out of this place for less than $75 for a family of four, even if you take coupons. Though it is expensive, it is pretty good food and does have fun for everybody.


The fun is the expensive part. They have video games, games of chance to earn tickets and games of chance to earn prizes, bowling, and rides such as a kiddie train/roller coaster, bumper cards and the Disk-O, which is geared for teens and adults. You have to buy game cards, which are like credit cards, that have a number of points. You slide the card on a scanner on the video game or ride you want to enjoy. Games/Rides can be 2 points or 10 points depending on complexity.


They do have a store where you can exchange tickets for prizes, but you better earn a lot of tickets to get any prizes. BEWARE: you need your game card to transfer your tickets too and if you don't do it right, you could lose all your tickets. One of my kids lost over 100 tickets by not swiping his card correctly. Happy Day, when I mentioned it at the front desk, they comp'ed him the tickets and strongly re-enforced how to correctly transfer tickets to the card.


BONUS

If you have a toddler or preschool size child, iT'Z has developed a Tiny Tikes area with inflatable jumpers and games and tiny rides like the cars you see in front of grocery stores that just rock back and forth. My 5 year old loved the inflatables and spent a lot of time here. It also created a "Home Base" for my Pre-Teens. I stayed in the Tiny Tikes area and my 10 year olds could go play and check back, and I could see the game floor and try and keep tabs on the boys.


BUMMER

There really is no good place for parents to create a "Home Base." (We were lucky to be there on a slow day. I suspect the toddler area fills up quickly.) If you have older children who don't want Mommy following them around, you cannot sit anywhere and still be able to watch your kids from a distance. The dining rooms are walled in with no windows and no views of the games and rides area.


A bit pricey but a good experience.


Trip Stats

• Who: Mama, three 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy


• What: iT'Z Pizza, http://www.itzusa.com/houston/index.htm


• When: Thursday, Noon-ish


• Where: Northwest Houston off Hwy 249 near Willowbrook


• Why: Indoor Play


• Total Cost: $81.83 which breaks down to.....


• $44.85 - for 3 Summer Thursday Specials of 90 minutes of unlimited play


• $19.99 - a coupon from a door flyer for 4 buffets and 4 drinks


• $16.99 - for 1 Eat and Play Combo (buffet and 50 game points)