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Picture this: it's a sunny Thursday afternoon at Pine Lake Camp. The sun shines bright, and a group of high schoolers lounge on a grassy hill, scrolling on their phones.
Nearby, Jake, one of the counselors, sets up soccer cones and tug-of-war ropes—activities that usually thrill younger kids. But these teenagers are restless and bored. They want something edgy, exciting, and just a little bit futuristic.
The challenge for camp operators is real: how do you keep teens excited, safe, and active when they’ve seen it all on their screens?
Traditional crafts and games won’t cut it anymore. Camps need new, buzz-worthy experiences that resonate with older kids and make their summer camp unforgettable.
At many camps, the struggle is the same. Older kids are too old for kite making or simple water balloon fights but young for adult sports.
Gamers crave action-packed competitive socializing games that let them enter a different world.
Camp leaders often juggle safety, setup, and cost concerns while competing with other camps offering flashy new attractions.
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Stand-out camps win by offering unique experiences – especially in a market where Millennials and their kids, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, value experiences over things. A survey by Eventbrite found that spending time making memories trumps buying “stuff.” The survey found more than 3 in 4 youth (78%) would spend money on a desirable experience or event rather than buying something desirable. (Source: eventbrite-s3.s3.amazonaws.com)
Adding high-tech outdoor games to the program isn’t on trend – it’s essential to keeping kids and teens excited, engaged, and wanting to return next year.
That’s why savvy camps are turning to outdoor commercial laser tag.
Can you see it now? Groups of teens roam the woods, team on team, strategizing and working together. Each laser tagger feels like a weapon from their favorite video game, with awesome sound effects and light effects, even in daylight.
The thrill is leveled up with a mobile digital scoreboard.
Games like “Heist” or “Battle Royale” suddenly spring to life in real life.
This isn’t the clunky laser tag of the 1990s. Gone are the sweaty vests. Modern systems bring the immersive thrill of gaming outdoors, where kids can run free and work together.
Battlefield Sports is the leader in this field, and its patented live-action gaming technology has redefined laser tag for camps and amusement parks. The Awesome Cobra Laser Tagger is built to be tough for large teen groups – it’s rugged enough to survive rough play and designed to wow.
The taggers have realistic integrated red-dot scopes, advanced sensors, and real-time hit feedback (so gamers know instantly when they’ve scored a hit).
Story-driven scenarios allow Camps to customize the experience. Teens feel like action heroes from a movie or video game (think real-life Fortnite or Call of Duty). For example, Pine Lake Camp has an enormous Ponderosa Pine or Easter White Pine tree in the center of a woodland where the laser games are played. The counselors can weave a story around this landmark.
“At our summer camp, we have six different themes or storylines. One of the themes is about history. The campers are immersed in the culture of the battle they are playing.
That's one of the reasons that we get so many rebooking our camp. When the kids were immersed in a story, they had a reason for trying to take over this hill. It really engaged them. This has worked well for us,” Mark McKinney, Cedar Springs Camp, Lake Stevens, Washington State.
Battlefield Sports’ brand of laser tag is story-driven, so camps can incorporate the history of the place or other narratives to really engage the teenagers.
Since these laser tag systems were made for commercial use, they scale from a dozen players up to hundreds and can handle rain, mud, or heat.
Camps report that the Awesome Cobra gets kids off the sidelines and onto their feet, collaborating in teams and burning off energy while they have a blast. In short, outdoor laser tag solves the age-old camp problem: it gives older campers an activity that’s safe, social, physically active, and unlike anything they do at home.
When choosing a commercial laser tag system for your camp, look for features that match your needs. The best gear is rugged, flexible, and tech-forward.
Durability: Equipment should be built for heavy use. Leading systems use fiber-reinforced polycarbonate cases. Rugged enclosures allow the gear to survive drops and rough handling. A true commercial set is weatherproof, and its IP65 rating means play can go on in rain, snow, or dust.
Scalability: Sector-leading systems let you engage dozens or even hundreds of players at once, indoors or out. Look for systems that can support large teams and many simultaneous games. The top setups let you run multi-team missions even in very large fields. In other words, you can play a standard red versus blue Team Elimination game. Or play a three-way or four-way match-up.
Portability: Outdoor camp life demands mobility. The equipment should be battery-powered and quick to set up. The best laser tag systems boast turn-key operation: just turn on the taggers with a key and start blasting! The Master Controller can set the game time, start and stop a game, and much more. Better still, there is no need to have access to the Internet or wi-fi.
Flexibility: Unlike traditional arena laser tag, outdoor laser tag requires no complicated installation. Summer Camp staff can relocate the pop-up maze on a whim—one day in the gym, the next in the woods. The Awesome Cobras Laser Tag is lightweight (around 4.4 lbs/2 kg), making it easy to carry sets to wherever teens want to play.
Advanced Tech: Modern laser tag uses cutting-edge game tech. You’ll want digital scoring and mission control via a master controller. Features like interactive battle boxes add objectives (e.g. capture points that “respawn” players). LED ammo counters, sound effects, and on-gun hit feedback immerse players in the experience. The newer systems even allow themed game modes (battle royale or even laser “zombie games”) with a reboot.
Safety: Laser tag uses harmless, eye-safe infrared light. Reputable commercial laser tag equipment means no projectiles—just beam-based “hits” counted electronically. Unlike paintball or gel blasters, there are no bullets. Ensure the system you choose has been tested for safety (most commercial brands have independent laboratory testing for compliance with FDA and EU regulations).
Ease of Use: Finally, choose equipment with user-friendly software. The best commercial laser tag systems have intuitive menus for quick game setup, resets, and referee controls. The ability to lock out the settings means that staff training can be kept to a minimum. A camp counselor can learn to run games in minutes. Automatic recharge stations or spare batteries keep playing for hours (Awesome Cobra taggers have ~16-hour battery life).
State-of-the-art laser tag equipment creates a high-energy live-action gaming experience. Look for gear with sturdy cases and weatherproof seals that let you “play in the rain or snow.”
Digital LED display stats. Here’s the secret: invest in commercial-grade kits, not toy laser tag sets. The payoff is reliability and wow factor: teens will check daily for the next laser tag session.
Among commercial systems, Battlefield Sports’ Awesome Cobra Laser Tagger stands out for summer camps. It’s their best-selling model, and for good reason. Each Cobra tagger looks and feels like a futuristic blaster: it has a 40 mm glass lens for long-range gaming (day or night!), plus an integrated 30 mm red-dot scope for precise aiming.
This means teens can accurately tag opponents from far away, even in the great outdoors or a big forested area, just like in a video game. The tagger’s robust design (polycarbonate shell) makes it “built tough” for active play.
Key specs on the Awesome Cobra:
Camps that have deployed the Awesome Cobra report that it’s a hit with teens. As one camp director said, “Kids lined up to play laser tag for hours—it adds that wow factor. Plus, the gear held up through the summer season.”
These taggers turn any field or woods into an instant battlefield arena. And because they’re built for commercial use (with patented SATR3 technology under the hood), operators don’t need a computer or internet connection to run slick, high-tech games.
All this buzz isn’t just anecdotal. Laser tag is booming as an industry. In the U.S., revenue from laser tag attractions jumped from about $246 million in 2018 to over $300 million by 2020, according to partycentersoftware.com.
The market has grown at roughly 2–3% per year on average. More tellingly, the number of facilities offering laser tag (indoor arenas, mobile events, etc.) has risen dramatically. That growth shows that customers (parents and teens alike) are willing to pay for this kind of active entertainment.
Why is it surging?
Part of it is because teens today want high-tech adventures. Research by globalsportmatters.com shows that as traditional youth sports participation declines, teens favor fun, social activities. In one U.K. study, almost half of the surveyed teens ranked trampolining as their top choice for a new physical activity, with laser tag coming in a close second. While trampolining is fun, scaling it requires a large space, and trampolining also has a higher risk profile.
Young people described games like laser tag as far more engaging than classic sports – they like the teamwork, the novelty, and the chance to be active on their terms. Similarly, sports researchers have found that teens are drawn to informal group play rather than structured athletics.
What’s more, the pandemic rekindled interest in outdoor recreation for youth. A recent report from outdoorindustry.org shows 55% of Americans age 6+ participated in outdoor activities in 2022, setting record highs.
Camp directors know kids are hungry to play outside with friends. Laser tag perfectly merges their love of tech (game-style scoring, SFX, and light effects) with the great outdoors. On the broader cultural side, the rise of the “experience economy” is undeniable.
Tweens and teens crave memorable adventures – exactly what live-action gaming provides.
At camp, a facility with a laser tag attraction can market itself as a cutting-edge option. Parents have also noticed that camps offering tech-infused activities often report higher enrollment and word-of- mouth buzz. Finally, camps compete for camper retention. An experiential draw like laser tag helps keep teens on-site longer each day and boosts social sharing about camp (on TikTok, Instagram, etc.).
The outcome: higher guest satisfaction and repeat bookings.
For example, the Gold Coast Tourist Park implemented a new Battlefield Sports laser tag attraction, enabling the park to attract a broader range of guests and increase its revenue by 16.8% year over year.
Even without dollars and cents, camps see it as an investment in their reputation.
Teens today want to be active, challenged, and connected with their friends and do it outdoors.
Outdoor commercial laser tag checks all the boxes.
With the right equipment (like Battlefield Sports’ Awesome Cobra system), camps can deliver unforgettable, photo-worthy, or video-worthy experiences that teens love, all while keeping them safe and moving.
Imagine your campers strategizing through the woods on a summer afternoon, tagging opponents in a capture-the-flag game with high-tech gear.
Sounds better than another game of kickball, right?
Don’t let your camp fall behind the curve.
Ask yourself: Are you offering the experiences that today’s kids want? If not, it’s time to bring cutting-edge laser tag to your site.
Want to learn how commercial laser tag can transform your program? Contact us to discover how easy it is to integrate this exciting adventure.
Your teen campers are ready – the question is, are you ready to give them the summer of a lifetime?
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