East Oakland Sports Center: Pool Party!

Not far from the Oakland Airport is a glossy recreation center that is part of the city’s network of public facilities, and it’s a great place to have a kids birthday party. East Oakland Sports Center‘s indoor swimming pool has an adjacent party room with tables, chairs, and a sink.

We attended a party there and loved it.

What to expect for guests and hosts:

• Nice locker rooms with showers allow kids to change clothes at the party and change afterward.
• There is a zero-depth entry area of the pool, so even toddlers can get in and have a seat in the water.
• Life vests are on-hand for kids who need or want to float around
• An impressively tall water slide is open to kids who are tall enough. My research shows that tall first graders make the cut. The lifeguard on duty did not seem overly strict on enforcing the height restriction.
• Most of the water play area is shallow enough for grade school-aged children to stand with ease.
• Bring your own towels
• Bring your own food, paper goods, decorations; the party room is simply a rented room.

The rental cost of the party room (as of this writing) is $212 for Oakland families and $240 for non-residents. This includes two hours of access to the party room, and non-exclusive use of the swimming pool area.

Learn about more East Bay birthday party places >