If you’re looking for an exciting and unique way to entertain your teenage children this year, then look no further than axe throwing! As a busy mother of two, I’m always on the look out for fun and inventive ways to prize my 17yr old daughter and 12yr old son away from phone screens and get them outdoors; let’s face it, kids these days would happily stare at at a screen like a zombies in absolute silence for an entire weekend if left to their own accord. Thankfully, Axe Throwing hits the spot to eradicate boredom and inject a new lease of life into family time.
Axe throwing is a great activity that combines physical activity, mental focus, and a healthy dose of competition. And it’s a perfect way to get your family out of the house, challenge yourselves, try something new and create memories to cherish a lifetime.
Why Axe Throwing Is Great for Families With Teens
If you’re tired of hearing “I’m bored” “there’s nothing to do” and “I can’t be bothered”, jump into the car and book up a lane or two to shatter the silence with smiles and squeals of delight. There are so many reasons why axe throwing is a great activity for not only families with teens, but people of all ages, couples and groups of friends alike…
- A safe and supervised environment to try something new. At TBV Axe Masters in Northamptonshire, all activities are supervised by experienced instructors who patiently teach you everything that you need to know about how to throw an axe safely and effectively.
- It’s a great workout without hitting the gym. Axe throwing is a surprisingly physical activity. It requires upper body strength, coordination, stability and focus. I soon found myself taking off my jacket, rolling up my sleeves and tying my hair back as the action got going!
- It’s a level playing field. Axe throwing is an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, abilities and fitness levels. So, even if you’re not a gym rat, you can still compete with your peers or enter into an adults versus teens battle that you’ll all be talking about for decades.
- It’s a lot of fun! Axe throwing is a challenging and super rewarding activity. It’s a great way to relieve stress, bond with your family and create some lasting memories. The sense of achievement that I got from honing my axe throwing skills and hitting the bullseye was amazing – move over bowling and crazy golf, there’s a new champ in town!
What To Expect At The Bearded Viking Axe Masters Northants
TBV Axe Masters is a dedicated axe throwing venue located in Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire, inside the historic Weedon Stores boasting over 200 years of history. It was our first ever visit to their indoor venue, which we found online whilst scrolling for interesting things to do as a family. They offer a variety of axe throwing experiences to accommodate children and adults aged 10yrs and above, including lessons, parties and leagues, as well as mobile axe throwing, large group sessions and Bearded Viking beard care products.
Tips for Planning Your Axe Throwing Family Day Out
We’ve been caught short in the past when turning up to venues at the spur of the moment, hoping to pay for family tickets on arrival only to discover that they’re fully booked not only for the day, but the entire weekend, even at off-peak times. Whether it’s down to school holidays, events throughout the year or large birthday groups unexpectedly booking up all slots on a random day, it’s always best to book your tickets in advance to avoid any disappointment.
It’s also good practice to wear sensible clothing, just as you would when going for a walk or outdoor adventure – closed-toe shoes are a must. You can’t go wrong with wearing layers, as you can slip off a jumper or hoodie if you get too warm from the action and feel comfortable in a t-shirt without getting cold. I personally think a trainers, leggings, t-shirt and hoodie combo are ideal for most active sports and adventures, as well as being the children’s favourite casual wear that they’re comfortable and at ease in.
Whilst not all venues may have cafes, restaurants or snack stations on-site, there are plenty of cold cans, water and non-alcoholic beers available along with an urn for tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Seeing as we have food intolerances, and fussy eaters in our family, I always stop off at the supermarket ahead of any activities to stock up on more affordable snacks and drinks for the car or my handbag knowing that you can’t always find what you’re looking for when out.
If one child were to find their favourite snack and the other hated everything on the menu, you can be sure the injustice wouldn’t go unnoticed. I’m literally that rustling handbag mother at the cinema busting out bags of almonds and lentil curls for myself and my children’s particular favourite treats – it’s not my fault the world doesn’t cater enough for vegans or fussy eaters! I much prefer to bring my own bits to leave in the car as a back up.
Calorifically prepared and raring to go, we were greeted in the carpark by our host and instructor, Damian, who pulled back the door and welcomed us into an amazing world of all things viking! From the beautiful incense and flames, to the ornate wall hangings, weapons and tankards set out on the tables, our senses were instantly evoked as we ooh’d and ahh’d at the props and Norse decor that made such an already fantastic space so much more enchanting and mystical.
It may have been cold and wet outside, but indoors felt like we’d stepped back in time by a few thousand years and were ready for battle! And battle we did! As a group of two adults and four teens we were able to split into two teams of three, as well as score individually across a host of exciting games and different throwing techniques, from single-handed to double-handed and underhand trick shots.
If you’ve never been axe-throwing before, you could think of it as pub darts on steroids. Each player steps up to the red line within their lane, takes stance, draws the axe back and launches it at the target with various rings marked for scores, as well as a bullseye and two killshots for a maximum of 10 points per throw – but realistically, hitting a two is also pretty great!
Whether you’re a supportive team player, super competitive solo or absolute amateur, we were a mixed bunch of throwers and all had the most fantastic time. And did we eat our snacks? Did we heck! We were all so immersed in the hilarious games, laughing, cheering and chanting with each round that our session flew by in no time at all.
Damian walked us through each activity and corresponding technique necessary for each round, which consisted of relays, counting up, counting down and time trials. He carefully kept an eye on everyone throughout, correcting form where necessary to keep the scores flowing and competition alive, as well as chalking up each win so that we could all focus on competing rather than counting.
The children loved it as much as us adults, and it was wonderful to see them laughing, cheering and spending time away from screens – just like our pals the vikings! By the end of our session we’d all peeled off our hoodies and layers of clothing, having worked up a sweat and burned off some serious calories, without it feeling like exercise or a physical chore because it was so much fun. I can’t remember the last time the children were so active for so long, and as such it’s really motivated me to do more family activities like this in 2025.
After we finished, and the winners were congratulated and added to the score board, we were welcomed to have fun dressing up as vikings with the props and sceneries set out to capture family photos and make beautiful memories. With swords and helmets, horns, axes and even strap-on beards, we finished off our session with some silly faces and poses, along with a great sense of achievement for trying something new and spending such precious quality time together.
Whether you’ve been axe throwing before or not, I highly recommend you visit TBV Northants for a session that you’ll cherish and share fond memories of for a lifetime. They also have another venue in Chatham, Kent which is available on the same website for booking. So switch out a regular gym slot for a whole new workout experience, spice up your wet weekend, grab your friends, family or work colleagues and let your inner vikings run wild!
From the epic atmosphere to the energetic instructors, historic venue, unique experience and electric entertainment factor, I cannot recommend it more highly. My inner child has been sensationally nurtured and my children fell fast asleep on the drive home, beautifully content from an active afternoon. Bagsy I get all of the snacks!
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