By Jess Margetson | Website Editor
Your 21st is a milestone birthday for many reasons. 21 used to be the age when you were allowed to vote, marry without consent and join contracts. Although the age for this is now 18, the celebration of turning 21 has never diminished.
The typical response to planning a 21st by many is ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs throw a house party!ÔÇØ or ÔÇ£LetÔÇÖs book a bottomless brunch!ÔÇØ. But what about those birthday guys and girls who would rather not spend the morning after nursing a sore head or cleaning their bathroom floor? As a university student, itÔÇÖs hard to ignore the drinking culture. Drinking can be a key part of many peopleÔÇÖs university experiences, so, the pressure to fit in is prevalent for many students.
Choosing to drink or not to drink is a personal decision, so thereÔÇÖs no right answer. ItÔÇÖs better to be mindful of someoneÔÇÖs feelings regarding alcohol than to be ignorant. So, if youÔÇÖre opting for an alcohol-free 21st as I did, here are a few suggestions on how to celebrate to the fullest!
Go Karting at TeamSport Cardiff
TeamSport Cardiff gives you such an adrenaline rush! Gather your friends for a late-night racing session as I did, or opt for an earlier track start. Whatever you decide, the team will ensure you get the most out of your session. The team are so helpful, going so far as to get out on track with you and let you follow behind as they show you how to master the racing lines. 
There’ll be plenty of opportunity to perform a Hamilton-esque overtake or two.
This 500m, multi-level track lets you race at speeds of up to 40MPH! Trust me, when youÔÇÖre sitting that close to the ground, that feels pretty fast. Once you’ve put your foot down on the main straight, you’ll then have to battle with a series of sweeping bends and tricky hairpins, and there’ll be plenty of opportunity to perform a Hamilton-esque overtake or two.
Each driver will race in two 15-minute sessions on the track, where the aim of the game is to get as many laps as possible and set the fastest lap time. At the end of your session, you can find out who out of your group was the quickest and rub your victory in with a photo on the top step of the podium, which will definitely irritate at least one of your friends.
They even offer a student discount rate which knocks the price down from 35.00 to 28.00. If you want to knock the price down even lower, make sure to use a special code advertised on their website to get 10% off!
Ninja Warrior Cardiff
Lots of these adventure parks have popped up across the UK, inspired by the hit ITV game show Ninja Warrior UK, which first came to screens in 2015.
The show, which brands itself as the ÔÇ£toughest obstacle course on TVÔÇØ, invites competitors to attempt to complete a grueling obstacle course. Luckily for any budding applicants living in Cardiff, thereÔÇÖs an adventure park tucked away in a large warehouse on Hadfield Road.
The creators of the parks say on their website that the activities are geared to
ÔÇ£wide age and ability rangesÔÇØ.
With everything from monkey bars to an inflatable air park for kids, the creators of the parks say on their website that the activities are geared to ÔÇ£wide age and ability rangesÔÇØ. There were three zones marked out, each with different assault courses that seemed to get progressively harder. If, like me, you have little upper body strength, then itÔÇÖs safe to say the course will be tough, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that despite this I still had lots of fun and could have a good go at everything the course had to offer. And even when I did fall down, the soft ground below meant I didn’t hurt myself. My favourite obstacle was by far the ÔÇÿwarped wallÔÇÖ. They had three of these in the venue – 12ft, 14ft, and 16ft tall.
BoomBox Karaoke 
For those who love singing or want to laugh at your friendÔÇÖs poor vocals, look no further than BoomBox Karaoke. Late last year, CardiffÔÇÖs Boom Battle Bar announced its new private karaoke booths.┬á
Whether you’re a proud rock-and-roller or a closet Swiftie, with over 100,000 songs on offer, there’s something for everyone.
ÔÇÿBoombox Karaoke’ offers four private pods, hosting groups of up to fifteen. Whether you’re a proud rock-and-roller or a closet Swiftie, with over 100,000 songs on offer, there’s something for everyone. Each booth is decked out with various accessories including hot-pink feather boas and XL sunglasses that are bound to fall off of your face once or twice. For one hour between Monday and Thursday, it is just ┬ú5.00 per person, and only increases to ┬ú7.50 from Friday to Sunday.
If singing isnÔÇÖt your forte, donÔÇÖt worry! Boom Battle Bar has an extensive range of competitive games, ensuring plenty of opportunities to take home bragging rights. Take your pick from Smart Darts, Mini Golf, Arcade Games, Bavarian Axe Throwing (my personal favourite), and many more.┬á
As a sentimentalist, I had to take home a souvenir, so cram your friends into one of the photobooths and giggle over the chaos that ensues.
Image by Pxfuel. Image Licence details can be found here. No changes have been made to this image.
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