Monthly Archives: September 2016

Back to School, Blog, Event Planning

Tips for A Back to School Party

If you or someone you know has been selected to throw this year’s back to school party then this blog is for you! Seems many of the teachers and school administrators are looking for ways to make their back to school parties a hit. Of course we know that the main goal here is to get our children interested in coming back to school once summer is over. So what better way to do it than with an awesome party that will energize grades K-12? Let’s get started:

First, we want to say that safety is paramount to everything we do, and so should you. Be sure the parents have filled out all forms necessary if you’ll be incorporating bounce houses, waterslides or obstacle courses. Keep these in a locked file and don’t hesitate to make this a priority.

Next: Decorate according to the location of the party. Outdoor themes should have plenty of balloons and Streamers, sidewalk chalk is also another great item to have on board.

Don’t forget the Sanitizer: Keep plenty of jugs of sanitizer on board to lower the spread of germs.

Food: Whether you have it catered or your school is supplying, there’s nothing better than items you can eat quickly with your hands. An old standby like hot dogs, hamburgers and even pizza are amongst the favorites with the younger crowds. Don’t forget something sweet such as sno-cones or caramel apples that are great this time of year in Southern Florida.

Remind everyone to wear appropriate clothing to ensure they’re protected from the sun and are comfortable.

The first sign of rain, take shelter immediately. Again, safety is key here.

Organize an interactive game, such as a scavenger hunt. Have groups found items around the school or event area. Make sure a head count is done before and after for accountability.

Don’t stress out. Do meditation, book a massage or just take some quiet time either before the event or after allowing yourself time to unwind. The party should reflect how happy you are to have the kids back and telling them learning is fun as well as important.

Games are the one of the most important elements to any kid party. However, kids in the older age groups such as 13+ do well with our obstacle courses and competing games. Contact us for information on what works best for your event.

Blog, Event Planning

Throwing the Ultimate Block Party

It’s that time of year again in South Florida where everyone is starting to plan their fall and winter parties. More parties happen this time of year since our weather has become cooler and not as humid. One party that everyone looks forward to annually is their neighborhood block party. If you’ve been selected or have volunteered to be on the planning board, then we’ve got some helpful tips for you that will make your block party into a ‘Block-Buster Party’!!! Read on!

  •  Meet with the neighbors
  • Get a permit from the city or township
  •  Book Inflatable Rentals
  •  Plan food and activities
  •  Send invitations to the neighbors
  •  Create a Map showing who is participating and what each neighbor is hosting

Meeting with the neighbors as a planning committee is imperative to the success of your party. Select someone as the chairman and then have everyone assigned tasks. The chairman should be coordinated with everyone and be there in case the ball gets dropped.

Next, you’ll need to get a permit for your party. This is especially true when you’re blocking off streets. This is another important step to planning a great party that won’t get shut down by the feds later.

Contact South Florida Bounce for your rentals such as bounce houses or water slides. The sooner the reservation is made, you’ll be ensured on us being present for your party.

Now that you’ve got the most important steps out of the way, plan food and activities. If you’re having games such as balloon toss or a face painting station, make the correct arrangements and include the activities and times on your map. Food is another thing that will need some attention to detail. Keep it simple, unless you’re looking to impress the Joneses.

Send out invitations including the map made that shows all the neighbors who are participating, the activities and food and the times.

You can create really cool maps to include in your invitation. Use Google Maps or Google Earth Pro (now free) to create a template of the neighborhood. Google Earth allows you to add graphics that will make it exciting. Nonetheless, you want to have a visual so people will get excited.

Now that we’ve given you the tools to keep you organized, there’s only one thing left to do. Go have fun at your neighborhood block party!

Contact us today for rental availability.

Blog

Labor Day Party Nightmares

Labor Day will soon be upon us and like many of you I’m sure you’re scrambling to get those last minute details done before guests show up at your house. We’ve all heard about the pressure of putting together a memorable party, the only tough part, is when the caterer doesn’t show up or the cake gets ordered and sent to the wrong house. Yes, it happens and these stories should be a bit ‘nerve’ relieving. Take a look at some of the stories our readers have shared with us over the years.

It seems that everyone has one of those parties where there’s a ton going on and none of it seems to be smooth. Things getting spilled, people showing up hours late, or whatever the case may be. Don’t you feel a sense of happiness when you find out that even the most perfect person, has a bad day or two?

Jennifer, Coconut Creek: Gwen and Chad were throwing their first Labor Day party since they had gotten married. Everything was special and all was going great until Chad’s stern Grandma, who they called “The Iron Lady” asked Gwen’s 9-year-old son for a light. The youngster quickly ran into the house and grabbed a candle from inside. Once he presented the candle to the elderly woman she took one look at the candle and began to laugh. Puzzled the boy looked at the grandmother and asked “Mam, why are you laughing at me?” The woman stopped laughing and immediately replied “Because I wanted a can of Light Beer, not a Candlelight!”

Gloria Henderson, Margate: Jill was excited to have everyone over, but her mother had been exhausting just to watch while getting ready for their Labor Day/End of Summer Party. Since it was also Jill’s birthday that weekend, she asked her mother to make her no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies for her and her friends. While Jill’s mom was vacuuming she asked Jill to pre-heat the oven to 350°. Jill was curious what else her mother needed to make after she had already gotten everything ready so she decided to ask why her mom wanted the oven turned on. “We need to preheat the oven for your cookies sweetheart” her mother had remarked. “But I asked for No-Bake cookies. What the…?”

Jim P., Parkland: The kids and I were sitting out back when they asked who I invited from my work to our Labor Day party. When I told them my boss and his son they all shrieked in horror, “Oh No, Dad, Not Mr. Vernon’s kid, he pees in our pool” It was seconds after the kids were as white as a ghost, when they realized MR. Vernon, my boss and CEO of the company was standing right behind me. The first thing is kid did. He peed in our pool.

Of course, these are just a few of the stories we hope to make you feel better. At least you know we’re all human. Enjoy your week.

Blog, Event Planning

Playlist for Your Halloween Party

halloween-2

Of course we’ve heard of the classic songs that kept us all be-bopping to the music a gazillion years ago. But, do the kids know who sings the “The Monster Mash”? They will still enjoy these vintage songs most likely but kids are more prone to love what’s hot and trending. Here’s a list of great tunes that you can play at your next kid-friendly Halloween Party that will ‘smash the Monster Mash’!

  1. “Thriller” by Michael Jackson never gets old
  2. Beyonce’s “Haunted” and who doesn’t love the Queen B?
  3. Sharon Needles and Rupaul “This Club is a Haunted House”
  4. “Zombie” by Natalia Kills is a bit dark but can be really cool.
  5. No Doubt that Lady Gaga better be on that list with “Monster”
  6. “This is Halloween” by Danny Elfman which was a part of the Nightmare Before Christmas
  7. “Creep” by Radiohead has been redone by several artists. Try the original or look for a remake of epic proportions.
  8. “Superstition” by the Good Ole’ Stevie Wonder is still the jam!
  9. “Time Warp” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show is always a great tune, don’t let the kids watch the movie.
  10. The Scooby Doo soundtrack continues to crack my kids up every year.
  11. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Freak on a Leash
  12. “Harry Potter Prologue” by Silly Slinky
  13. “Witch Doctor” by New Kids in Town
  14. “Highway to Hell” by ACDC
  15. Don’t forget to get “Halloween Sounds” this is a ‘Must Have’.

For CD’s that you can play rather than finding and putting together your own playlist check out “Now That’s What I Call Halloween” and “The Best of Halloween” these both have various artists that will keep you party jumpin all day or night.

For kid-friendly movies check these out:

  • Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder (the original)
  • Beetle Juice with Michael Keaton an excellent choice for a scary night
  • Nightmare Before Christmas is a super-ultra-classic
  • Any, Any, Any Harry Potter movies
  • Buffy the Vampire series (for older kids)
  • ET was great because the opening scene was during Halloween.
  • Hocus Pocus is awesome for the little witches running around.

Well, there you have the ultimate holiday. You can now begin and you don’t have to do a lot of pondering on what is going to keep the little creeps and ghastly ghouls entertained.