Category Archives: Event Planning

Bounce Bliss: A Guide to Choosing the Right Bounce House for Your Event

Selecting the perfect bounce house for your event is like choosing the centerpiece of a celebration—it sets the tone for fun and excitement. To ensure you make the right choice, consider factors such as space requirements, age appropriateness, and themed options. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to guarantee a bouncing success at your next event.

  1. Know Your Space:

Before browsing through bounce house options, assess the available space at your event venue. Measure the dimensions and consider any obstacles like trees, fences, or other structures. This will help you choose a bounce house that fits seamlessly into the designated area.

  1. Consider the Age Group:

Not all bounce houses are created equal when it comes to age appropriateness. Ensure that the bounce house you choose aligns with the age group of the participants. Some bounce houses are designed for toddlers, while others cater to older kids with additional features and challenges.

  1. Weight Capacity Matters:

Check the weight capacity of the bounce house to ensure it can safely accommodate the number of children expected at your event. Adhering to weight limits is crucial for both safety and the longevity of the bounce house.

  1. Themed Bounce Houses:

Add a touch of magic to your event with themed bounce houses. Whether it’s a princess castle, a superhero adventure, or a tropical paradise, choose a theme that complements the overall vibe of your event. Themed bounce houses not only enhance the visual appeal but also contribute to a more immersive experience.

  1. Consider Dual or Combo Options:

For added excitement, explore dual or combo bounce houses that come with additional features like slides, climbing walls, or obstacle courses. These versatile options provide a variety of activities within the same inflatable structure, maximizing the fun for participants.

  1. Inflation and Deflation Times:

Consider the time it takes to set up and take down the bounce house. Opt for models with quick inflation and deflation times, especially if you have a tight schedule or need to maximize the use of the bounce house within a specific timeframe.

  1. Check for Safety Features:

Ensure that the bounce house comes with safety features such as reinforced seams, proper anchoring points, and secure netting. Safety should always be a top priority to guarantee a worry-free bouncing experience for everyone.

  1. Review Customer Feedback:

Before making a final decision, read reviews and testimonials from other customers. Their experiences can provide valuable insights into the quality, durability, and overall satisfaction with the bounce house you are considering.

  1. Budget Considerations:

Determine your budget for the bounce house rental and explore options within that range. Be sure to inquire about any additional fees, such as delivery, setup, and cleaning costs, to avoid surprises.

  1. Book in Advance:

Popular bounce house options can get booked quickly, especially during peak seasons. To secure your preferred choice, book well in advance and confirm delivery details with the rental company.

By following this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to choose the perfect bounce house for your event. Whether it’s a birthday party, family reunion, or community event, the right bounce house will undoubtedly elevate the level of joy and entertainment for all participants. Happy bouncing!

Ensuring Safe Bouncing: Top 10 Bounce House Safety Tips

Bounce houses are a fantastic addition to any celebration, providing endless joy for kids. However, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience requires careful consideration of various factors. From setup to supervision and maintenance, here’s a comprehensive guide to keep the bounce house fun going smoothly.

  1. Choose the Right Location:

Select a flat, level surface away from obstacles like trees, fences, or sharp objects. Ensure there’s ample space around the bounce house for safe entry and exit.

  1. Secure Proper Anchoring:

To prevent the bounce house from tipping or moving during use, secure it with appropriate anchors. Use stakes or sandbags, depending on the surface type, to ensure stability.

  1. Follow Setup Guidelines:

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s setup instructions. Pay attention to weight limits, inflation levels, and any other specific guidelines provided with the bounce house. Proper setup is crucial for safe bouncing.

  1. Supervise Constantly:

Assign responsible adults to supervise the bounce house at all times. Ensure they are trained to enforce safety rules, manage the entry and exit points, and intervene if any unsafe behavior is observed.

  1. Establish Age and Size Limits:

Clearly communicate and enforce age and size restrictions for users. This helps prevent overcrowding and ensures that children of similar sizes are bouncing together, reducing the risk of collisions.

  1. Enforce Bouncing Etiquette:

Educate users on proper bouncing behavior. No climbing on the walls, no flips, and no roughhousing. Establishing rules promotes a safer environment for everyone enjoying the bounce house.

  1. Weather Watch:

Monitor weather conditions closely. If winds exceed the recommended limits (typically 15-20 mph), or in case of rain or storms, deflate and secure the bounce house immediately. Safety should always come first.

  1. Regularly Inspect and Maintain:

Before each use, conduct a thorough inspection of the bounce house. Check for any damages, tears, or loose seams. Additionally, ensure that the blower is functioning correctly. Regular maintenance is key to longevity and safety.

  1. Educate Parents and Caregivers:

Provide guidelines to parents and caregivers about their role in ensuring a safe bouncing experience. Encourage them to communicate the rules to their children and actively supervise their little ones.

  1. Emergency Preparedness:

Have an emergency plan in place. Make sure all supervisors know how to quickly and safely evacuate the bounce house in case of an emergency. Have a first aid kit on hand for minor injuries.

By following these top 10 safety tips, you can create an environment where kids can bounce to their hearts’ content while ensuring their safety remains the top priority. A well-maintained and properly supervised bounce house guarantees a memorable and worry-free experience for everyone involved. Happy bouncing!

Celebrate a Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve

When children see their parents getting excited about their New Year’s Eve celebrations, they want to celebrate, too. You can easily plan a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration with inflatable rentals and a range of budget-friendly accessories.

Inflatable Selections

For youngsters age 6 to 12, a bounce house is an ideal solution. It’s fun and allows them to expend energy in a safe and healthy way. Depending on available space, you might also want to consider renting an inflatable obstacle course. There are options available for toddlers to adults, ensuring that an age-appropriate obstacle course that’s in line with your child’s age and interests. Life size board games are offered, along with sumo balls and a host of inflatable activities.

Fun Food

Youngsters are sure to work up an appetite with all the bouncing and playing. Fun food machines can also be rented. They encompass hotdog steamers and rollers, candy dispensers, and cotton candy, popcorn and snow cone makers.

Banners, Hats and Goodies

An extensive variety of New Year’s accessories and favors can be purchased inexpensively. You can take your pick of hats, eyeglasses, multiple types of noise makers, and glow-in-the-dark jewelry. You can decorate with banners, balloons, stars and streamers. Crowns and tiaras make an excellent memento of the event.

Celebrate Internationally

It can be fun to work in some New Year’s customs from other countries. Eating a grape for every chime of the clock during the countdown to the New Year is practiced in Spain, while those in Ireland sing as many courses of Auld Lang Syne as they can manage. Serving 12 round fruits in customary in the Philippines, gifting homemade tamales is practiced in Mexico, and those in Denmark and Norway celebrate with a cake of at least 18 layers.

Final Thoughts

It’s traditional to make a New Year’s Resolution and children can also perform the ritual. Keep resolutions light and fun. Don’t forget some fancy plastic wine glasses to give a celebratory toast to the New Year with grape juice.

Choose Easy and Convenient Inflatables for Your Holiday Event

It’s time for planning Christmas festivities. You can make your home gathering, office party or corporate evet stand a memorable one with a variety of inflatables and accessories that can be rented. You can create a winter wonderland and provide unique photo opportunities.

Rentable inflatables are an easy and convenient solution. The company will deliver to your location and perform all the set up and take down tasks. Be sure and book your desired inflatable early to ensure availability.

Human Snow Globe

Imagine your guests surprise when confronted with a 15 ft. snow globe. Let guests get inside the snow globe and have their photo taken for an extraordinary memento.

iGo Photo Booth

For the digitally minded, the photo kiosk provides guests with a strip of photos and prints in just 16 seconds. The booth can be customized, produce images in color, black and white, or funny frames with wigs and hats.

Bounce House

Events where children will be present shouldn’t be without a bounce house. The inflatables are available as a giant snowman, giant elf or gingerbread house.

Snow Machines

Snow is a rarity in the South Florida climate so make your own with a high output snow machine. Create a gentle snow or blizzard like conditions. The professional snow machines have multiple effects. You can also choose from a snow/foam cannon, complete with lights and an attendant to operate it so you don’t miss any of the festivities.

Team Building

Business owners and organizations that want to take the holidays as an opportunity for team building exercises have a wealth of options from which to choose. You can choose from obstacle courses to giant lawn games

Fun Food

Catered cuisine is a great idea for adults, but it’s lost on the vast majority of children. To feed everyone at an informal event, fundraiser or children’s event, consider renting fun food machines. Select from a hot dog steamer, popcorn maker, cotton candy or snow cone machine, or candy dispenser to make your holiday event easy, convenient and fun.

6 Halloween Party Ideas for Teens and Tweens

Many parents are choosing to host Halloween parties as a safer alternative to crowds of little ghosts and goblins. It’s also an opportunity to fulfill older youngsters’ desire for a spookier experience than trick-or-treating can deliver. Don’t forget to include a photo booth to capture a memento of the event for guests and a fog machine to set the mood.

Scary foods are a must, like eyeballs (peeled grapes), breadstick “snakes,” jack-o-lantern faced cookies, banana ghosts on a stick, and “mummy” hotdogs. Another good snack is witch’s fingers.

Monster Music Bash

The potential playlist of Halloween and monster related songs is almost endless. Compose a playlist of perennial favorites encompassing tunes such as Monster Mash, Somebody’s Watching Me, Enter Sandman, and Time Warp. A sure hit with everyone is Thriller and Ghostbusters. You can also hire a DJ.

Haunted House

You can decorate your own home, turn your back yard into a scary graveyard, or take guests to one of any number of haunted houses being conducted. For home parties, choose a soundtrack of creaky doors, screams and similar sounds.

Scary Movie Screening

There’s no shortage of scary films to watch in celebration of Halloween. Choose age-appropriate films. Guests can dress as their favorite spooky movie character.

Costume Contest

Set the stage for multiple categories in a costume contest. Prizes can be awarded for the most inventive, scary, funny, original costumes and more.

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

The premise is the same as a traditional scavenger hunt, but with Halloween flair. Hide eyeballs, spiders and similar items for guests to uncover.

Tell Your Fortune

Fortune tellers are great fun for youngsters and adults. Hire a fortune teller to come and read the palms of guests. If you know someone who is a good actor and is unknown to guests, you can hire them to give fun, positive readings.

9 Places for a Good Halloween Scare

It’s not difficult to find a good ghost story in South Florida. The Sunshine State is home to some of the best places to get a good Halloween scare ranging from ghostly apparitions to orbs of floating light. Many of the sites have been featured on TV shows and been investigated by professional paranormal researchers.

Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables

The hotel has hosted presidents to notorious gangsters. Guests report lights turning on and off, messages written on mirrors, and elevators that stop at the wrong floor.

Cuban Club, Tampa

People report seeing a ghostly actor, a board member, lady in a misty dress, and a young boy playing ball.

Huguenot Cemetery, St. Augustine

Visitors to the cemetery say they’ve seen orbs of light floating among headstones, wispy ghosts in trees, the transparent ghost of a girl who died of yellow fever, and a former judge.

Lake Worth Playhouse, Lake Worth

Built by Lucian and Clarence Oakley, visitors claim they’ve seen Lucian’s reflection in mirrors heard his footsteps, and experienced objects being moved around.

Lighthouse, St. Augustine

The structure is said to be haunted by a number of lighthouse keepers who met tragic ends over the centuries. Of particular interest is the 2 daughters of a lighthouse keeper and their friend who drowned. People have reported the sound of footsteps and laughter as the 3 girls are reunited in the tower for a ghostly play session.

Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Said to be haunted by the ghosts of a sea captain, a young girl, and a murdered theatre manager, they’re said to roam the theatre playing jokes on unsuspecting guest.

Riddle House, West Palm Beach

A former funeral parlor, it’s reported to be home to a previous overseer who paces the porch and a former employee who hung himself.

River Inn, Miami

Guests of the hotel have reported the sound of footsteps and ghostly banging in the middle of the night.

Tampa Theatre, Tampa

Individuals say the theatre is haunted by a man that worked the projector and still returns to cause mischief.

Why You Should Not Let Children of Varying Sizes Bounce Together

Almost every child enjoys a bounce house experience, but there are some basic bounce house rules that everyone should follow to mitigate the potential for injuries and ensure safe operation.

For Every Action…

When a large child jumps on one side of the bounce house, it’s going to create a reaction of equal force on the other side of the amusement. That ripple effect can throw younger, lighter children off their feet and increases the potential for a bloody nose, sprain or fracture. A responsible adult should monitor the inflatable at all times to ensure youngsters in the entertainment are of the same age and size.

A bounce house is for jumping and bouncing. Youngsters should not be performing somersaults or flips and roughhousing should be prevented. Children should never wear shoes in a bounce house – only socks.

Where to Set it Up

A bounce house should be set on open and level ground. A grassy location is best. Be sure the ground under the inflatable is free of sticks and stones. It should be established away from fences, outbuildings, sprinkler heads, and overhead tree branches. Be sure it’s properly anchored to the ground.

What Doesn’t Belong in a Bounce House

There are some things that should absolutely not be allowed in a bounce house. That includes food, drinks and gum. An adult should check each child before they enter the amusement to ensure they remove jewelry, eyeglasses and other sharp objects. Hard toys should never enter the bounce house.

Other Considerations

Choose a bounce house of the appropriate size for the youngsters that will be using it and limit the number of children using it to 4 or 5 at a time. Be aware of the weather – never use a bounce house in the rain. If the wind is strong enough to blow sand and small gravel around, it’s too strong for bounce house use.

5 Reasons Kids Love a Bounce House Party

You don’t have to have a reason to rent an inflatable bounce house and throw an impromptu children’s party. Few youngsters can resist the temptation to jump and bounce in a brightly colored inflatable. Bounce houses are available in dry and wet versions, along with those that incorporate an obstacle course, providing parents with options.

Don’t forget to have snacks and beverages on hand. Children burn a lot of energy and calories playing in a bounce house. It’s essential that they remain hydrated, even when using a wet bounce house.

Kid-Friendly Fun

It’s not a true party unless you invite some friends over. Youngsters get to play with their friends and you have the peace of mind knowing they’re in a safe environment.

Larger Than Life Entertainment

Most children are accustomed to seeing a bounce house in venues such as carnivals and fairs. The true size of a bounce house is revealed when set up in your back yard. Rental inflatables can accommodate multiple youngsters.

Multiple Themes

Inflatable bounce houses are available with multiple themes, allowing kids to pretend for hours. Bounce houses have themes appropriate for kids of all ages ranging from cartoon characters and fairy tales to superheroes and those with a holiday theme. They’re no longer simply square boxes. They can take the form of a snow globe, castle or gingerbread house.

There’s More Than Just Bouncing

Depending on the inflatable, bounce houses enable children to play traditional games inside, such as tag. With wet bounce houses, children can also slide and splash.

Healthy Exercise

Inflatable bounce houses are an ideal way for children to burn off excess energy and it’s a healthy way to do so. Bounce houses aid children in developing balance, motor skills, strength and lung capacity, while providing a heart-healthy cardio workout. A bounce house party is also a great way to support socialization skills.

Three Stress Saving Ideas for Planning Your Child’s Party

Celebrities are spending $200,000 for a child’s birthday party, while social media influencers are touting “bigger is better” ideas for gatherings. It tempts parents to spend more than they need to on their child’s party and focus on things rather than the child. The following tips can help you stop the madness, plan a stress-free party that will keep youngsters entertained, and won’t break your budget.

Invest in an Experience Instead of a Party

There are dozens of options for this, depending on the age of the attendees. Consider going bowling, taking everyone to that must-see movie, or going to an arcade. There’s almost no planning involved at all, other than creating a guest list and convincing a couple of other parents to help keep an eye on everyone. Parents simply drop their children off at the appointed location and pick them up at a pre-determined time.

Keep Food and Beverages Simple

If you’re planning a trip to the zoo or similar locale, seriously consider packing a picnic for everyone. Some locations have on-site grills if you want to cook hotdogs on the spot Consider ordering pizza or subs for a truly stress-free meal.

Forget About a Theme

Themes can be fun, but you’ll spend far more time trying to obtain matching napkins, paper plates and cups, along with games, decorations and party favors, than the entire party will last.

Focus on What’s Important

Know your budget and stay within it. Your child’s life isn’t going to be ruined if you can’t swing a traveling petting zoo or a local celebrity visit.

Limit the guest list to the number of people you can comfortably accommodate, whether the event takes place at home or somewhere else. Just because your child wants to invited the entire class doesn’t mean you’re obligated to do so. It doesn’t affect the quality of the party.

Summer Fun! How to Organize a Neighborhood Waterslide Party

There’s a lot of planning and work that goes into any party and that multiplies when organizing a neighborhood-based event. The following are some tips for ensuring party success.

Plan Early

There’s no guarantee that the weather will cooperate, but choose the day at least three months in advance. That gives you time to schedule your waterslide rental. Waterslides are often spoken for months in advance. It’s especially important if you have a specific theme in mind.
There will certainly be a permit required and an accompanying fee that must be paid. Be sure to check your homeowner’s insurance to see if any injuries or damages will be covered for the event.

Examine the Budget

The cost of a neighborhood pool party can quickly get out of hand. You’ll need to know if you’ll be paying for the entire cost yourself, if you’ll be asking for attendees to donate toward the cause, or if it will be a potluck style event.

Know Your Guests

Define the scope of the party. Decide if it will be certain families nearby, everyone on one side of the street, or the entire block. It’s essential that you know the ages of your guests. Waterslides are available in multiple heights. A 40-ft. waterslide is not appropriate for younger children. If a model is selected that deposits guests into an in-ground pool, it’s crucial to ascertain if everyone can swim or if a life vest will be needed for some guests.

Help is Essential

There are a lot of details to be considered, from food to flyers or if individual invitations will be issued. You’re going to need help to deal with invitations, RSVPs, how music will be provided and if someone will DJ, along with how food will be provided. Assign a person to handle each task and check back with them as needed to ensure success.