School Carnival 101

AZ Party Rents in Scottsdale offers up some advice on planning your next school carnival. At AZ Party rents, they offer the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas best selection of entertainment and games available for all kinds of school carnival events.

Planning a School Carnival
A few pointers from a seasoned school carnival provider in Scottsdale, Arizona.

If your school has been planning the carnival for years, or even if this is the first year you are considering holding a carnival event- there are a few questions which are worth considering while planning. Below we have offered several common questions which come up for carnival planners!

1) Why should our local Scottsdale or Phoenix School have a school carnival?
There are many reasons schools consider having a carnival event- but there does need to be a clear goal when planning any event- check out some of the more popular reasons we have found below:
o Builds Your Schools Community
o Shows appreciation for students and their families
o Fundraiser Event
o To encourage social interaction between community members
o As a way to focus on and strengthen teamwork in the parents organization
o Is a great reward to the students for something well done

Planning a school carnival event can lead to many good things! These events can be a great opportunity for schools from both a fund raising and community building perspective. A carnival gives parents and teachers a chance to mingle, relax and “let down their hair.” It also gives the schools student body a realization that there is a definite association between “fun” and “school.”

A well organized carnival is the key to a successful carnival event. Call AZ Party rents today to start your school carnival planning. We are here to help! We have been involved in many different school carnivals held for single schools and even been involved in large events planned for an entire district. From a small event for just a handful of students to the largest of carnivals with thousands and thousands of attendants- AZ party rents is the best solution for any carnival event you may be planning.

YOUR STUDENTS WORK HARD ALL YEAR- DON’T YOU OWE THEM THE BEST IN CARNIVAL ENTERTAINMENT???

Carnival Budget – Date – Times and More!

It’s time to make the decision and determine what want your carnival to be and how much you want to spend. Yup that means set a budget!
And as with any event, you also want to keep the needs and tastes of your attendees paramount. You will also want to allow yourself sufficient time to decide on the perfect date for your event. You’ll need to plan your food and beverages, and activities and entertainment. All of this can be done by making one call to the good folks at AZ party rents… But please make sure to give enough time to notify your community or they will be unable to plan to be there! Don’t forget that our local scottsdale – phoenix area parents and families have their own busy lives, and giving them enough notice to show up can and will determine the ultimate success of your event!

When is the best time to hold a Carnival?

There are definite pros and cons to weekday carnivals versus weekend carnivals. School Carnivals held on a weekday (monday thru thursday) can be a lot cheaper to book rides and entertainment, and our rides and entertainment option as are less likely to be booked out already. But having a school carnival during the week can mean limited attendance depending on your community. Many families and students have commitments to various other sports, athletic, church , or civic groups during the week- you do not want these commitments keeping them from attending the carnival!

Weekend Carnivals are definitely more popular. Most school carnivals and church carnivals in Phoenix occur on Friday nights- this is a time when most families put aside to spend on family related outings and such. Many local area schools choose to hold very large carnivals on Saturdays, which can be a great choice as Saturday offers a larger amount of time for you to be “open for business.” This gives families who have commitments like soccer games opportunity to go to the carnival before or after the game.

Where do you want to hold your carnival?

The most obvious answer to this is in your local valley area school.

School Carnivals can take place inside a gym (for maximum weather protection) But the most successful ones we see are outside, because this allows for much more space for activities and attractions. When schools are not limited by space we can offer our larger attractions, which are more popular. Plus these attractions will also bring in people from the neighborhood such as home school students, or children who attend another school in the area. Placing attractions outside where they can be seen maximizes the revenue potential and increases your schools visibility and recognition.

School Carnival Concessions!

We handle all aspects of a school carnival- we can even help you with the concession booths. We have everything you need to make and sell Cotton Candy, Sno Kones, popcorn, hot dogs, shave ice and all that fun stuff! And we definitely recommend you have all of them at your event! But you may want to consider more substantial food options than that. Providing meals can not only get your crowd to stick around longer, but is also lends you opportunity to raise more funds as people always spend money on food at a carnival.

School Carnival Activities and Entertainment

The number of attractions and activities definitely varies according to the size of your group, how many you expect at the event, etc…

One common issue we see at school carnivals is that there are not enough attractions for the size of the group. This results in long lines and a slow moving, less exciting event. We understand that budget constraints are what can hold a school back from ordering more equipment… That is why we work hard to maintain competitive pricing.

Rest assured, if you order our equipment, properly advertise your carnival, and get enough people there- your equipment will be well worth the investment! Expanding your budget to accomodate the crowd will result in having a more sucvcessful carnival this year, and increased attendance the following year.

What kinds of carnival activities do we need?

Events and activity needs vary according to the age groups you have. Our staff can help you to determine and ideal package for your event!

Most often, events usually have 1 Slide, One Obstacle Course, and a phoenix bounce house. Many events choose to offer one of our interactive activities as well. (Events with larger groups of older children will usually choose more interactive games/etc…)

We also offer a full selection of carnival games, dunk tanks, concessions, arts and craft activities and much more! All of which will make your carnival into a better and more fun event!

What about Prizes?

We bring the games, the entertainment, and can even bring the carnival prizes! We have wholesale connections with companies like oriental trading and can provide your carnival prizes at a great discount. If you are interested in booking the entire event with please call our office for more details!