Top 8 Party Tips For School Carnivals, After-Proms, Dances & More

It’s that time of year again! School is in swing and you’re planning your school carnival, field day, middle school dance, prom / after-prom, school dance, college hangout or other fun event. A VERY big undertaking of course!

Whether an elementary school, middle school, high school, or college / university, it’s moments like these that students and families will remember forever.

Here’s some advice from someone who’s attended (and helped bring the fun) to ALL these types of events over the last 25+ years. Let’s call it the “Top 10 Tips” for school events…

- Get parents or older students from neighboring schools to volunteer (no cost). They can setup, tear down, and man every area of the event. Many high-school or college students are looking for volunteer opportunities, so these can be a great resource for the free manpower you need. Provide them each a letter on school letterhead after the event stating how many hours they donated.

- Cakewalks are great fun (no cost). Have families sign up ahead of time to donate a baked good (cakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc) and these become your free prizes for the cake-walk. PTO Today’s website has a great how-to on this very popular game - especially good for elementary and middle school age groups.

- Deejays make parties of all kinds WAY more fun (worth the cost). No matter the age group, a good deejay will have the perfect crowd-matched mix of high-energy tunes to keep spirits high. Hire your DJ early, because they book up fast! It’s well-worth the money. To find a good one at a good price for your age range, reach out to us to refer you.

- Add professional party artists to the mix: face painting, balloon animals, caricatures, etc (worth the cost). As the lead artist with Wowzers™ for 27 years, I’ve personally provided all three of the most popular services for all these types of events over the last nearly 3 decades. Face painting, balloon animals, and caricature drawings are ALL jaw-dropping fun for any age range - from preschool to college kids! Need tips on how to set up these areas and make the most out of them? Email, live chat, or call us right away, we’re here to give lots of ideas and advice ;)

- Inflatables. Need I say more? (worth the cost) Okay okay, I will say more. I’ve seen awesome bounce houses inside elementary school gyms and awesome obstacle courses inside high school gyms. Honestly whether kids, teens, or adults - there are really cool inflatables that are age-appropriate. Getting students and their families active at your school event keeps spirits high! Need a referral for a great inflatable rental company in your area? We have a huge network of contacts. Let us refer you!

HOW TO PAY FOR ALL THIS?

- Funding the fun, tip 1 — Get some local sponsors. The $$ they give you pays for the more costly fun services. Local businesses love to get their names on signs and in the school newsletter to help them reach their local clientele with their products & services. And one of the easiest ways to find them: email all your student’s parents. Tell them you’re looking for local businesses to sponsor the upcoming event, and they’ll come out of the woodworks ;)

- Funding the fun, tip 2 — Don’t forget to go around to local businesses within a mile of your school to ask for donations for your event. Many companies are happy to give stacks of coupons for freebies, or 2-for-1 deals, and more to help support. This drives them local business. Put the coupons in grab-bags for every family that attends your event.

- Funding the fun, tip 3 — Charging families a dollar or two (or more) for the event can go a LONG way in helping cover the costs of the fun. Sell wristbands for unlimited fun services at your event, and the proceeds help fund things like deejays, party artists, grab bags and more!

Here at Wowzers™, we know quite well that planning any big event can be a massive undertaking, especially if you are new to the process. Whether it’s a school carnival, a middle school or high school dance, prom or afterprom, or college event, we’re here to support. We wish you a successful gathering!