Student Safety and School Inflatable Party Rentals

What your school should know before hiring an inflatable company.

Many schools like to have an inflatable party for their students to enjoy as a special treat to reward them for academic achievement or perhaps to help them blow off steam before the holidays or at the end of the school year.

Having a limited budget is something that most schools have to contend with, so they're interested in getting the best value possible for their money. They may already know what inflatable games they want, and if the price is right, the next step is to contact a company and schedule the date. But is it really that simple? Here's what you should know before scheduling your event:

Questions to Ask an Inflatable Rental Company

If you want to ensure your students have a great time at your event, here are some essential questions you'll want to know the answers to before hiring an inflatable company to come to your school:

• How long have they been in business?
• Do they work with schools? And if so, how many schools do they work with per year? Ask them for 3 or 4 schools they've recently worked with that you can contact.
• Do they have insurance?
• Will they provide an attendant at your event? And if not, how accessible will they be if something malfunctions?
• Do they provide a list of rules for their inflatables?
• Do they require adults to supervise any inflatable before students are allowed on it?
• Do they have safety rules, and will they review them with your adult volunteers before students are allowed on the inflatables?
• Do they provide generators for outdoor events or extension cords that need to be run to the nearest building?
• How are the inflatables secured for either indoor or outdoor events?
• How will you need to pay? Do they require an upfront deposit?
• Do they have a bad weather policy for outdoor events? How will this affect any upfront financial obligations?
• How often do they clean the inflatables? Companies should re-inflate their inflatables and thoroughly clean them after every event.
• How often do they change out their inflatables? Most inflatables start to wear out after a couple of years.

Additional Things to Know about Inflatable Party Rentals

Some companies require you to pick up the inflatables. Instead, you want to work with a company that'll deliver and set them up for you. It's worth paying a little more to have this done for you. You can learn a lot by going online and reviewing company websites first. Check out the selection of inflatable games they offer before you call. They're probably hired more for backyard birthday parties if they don't carry various inflatables. You'll want to stick to the larger companies for various reasons. Also, read the fine print to ensure you agree with their terms and conditions.

Doing your homework will ensure your students a safe and enjoyable time at your school's inflatable party.

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Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.