The summer holidays never seem to last very long, do they? One minute the classrooms are empty and everyone is enjoying the break, and the next the new school shoes are being bought, uniforms are being labelled and September is suddenly just around the corner.
For teachers, PTAs and school event organisers, the start of a new academic year also means a fresh calendar of activities to plan. There are welcome-back events, reward days, PTA fundraisers, autumn fairs, sports activities, Halloween celebrations, bonfire events and, before anybody quite knows how it happened, Christmas Parties and end-of-term celebrations.
Prestige can help with considerably more than a single bouncy castle. Our school event range includes inflatables, competitive games, traditional funfair attractions, catering, stalls, event equipment and staffed entertainment, giving schools plenty of ways to put some fun into the autumn term.
September: Give Pupils Something Fun to Come Back To
Returning to school after six weeks away is a big change of pace for children. A welcome-back event can be a great way to start the new term on a positive note, particularly when pupils are joining a new year group or new children are arriving at the school.
For younger pupils, Bouncy Castle Hire is an obvious place to start. Depending on the space available, schools can choose colourful children's inflatables, Bounce And Slide Bouncy Castle Hire or Inflatable Slide Hire.
If you have several age groups to entertain, consider dividing the event into activity zones. Younger children could have inflatables while older pupils tackle competitive attractions from our Event Games Hire selection.
That might mean racing through our 65ft giant inflatable obstacle course, testing balance and determination on the bungee run, battling it out on the gladiator duel or seeing who can hit the target on our giant football activities.
Turn the School Field into an Autumn Challenge Zone
Autumn doesn't have to mean putting outdoor fun away until next summer. Early in the term there are still plenty of opportunities to make use of school fields and suitable outdoor spaces.
Instead of arranging one attraction, why not create a circuit?
This format works particularly well for house competitions, enrichment days and school reward events because pupils can rotate between activities rather than spending the whole session waiting for one attraction.
Teachers can introduce points for each challenge, keep a running house leaderboard and crown an overall winning team at the end of the day. Suddenly an inflatable hire becomes an entire afternoon of competition.
October: When the Weather Starts Making the Decisions
By October, British weather becomes considerably less cooperative. Fortunately, an autumn school event doesn't automatically have to be cancelled because the forecast has turned grey.
Schools with suitable halls can ask us about Indoor Bouncy Castle Hire. We have inflatables of different dimensions and heights, so the first step is to check the available floor space, ceiling height and access at your venue.
Indoor events can also make use of smaller games and attractions that don't require a huge outdoor footprint. A mixture of inflatable entertainment, challenges and traditional games can turn a sports hall or large school hall into an activity space for pupils.
For outdoor events where shelter is required, Marquee Hire can help create covered spaces for seating, catering, registration or other parts of the event programme.
Autumn Fundraising Doesn't Have to Mean Another Raffle
PTAs spend an enormous amount of time thinking of ways to raise money. Traditional raffles, cake sales and tombolas all have their place, but entertainment can become part of the fundraising itself.
Our Funfair Side Stall Games Hire selection brings familiar fairground-style games directly to the school. Coconut shy, hook a duck, cork shooting galleries and other traditional attractions can be incorporated into an autumn fair or fundraising event.
Schools can charge per turn, offer prizes or include activities within an admission package. For suitable prizes and giveaways, take a look at Prize Novelties & Wholesale.
For a larger traditional setup, funfair side stall game hire package combines several classic attractions in one installation, helping to create a recognisable fairground area rather than a collection of unrelated activities.
Want to Go Bigger? Bring the Funfair to School
For major school celebrations, anniversaries, large PTA events and joint community fun days, Prestige can help take things several levels beyond inflatables.
Our Funfair Rides & Attractions Hire range includes specialist fairground entertainment for events where something substantial is required. Traditional options within Vintage Funfair Rides & Attraction Hire can work particularly well for schools wanting a classic fete or fairground atmosphere.
Children's attractions include Childrens Funfair Chair O Plane Ride Hire, Childrens Funfair Cup and Saucer Ride Hire, Childrens Funfair Lady Bird Ride Hire and the Vintage Mini Octopus / Mini Waltzer Ride.
For larger events with families and older pupils attending, specialist attractions can be discussed with our team according to the venue, expected attendance and available space.
Unlike a normal bouncy castle delivery, funfair equipment can have substantial access, transport, staffing and power requirements, so we recommend speaking to us early if you are considering rides for an autumn school event.
November: Bonfire Nights Need More Than a Bonfire
School bonfire and fireworks events can attract pupils, parents, siblings and members of the wider community, which makes the entertainment surrounding the main display particularly important.
There is usually a period before the fireworks begin when families are arriving and waiting. That's an ideal opportunity for traditional games, fairground attractions and catering.
And when everybody is standing outside on a chilly November evening, refreshments suddenly become very important indeed.
Our Mobile Hot Drinks Stand can provide warming drinks, while Mobile Catering Hire gives organisers options for more substantial food. Depending on the scale of the event, we can also discuss catering stands, hot dogs, burgers and other event food services.
For traditional fairground smells and flavours, add Candy Floss Machine Hire and Popcorn Machine Hire. Fresh popcorn at an autumn evening event rarely needs much advertising once people can smell it.
Then, Somehow, It's Christmas
It happens every year. Schools return in September, everybody thinks Christmas is ages away, and then suddenly rehearsals have started, decorations are appearing and somebody needs to organise the end-of-term party.
Our autumn school entertainment can therefore roll naturally into festive events later in the term.
Event Snow Machine Hire can add artificial falling snow to suitable Christmas events, while inflatables, funfair games, catering and party equipment can be combined to build a much larger festive programme.
For schools organising Christmas fairs, traditional side stalls can work particularly well alongside sweet treats, hot drinks and seasonal entertainment. Instead of simply hiring one attraction, you can create different sections for games, food, activities and socialising.
One School Event, Different Ages, Different Entertainment
A recurring challenge for schools is finding entertainment that works when Reception children, Year 6 pupils, parents and teachers may all be at the same event.
The solution isn't necessarily finding one product everybody likes. It is creating several different reasons to participate.
| Younger Pupils |
Children's bouncy castles, smaller slides, simple games and age-appropriate fairground attractions. |
| Older Primary Pupils |
Obstacle courses, football challenges, bungee runs and competitive event games. |
| Secondary-Age Guests |
Larger competitive inflatables, sports challenges and suitable funfair attractions. |
| Parents & Families |
Traditional side stalls, catering, fairground entertainment and spectator-friendly competitions. |
Tell us the age range and approximate number of people attending when enquiring and we can help you identify suitable choices from our party hire range.
Schools in Leicester, Coventry, Rugby, Northampton and Beyond
Prestige is based in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, putting us in a useful position for school bookings throughout a large part of the Midlands.
We regularly provide party and event hire in Leicester, Lutterworth, Hinckley, Loughborough, Market Harborough, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Northampton, Corby, Kettering, Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby.
Larger school funfair, catering and specialist event bookings can potentially travel considerably further, including locations such as Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Cambridge, Oxford, Luton and London.
If your school isn't in one of those locations, don't rule us out. Send the postcode and details of the event through Contact Us and we can confirm what is practical for your booking.
Why Book Early for the Autumn School Term?
School events tend to cluster around the same dates. September welcome-back events, October half-term celebrations, Halloween, November bonfires and December Christmas fairs all create busy periods for event suppliers.
Booking early also gives schools more time to deal with the practical details. For larger equipment we may need to know about vehicle access, grass areas, indoor dimensions, electricity, operating times and the number of pupils expected.
If mains electricity isn't conveniently available at the event location, Power Generator Hire can be included with suitable equipment. For larger bookings, Event Staff can also help with attractions requiring supervised operation.
Back to Lessons Doesn't Mean Back to Boring
The start of the autumn term means new classes, new routines and plenty of work ahead, but there should still be room in the school calendar for something pupils can simply enjoy.
Whether you're planning a small reward afternoon with a couple of inflatables, a competitive house challenge, a PTA autumn fair, a bonfire night, a Christmas celebration or a full school funfair, Prestige has the equipment and event experience to help put it together.
Browse our party hire range, take a look at Events for more ideas, or contact us with your school postcode, preferred date, pupil numbers and the type of event you're planning.
Call our 24-hour booking line on 07794762351 or send your requirements through Contact Us. The summer holidays might nearly be finished, but the fun certainly doesn't have to be.
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