How to Plan a School Fun Day

Planning a school fun day involves balancing age groups, space, safety and timing, while keeping activities easy to manage for staff and volunteers. This guide sets out the main points to consider when organising a fun day that works well for pupils, teachers and parents.

Start with age groups and numbers

Knowing the age ranges attending helps shape the layout and equipment choices. Younger pupils benefit from gentler activities, while older children usually want something more active. For early years and Key Stage 1, items from our Soft Play Hire range are well suited to indoor halls and sheltered areas.

Key Stage 2 pupils often enjoy themed inflatables and slides from our Bouncy Castles and Bouncy Castles with Slides ranges. For larger groups or older year groups, obstacle-style inflatables from our Obstacle Courses collection help keep children moving and engaged.

Plan the layout and flow

A clear layout makes a big difference on the day. Think about how pupils will move between activities and where queues might form. Separating areas by age group helps reduce congestion and makes supervision easier.

Outdoor fun days often use larger spaces such as playgrounds or fields, while indoor days rely on halls and sports areas. For outdoor events, adding Event Gazebos provides shelter for registration points, staff breaks or quieter activities.

Think about supervision and staffing

Adult supervision is essential at all times. Teachers and school staff often supervise inflatables themselves, but for larger events or where several units are in use at once, additional support can be helpful.

Our Staff Supervisors service is commonly used at school fun days to help manage queues, explain rules and keep activities running smoothly. This allows teachers to focus on pupils and overall event organisation.

Power, timing and weather planning

Check in advance whether power is available where inflatables will be set up. If not, we can supply a Generator. It’s also worth planning a simple wet-weather option, such as moving activities indoors or reducing the number of inflatables if conditions change.

Running activities in timed sessions can help manage numbers and give all pupils a fair turn, particularly when year groups rotate throughout the day.

Activities for mixed-age events

Some school fun days include parents, siblings or older pupils. Football inflatables such as the Foot Darts Kick n Stick and Penalty Shootout are suitable for mixed-age use and work well alongside children’s inflatables.

Keep it simple

The most successful school fun days are usually the simplest. A small number of well-chosen activities, clear supervision and a sensible timetable go a long way.

If you’d like help planning your school fun day or want advice on suitable equipment, please visit our Contact Us page or check our FAQs.