Children's zone and adult rest together
A parent being able to sit while watching the child is the condition for a three-hour stay. Separating the two areas is the costliest mistake.
Family Festivals
Family festivals
At a family festival the child decides and the adult pays
We build the children's and family programme for festivals: inflatables by age group, workshops, entertainers, giant games and shows, with monitors and certified equipment for intensive public use.
A family festival has two audiences with opposite needs. The child wants constant movement, something different every half hour and little waiting. The adult wants to sit down, have a drink and know the child is entertained and safe in view. A programme serving only one of the two empties the site: if the children are bored, the family leaves; if the parents cannot rest, they leave too.
The solution is having distinct zones very close together. A children's activity zone with monitors, and beside it, in view, a shaded rest area with tables for adults. That proximity is what lets a parent let go of the child and sit down, which is exactly the condition for the family staying three hours rather than one.
Age separation matters too. Three to six year olds need small equipment, a ball pit and constant monitor presence. Seven to elevens want to compete and make things with an outcome. And teenagers, usually left out of family programming, only engage with something technological or sporting. With three areas covered, the festival works for the whole family at once.
The equipment is rated for intensive public use, with certificates and insurance, and always with a monitor. In an open site with hundreds of children, an inflatable without turn control causes problems within twenty minutes. Staffing ratios are itemised in the quote so you know exactly what you are booking.
- 3age brackets covered
- 1 monitorper activity minimum
- 24 hquote turnaround
- 100%certified equipment
Separated by age
Small, medium and teenage need different things. With three areas the festival works for the whole family at once rather than for one bracket.
A monitor on every activity
In an open site with hundreds of children, an inflatable without turn control causes problems within twenty minutes. Ratios are itemised in the quote.
How we set it up
Send us the site and audience
Plan, estimated family attendance, age brackets and festival hours.
We design the three areas
Children, middle and teenage, with the adult rest zone in view of the first.
We prepare safety and permits
Certificates, insurance, anchoring by surface type and wind and heat criteria.
We operate all day
Monitors at each point on shifts, activity rotation and takedown at close.
Formats and ideas that work
- Inflatable park separated by age with monitors
- Rotating creative workshops every hour
- Giant wooden games for families to play together
- Shaded area with tables in view of the children's zone
- Family stage show at a fixed hour
- Face painting and balloon modelling at the entrance
- Bike and scooter circuit for the youngest
- Simulator and sports zone for teenagers
The siesta hour
One slot takes down many family festivals: between two and half past four in the afternoon. Small children are tired, it is hot if it is summer, and families leave. Getting them back afterwards rarely happens: whoever leaves at two does not return at six.
The way to sustain that slot is changing register rather than keeping the activity at the same pace. Shade, quiet activities, seated workshops, storytelling, something sweet to eat. Lowering the intensity for two hours lets the family rest inside the site rather than going home to do it, and that saves the whole afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
How many monitors are needed?
It depends on the activity and the number of children. As a guide, a large inflatable takes one monitor, a workshop one per fifteen children, and the toddler area needs constant presence. We itemise it in the quote.
Is the equipment certified?
Yes, everything meets regulations and we hold certificates and public liability insurance. We supply them in advance to the organiser and to the council if requested.
What happens in extreme heat or wind?
There are protocols: inflatables stop above a given wind speed, and in extreme heat we prioritise shade, water and quiet activities. It is decided with the organiser on safety criteria.
Can you cover several days?
Yes. At weekend festivals we operate full days with monitor shifts, and rotate workshops so anyone returning on Sunday finds something different.
Do you work with councils?
Yes, it is a significant part of our work. We prepare all municipal documentation and adapt to whichever procurement procedures apply.