A practical plan for the people, places and play that bring a fete together.
A successful school fete feels easy to attend because a great deal of planning has happened behind the scenes. Families can find the entrance, children understand where to queue, volunteers know their roles, and suppliers can reach the equipment without crossing a busy crowd. The attractions matter, but the connections between them matter just as much.
This school fete planning checklist is designed for Sydney schools, P&Cs and community organisers considering inflatable entertainment. It covers the decisions that help turn an attractive idea into a workable event: audience, site layout, attraction choice, staffing, ticketing and the final handover. Use it as a planning framework alongside your school’s processes, venue requirements and suppliers’ instructions.
1. Write a one-page event brief
Begin with a short document everyone can use: event date, opening hours, location, purpose, expected audience and the person authorised to approve decisions. Separate confirmed information from estimates. A previous fete’s attendance can inform discussion, but do not treat it as a guaranteed turnout for the next event.
Decide what success means. A fundraiser may prioritise a manageable contribution to a school project, while a welcome event may focus on bringing families together. These goals affect the activities, ticketing and volunteer effort you choose. Agree on the priorities before individual stalls and attractions are promised.
Give the document an owner and a clear update date. Share the same version with the organising committee and relevant school contacts. When plans change, record the decision and who needs to know. One current brief reduces confusion between informal messages, old spreadsheets and supplier conversations.
2. Plan for different ages and ways to participate
Estimate who is likely to attend: current students, younger siblings, older children, parents, carers and other community members. This helps you choose a balanced program rather than filling the site with activities aimed at one age group.
Ask inflatable suppliers about the restrictions and operating arrangements for each proposed attraction. Age, height, weight and capacity limits belong to the specific equipment. A larger attraction is not automatically suitable for every student, and younger children should not be added to a group simply because they are waiting.
Include activities that do not depend on inflatables. A craft table, reading corner, student display or simple supervised game can provide a different pace. Discuss access and participation needs with the school early, and communicate confirmed arrangements clearly. Avoid advertising an activity as accessible to everyone before its suitability has been assessed.
3. Design the site around movement
Start your site plan with fixed features: gates, buildings, toilets, power points, trees, slopes and any areas that cannot be used. Mark supplier access and the routes that must remain clear. Only then add attractions and stalls.
For each inflatable, use the supplier’s complete space requirements, including clearances, anchoring, entrance, exit and operating areas. Draw the queue separately. A queue is part of the attraction’s practical footprint, and it should not block another activity, a doorway or a route through the event.
Place information and ticketing where families can find them before joining an attraction queue. Consider whether food collections and activity queues could collide at busy moments. A simple plan with enough circulation space is more useful than a crowded layout that looks impressive on paper.
Arrival zone
Welcome, event information and clearly explained ticketing.
Activity zone
Approved attraction areas, organised queues and clear exits.
Rest zone
Seating and quieter activities away from active queues.
For authoritative planning guidance, consult SafeWork NSW’s guide for organisers of events with amusement devices, including its advice on supplier coordination and site planning.
4. Choose attractions as a program, not a shopping list
A useful program offers different reasons to stay and explore. One inflatable might provide a familiar jumping activity, while another offers a different format. Balance those attractions with stalls and quieter options, and consider the volunteers and space each addition requires.
Our inflatable obstacle course collection includes several designs to discuss with the hire team. Standard or themed jumping castles offer other possibilities. Equipment names and photographs help you explore the range, but final choices depend on the audience, site and operating requirements.
Ask how each shortlisted item would be managed at your event. Discuss session arrangements, entrance and exit positions, participant restrictions and supervision. Avoid using a simple total-attendance figure as proof that one attraction can serve everyone within your opening hours.
The school and corporate event hire page is a useful starting point for sending a larger-event enquiry. Include your site plan and describe the event purpose, rather than asking for a price without context.
5. Resolve supplier and venue questions early
Nominate one committee contact for each supplier so instructions remain consistent. Confirm the precise equipment, hire period, delivery access, setup area, utilities and collection arrangements in writing. Make sure the school or venue contact agrees with the proposed installation location.
Ask suppliers for the information your venue approval process requires. This may include relevant insurance documentation, equipment information, operating instructions and inspection or registration information where applicable. Have the responsible school or venue representative review the material; this article is not a substitute for their approval process.
Identify who can approve changes if an attraction cannot be installed as planned. A volunteer on the gate should know who to call rather than moving a supplier to a new location without checking. Keep a current contact sheet available to the event lead and site coordinator.
6. Build a roster with clear roles and relief
A volunteer roster needs more than names and arrival times. Explain what each role involves, who provides instructions, where the person reports and who takes over during a break. Avoid assigning one person to two duties that need attention at the same time.
| Role | Main focus | Handover needs |
|---|---|---|
| Event lead | Decisions and coordination across the fete. | Current plan, contacts and escalation arrangements. |
| Site coordinator | Supplier access and agreed equipment locations. | Site map, access times and venue restrictions. |
| Ticketing team | Explain and administer the approved ticket system. | Prices, inclusions and payment procedures. |
| Queue support | Explain waiting arrangements and direct families. | Participant rules and where to refer questions. |
| Attraction supervisor | Active supervision under the supplier’s instructions. | Equipment-specific briefing and relief arrangements. |
Queue support and attraction supervision are different jobs. Confirm the required staffing with the supplier rather than assuming a general volunteer can operate any attraction. Schedule briefing time before the public arrives and make the relief plan explicit.
7. Keep ticketing understandable and realistic
Choose a ticketing approach only after discussing how the attractions will operate. Options might include individual activity tickets, timed sessions or an event package, depending on what your school and suppliers approve. Explain what each purchase includes and any restrictions before families pay.
Do not sell a promise the event cannot deliver. An unlimited-use wristband, for example, still depends on operating hours, queues, participant eligibility and safe capacity. Those details need clear communication, and they should be considered before deciding whether that model suits your fete.
Build a conservative budget showing confirmed costs separately from estimated income. Include the event’s other costs and any contingency agreed by the committee. Try different attendance assumptions instead of relying on a best-case turnout. Keep the school’s approved money-handling and payment procedures at the centre of the plan.
8. Give families useful information before the day
Your event announcement should answer the questions that affect a family’s decision to attend: date, opening hours, address, entry arrangements, payment options and where to find activity information. Publish confirmed details and update changes in one clearly identified place.
Use simple attraction descriptions without promising that every child can use every item. Explain where participant restrictions will be available. Tell families about any relevant clothing or preparation requirements after confirming them with the supplier.
Ask the school which channels work best for its community and whether translated information or another format would help. Keep signage consistent with the pre-event message. If online announcements say one thing and the ticket desk says another, volunteers spend the busiest part of the day resolving avoidable confusion.
9. Prepare a weather and interruption plan
Name the person who monitors changing conditions and the person authorised to communicate operational decisions. Agree how suppliers, volunteers and families will receive updates. Instructions should be understood before the event starts, not invented over a loudspeaker after an interruption.
Read the relevant suppliers’ policies and operating requirements. For our equipment, review the wet-weather policy and safety information. Booking changes require the applicable approval, while unsafe equipment use must stop regardless of the event schedule.
Work through a few practical scenarios with the venue: an attraction stops, access becomes obstructed or weather changes during opening hours. Know where families will receive information and which approved activities can continue. Keep emergency access clear and follow the school’s event and emergency procedures.
10. Use a planning timeline with decision points
The following sequence is a suggested organising framework, not a required booking lead time. Start earlier for a complex event and adapt it to your school’s approval process, supplier availability and local calendar.
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First: agree on the event
Confirm the purpose, proposed date, venue, decision owners and initial budget. Identify approvals and constraints before announcing attractions.
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Next: check the site and shortlist
Measure access and setup areas, collect photographs and request supplier advice. Develop the site plan alongside the attraction and staffing choices.
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Then: confirm the operating plan
Finalise approved bookings, ticketing, roles, utilities and communication. Gather required documentation and save current confirmations together.
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Before opening: brief and check
Meet suppliers, complete the relevant handovers, brief volunteers and check signs, routes and contact arrangements before admitting participants.
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After closing: pack down and review
Keep public access separate from collection activities. Record useful feedback and reconcile the event through the school’s normal processes.
A final opening-day checklist
Use one current checklist with the event lead rather than several competing versions. Record unresolved items and who is handling them. Do not open an attraction until its required checks, instructions and supervision arrangements are in place.
- Suppliers have the approved access route and installation locations.
- The event lead holds current supplier and venue contact details.
- Required handovers and volunteer briefings are complete.
- Queues, entrances, exits and emergency routes are clear.
- Ticketing information matches the advertised arrangements.
- Supervision, relief and interruption procedures are understood.
- Collection access and post-event responsibilities are confirmed.
During the event, keep a short record of operational changes. Afterward, ask volunteers which questions came up repeatedly and where families had difficulty finding their way. Those observations are more useful for next year than a vague verdict that the day was busy.
Rehearse the family’s journey through the fete
Before finalising the plan, walk through an imaginary visit with the committee. A family arrives with two children of different ages. Where do they find information, what do they pay for, and how do they learn which activities are suitable? Follow their route from the gate to ticketing, an attraction, refreshments and the toilets.
Then try the same exercise from a volunteer’s perspective. Can the queue helper find the event lead without leaving a role uncovered? Does the relief supervisor know where to report? Can a supplier reach the agreed collection route after closing? Write down points where the answer depends on someone “just knowing”.
Turn those gaps into a sign, a briefing note or a named responsibility. This simple rehearsal helps reveal practical problems while changes are still manageable. Repeat it after a major layout change so the updated site plan and the volunteer instructions stay consistent.
School fete planning: frequently asked questions
How many inflatables should we hire for a school fete?
There is no reliable universal ratio. The answer depends on participant ages, attendance patterns, the selected equipment, session arrangements, available space and staffing. Give the supplier your event hours and audience estimates, then discuss how the attractions could operate within the approved plan.
Can parent volunteers supervise the inflatables?
Confirm the required arrangement with the supplier and school for each attraction. Active supervision requires an appropriate briefing and understanding of equipment instructions. A general volunteer roster does not establish that every person is suitable for every operating role. Include relief and escalation arrangements in the plan.
Can the same approach work for a corporate family day?
Yes, the planning sequence can be adapted: define the audience, assess the venue, select suitable activities and assign responsibilities. A workplace event may have different access, approval and communication requirements. Start with the employer’s event process and share those requirements with suppliers.
What should our first hire enquiry include?
Send the date, address, event hours, expected audience, participant ages and preferred attractions. Include a site plan or photographs, setup and access measurements, surface details, available utilities and your contact person. Explain which details are confirmed and which still need approval.
Planning information prepared 6 November 2026 using our published hire information. Current booking terms, site approval and equipment-specific instructions apply.
