Obstacle Course Rentals for School Field Days and Church Events

For a school field day or a church festival, an inflatable obstacle course is usually the highest-throughput attraction you can put on a field. Kids run it in pairs, the round lasts under a minute, and a line of forty moves faster than you would think. The planning questions are always the same: how big a course, how many kids per hour, who is staffing it, and where the power comes from.

///Why courses beat bounce houses for large groups

A bounce house is open-ended play. Children get in and stay in, and with a hundred kids and one unit you end up managing a queue all afternoon. An obstacle course has a start, a finish and a natural exit, so the group cycles itself. Two kids race, they finish, the next two go. That structure is what makes it work at scale.

• Rounds are short and self-limiting.
• Head-to-head racing keeps the waiting group engaged and watching.
• It suits a wide age range, from elementary through adults.
• It gives teachers and volunteers an easy way to run heats by class or team.

///Choosing a course size

Match the course to the space and the crowd, not just the budget. We carry courses from compact to extra-large.

• Smaller groups and tighter spaces: the Katie the Caterpillar combo course works well for younger elementary crowds.
• Long, narrow fields: the 40ft straight-line course fits where a wide unit will not.
• Medium field days: the medium moonwalk obstacle course balances footprint and throughput.
• Big festivals and all-school events: the extra-large blue and yellow course is built for volume.

See the whole range on the obstacle course rental page.

///Running rotations that actually flow

The organisers who get this right treat the course as a station in a circuit rather than a free-for-all.

A simple field-day structure

• Split the school into groups by grade or homeroom.
• Give each group a fixed time block at each station.
• Run the course in pairs, with a volunteer at the start and one at the finish.
• Blow a whistle or ring a bell at rotation time so nothing depends on shouting.

Two staffed positions is the minimum: someone releasing racers at the entry and someone keeping the exit clear. A third person managing the line makes the whole thing calmer. Volunteers, not students, should hold those roles.

///Power on a field or a parking lot

This is the detail that catches most first-time organisers. Inflatables run on a standard household outlet within reach of the setup area — and a soccer field does not have one. If your site has no convenient outlet, add a 6500W generator, which powers most inflatables and comes with fuel and operating instructions.

If you are running two or three inflatables at once, tell us at booking so we can plan the power properly. Full detail on outlets, cord runs and clearance is in our power and access guide.

///Site checks for schools and churches

• Confirm the facility allows inflatables and who signs off on it.
• Identify the gate or door we will bring equipment through, and who unlocks it.
• Check the surface — grass, blacktop or gym floor changes how the unit is anchored.
• Keep the setup area clear of vehicle traffic and drop-off lanes.
• Confirm your delivery window against the school bell schedule.

Blacktop and gym floors are both workable, but they change anchoring and clearance requirements. Our surface guide covers what each one needs.

///Building the rest of the event around it

A festival needs variety. The obstacle course is the anchor; these fill the rest of the field:

• Dunk tanks — the classic fundraiser draw, and the one adults line up for.
• Interactive games like Bungee Run and Human Bowling for head-to-head competition.
• Giant yard games as a low-supervision zone.
• Popcorn, cotton candy and snow cone machines for the carnival feel.
• Tents, tables and chairs for shade, registration and seating.
• Gellyball for youth groups — low-impact, ages 6 and up, with blasters, eye protection and inflatable barriers included.

///Timing your booking

School field days cluster into the last two weeks of the year, and church festivals cluster into summer weekends. That means a lot of organisations across Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Orland Park and Chicago are chasing the same handful of dates. Reserve as soon as your date is approved by the school or parish calendar — you can book online 24/7. More on timing in how far ahead to book.

///What is included

Delivery, setup, takedown and pickup are included in every inflatable rental price, and units are sanitized and inspected before they go out. For an event with a tight schedule, that matters: your volunteers set up tables, not inflatables.

Ready to plan yours? Browse obstacle course rentals and interactive games, then reserve your date online or call us and we will help you build the field layout.