Family Day Ideas for Corporations in New Jersey: Games, Inflatables & Entertainment
A corporate family day event is one of the most efficient ways of showing appreciation for employees’ work and boosting the overall morale among colleagues. Done well, a corporate family day doesn’t resemble a company event but is perceived as an entertaining way to spend time outside the office. And the employees are most likely to mention it even a month or two later.
There is a number of factors to consider when organizing a family day as it needs to entertain kids, teenagers, employees, spouses and even grandparents in the same space within the limited timeframe. The following article will provide you with useful information about corporate family day ideas, including entertainment options, organizing and zoning steps and a checklist for a smooth family day organization.
Corporate Family Day: How to Tell a Good Event from a Bad One?
First of all, it’s important to understand what makes one event better and more entertaining than the other and what characteristics are the key ones in terms of corporate family day organization.
- Various types of activities that would attract people from different age groups
- Different entertainment zones to prevent overlapping of kids and adults
- Relaxed chairs and shady areas for parents
- Realistic guest flow strategy that will prevent bottlenecks
- Weather strategy in case of outdoor event as New Jersey can get stormy quite suddenly
Corporate family day ideas are not always costly; they should be just thoroughly thought through.
How to Plan a Corporate Family Day in New Jersey?
Organizing of an event of this type starts with making several decisions, usually in the following order.
Determine Guest Count and Age Range
Start with estimating the number of employees, their spouses and children that are expected to attend the event, as well as their age range, which will define the type of activities.
Choose Venue for the Event
The following venues are the most common ones for the family day event in New Jersey:
- company campus or parking lot
- county parks or public parks
- banquet hall or another venue with an outdoor space
- athletic field or school grounds rented for a corporate family day
The venues above have specific limitations in terms of space and possibilities of inflatables renting and installation, therefore, you should consult the organizers regarding the specific venue in advance.
Set the Event Duration
The half-day event of three to four hours is usually sufficient for the family day and provides enough time for a guest to try several activities. For a full-day event, the variety of the activities should be bigger, though.
Define Activity Priorities
Rather than choosing all kinds of activities, it’s usually better to pick several anchor activities – a couple of inflatables and a few games, along with a food or lounge area, and organize the event around them.
Indoor and Outdoor Corporate Family Day in New Jersey: Which Is Better?
New Jersey’s weather should be taken into account during the family day planning, so it’s worth comparing the options carefully.
Indoor events ensure comfort conditions, provide you with a guarantee that the day won’t get rained off due to New Jersey’s changeable weather, but have strict limitations in terms of space and ceiling height, which can exclude large inflatables.
Outdoor corporate family day offers much more space for a number of inflatables and activities at the same time. Such events are considered to be more comfortable, although it’s necessary to take into account that New Jersey has quite changeable weather and can rain suddenly during the summertime. A good compromise solution is a hybrid option of the outdoor family day with a tent that covers the main areas.
Entertainment and Inflatable Rentals for NJ Corporate Family Day
The combination of inflatables and other entertainment activities NJ companies usually choose for their family days includes a few large “anchor” inflatables and small games that can be rotated.
Bounce House for All Ages
The bounce house is one of the most popular choices for corporate events as it’s easy to install and can fit different age groups. Bounce house rentals offered by Fun Time Entertainment fit corporate family day events of various sizes and have various designs.
Obstacle Course for Team Challenges
An obstacle course is a great activity for the corporate family day as it has a competition element, which fits into the company culture. The teams of departments and families can compete and overcome the obstacle course together. Here you can explore the obstacles rentals.
Inflatable Slide: Photo-Worthy Attraction for the Company Event
The inflatable slide is a huge attraction for the event and usually becomes its visual centerpiece, which people like to take photos of. Depending on the season and conditions of its installation, both dry and water slide can be chosen.
Sports Inflatables and Interactive Games
Sports and interactive games provide the opportunity for teenagers and adults to have some competitiveness at the event. Such games are perfect to arrange in a rotation form as they are quick and have a short queue.
Carnival Games for the Traditional Company Picnic
The carnival games are easy to arrange and are the perfect activity for kids, their parents and even employees. Adding some small prizes to the game turns it into an interesting activity. Here you can find a selection of carnival game rentals for your event.
Mechanical Attractions and Combo Units for Large Corporate Events
If the number of the guests attending the event is large, you can add some variety in terms of activities by arranging mechanical attractions and combo units. Here you can explore mechanical rides rental and combo units to choose the perfect attraction.
Creating Entertainment Zones for the Corporate Family Day
Arrangement of different zones at the event helps to organize the guests and avoid the formation of bottlenecks around a particular activity.
- Kids zone: bounce houses, playlands, craft stations
- Active zone: obstacle courses, sports games, carnival games
- Lounge and food zone: tables, chairs, shady area, food services
- Photo zone: a large slide or another attraction that will be a central piece of your event
Arranging of zones in advance will also help you to brief your vendor and staff about the placement of the equipment.
Activities for Different Age Groups
In order to organize an event successfully, you should have appropriate activities arranged for each age group in advance.
Young Kids (ages 2-6)
Young children usually like softer play areas that are adapted to their age rather than big inflatables. A playland is a perfect choice for this age group, as it’s safe and engaging for kids.
Older Kids (ages 7-12)
This age group enjoys playing with an obstacle course, participating in carnival games and using bounce houses.
Teens and Young Adults
This age group responds well to the sports-style inflatables and interactive games, especially when there is a competition element.
Adults and Employees
Adults don’t need a separate inflatable to enjoy the event, but the carnival games with light prizes, comfortable lounging area and interactive games with their kids are good options for them.
Food Areas, Seating and Comfort Considerations
The entertainment is what makes the guests interested, but comfortable food area and places to sit are what make the event enjoyable.
- Tables and chairs should be arranged in a shaded area away from play zones
- Fun foods and carts should be arranged as a lighter option of food services
- Enough places for sitting for parents, grandparents and other adults should be provided
- Walking paths should be wide enough
How to Choose Activities Depending on Guests Number, Available Space and Venue?
Choosing the appropriate entertainment activities for your family day depends directly on the number of your guests.
| Guest Number | Suggested Approach |
| Under 75 | Anchor activity and a carnival game station |
| 75-200 | Additional zone with obstacle course or interactive games and an anchor activity |
| 200+ | Several zones, larger attractions and combos or mechanical rides |
The available space and venue also define the activities that can be chosen.
Safety and Setup Considerations for Corporate Events
There are a few important things that help to organize a large, mixed-aged event safely.
- Discuss with the vendor in advance the requirements regarding the surface and anchoring before the event, as some venues have special requirements
- Place the age, height and weight limits for each inflatable near the entrance to this activity
- Assign the staff members for helping to organize queues and entrance of the guests to inflatables
- Consult your venue regarding the requirements for holding the event and installing tents and inflatables
- Arrange wide access routes for the guests with strollers, wheelchairs and other equipment
Weather Strategy for the NJ Corporate Family Day
The changeable weather in New Jersey makes the planning of weather strategy a must.
- Have an indoor area to host your event partially if needed
- Arrange a tent for your food zone and seating area even at the open-air event
- Make sure that your schedule will include some buffer in case of need of rearranging activities
- Discuss the possibility of rain date if the weather can be expected to be bad
Simple Checklist for Planning a Corporate Family Day
- Estimate the number of your guests and their age range
- Consult the vendor regarding the permit for the venue
- Define the date, duration and the weather strategy of your event
- Choose an anchor activity (or activities) depending on the number of guests and available space
- Add carnival or interactive games as filling activities
- Plan the entertainment zones (kiddies, active, food)
- Arrange tables, chairs and tents
- Arrange food services
- Assign the staff for managing the event
- Confirm the delivery, setup and return of the equipment
Let Fun Time Entertainment Plan Your Corporate Family Day!
Planning of a mixed-aged corporate event requires more efforts than the regular birthday party, but having one vendor providing all activities simplifies the procedure considerably. We offer corporate family day rentals for companies in New Jersey and Rockland County, NY, including bounce houses, obstacle courses, slides, interactive games, carnival games, mechanical rides and equipment for a comfortable family day.
Explore our full selection of rentals or contact our team in case of any questions.
FAQ
What is a corporate family day?
Corporate family day is a company-sponsored event when employees bring their families for spending a day together and enjoying the activities, food and entertainment. Usually, such events are organized for boosting of company’s spirit, showing appreciation of employees and creating opportunities for communication of co-workers outside the office.
How far in advance should I book the entertainment for my corporate family day in NJ?
Usually, it’s better to book the entertainment for the company’s family day several weeks or even a couple of months in advance, especially during the spring and summer months, as there are many such events during these seasons.
What activities are the best for the mixed-age corporate event?
In general, the combination of a large inflatable (bounce house or slide), obstacle course and carnival games suits this type of event well. Zoning the activities also helps the guests to choose the appropriate one quickly.
Which is better for my event: indoor or outdoor venue?
In general, outdoor venues offer larger space and more opportunities for various inflatables and activities, whereas the indoor venues offer weather certainty and are more comfortable in case of bad weather. The hybrid variant of the outdoor venue with a tent is also popular among companies.
How much space do I need for the bounce house or obstacle course at my company event?
In order to estimate the exact space needed, you should discuss the dimensions of the chosen equipment with your vendor, as the requirements vary depending on the particular unit. Open spaces like parking lots and fields usually have more space for installing the equipment.
What activities suit adults well?
In general, carnival games with light prizes, interactive and competitive games and comfortable lounging area suit the adults well. Many of them also like participating in kids’ activities, for example, playing carnival games and competing in obstacle course.
Can the inflatable rentals be installed at the office park or corporate campus?
Usually, yes, but it depends on available space, ground surface and requirements of your venue. It’s better to consult your building management and the vendor in advance.
What to do in case of rainy weather?
Installation of a tent and choosing the indoor venue can help you in case of bad weather during your event. It’s also a good idea to discuss the rain date with the vendor in advance.
How many entertainment activities do I need at my large company event?
At a large corporate family day, it’s better to organize several activity zones that work simultaneously, in order to avoid bottlenecks. The combination of one or two large attractions and several smaller interactive or carnival games is usually appropriate for the large events.
