Sonoma County School Event Planning & Safety Guide

We simplify event planning by handling the entertainment, setup, safety standards, and coordination for you. Finding activities for students and guests of all ages can be difficult when schedules are tight. This guide highlights the core components of school event planning in Sonoma County, including safety and insurance, logistics and access, school-specific event types, day-of expectations, and the booking process.

Events We Support

School events, church events, corporate events, city and municipal festivals, community festivals, fundraisers, family celebrations, private parties, and birthdays.

Equipment Options

Obstacle courses, sports and carnival games, mechanical rides, rock walls, and selected extracurricular vendors.

For school events with more than fifty guests, the priority is smooth guest flow. Each piece of equipment must be positioned correctly. Poor layout slows movement, creates long lines, and limits student access. Proper planning ensures steady circulation and a better experience for everyone.

Obstacle Courses

Long, narrow layouts that fit well on fields, blacktops, and gyms. Side-by-side competition entrances engage all ages. Free-flowing design reduces bottlenecks and keeps guests moving.

Sports Games

Short play cycles with easy supervision. Useful for large groups and limited space or power. Supports football, basketball, soccer, baseball, and similar activities.

Carnival Games

Simple, familiar activities for all ages. Fast participation keeps lines short with minimal setup. Works for fundraisers, fairs, and themed school events. Includes axe throws, tic-tac-toe, wipe-outs, and other classic games.

Mechanical Rides & Rock Walls

High-impact attractions suited for teens and adults. Operator-controlled for safety with steady rider turnover. Compact footprint, strong visual draw, and effective for fundraising.

Vendors

Face painters, character performers, tables, tents, and chairs add value with low planning requirements. Indoor or outdoor flexibility with minimal space needs.
Bounce houses can be effective when strict supervision is provided.

Safety Standards

Safety standards include proper supervision, safe spacing around each unit, correct anchoring, and approved power or generator use. Standards also cover indoor and outdoor setup rules, weather and wind limits, and required insurance documentation such as certificates of insurance, additional insured endorsements, and district-specific compliance forms. Having these items ironed out, weeks and days prior to delivery of the event, will make everyones life far easier.

Astro Jump manages each of these items during booking, since they are non-negotiable for Sonoma County school districts and any professional entertainment provider.

Logistics & Access

Logistics and access include:

Confirming setup surfaces

Measuring available space

Identifying power sources or generator needs

Ensuring clear routes for delivery trucks and equipment

This section also encompasses parking, gate or door widths, field access, and district timing restrictions for on-campus entry and exit. We want to ensure we are obeying school and district guidelines, while making sure that our equipment will properly fit and deliver entertainment!

School-Focused Event Types

School-focused events include carnivals, field days, assemblies, spirit rallies, incentive days, fundraisers, family nights, and end-of-year celebrations. Each category requires different layouts, age considerations, and flow management. The last thing we want to do is suggest or rent equipment that is not applicable or fun for the specific age group. For example, some elementary aged students, may not be able to - or want to do the same thing as the high school kids, and visa versa.

Day-Of Expectations

Day-of expectations include arrival windows, site maps, equipment placement checks, setup timelines, and communication with school staff or volunteers. This section outlines who to meet on-site, total setup duration, supervision reminders, and the confirmation process for pickup and teardown. We do our absolute best to make sure everyone is on the same page and theres no surprises.

Booking Steps

Booking steps include confirming guest ages and counts, event date and times, and any required school or district paperwork. After details are finalized, we reserve your equipment with a deposit-free formal reservation.

You will receive automated timing notifications at twenty-eight days, fourteen days, seven days, three days, and twenty-four hours before the event. Delivery, setup, pickup, and teardown are scheduled around your school’s availability. We will communicate with you at every step of the way. Again, collectively we all want to ensure theres little to no surpsies so this event can be as smooth as possible.

Each year, schools face the same planning question: what should we schedule for our students? Our goal is to reduce workload and create reliable standards for safe, successful events across Sonoma County. Even if your event does not require our services, these guidelines provide a dependable framework for smooth execution. Once you connect with our team, the planning process becomes clearer and easier for everyone involved.