Short answer: Corporate holiday party entertainment in New Orleans comes down to one thing: a staffed kids' zone. Budget a bounce house, two or three carnival games, and two adults per unit. Commercial and church venues carry a $500 delivery minimum. Book early-December Saturdays by mid-October.
I have been backing trucks into church parking lots, warehouse bays, and office campuses across Jefferson and Orleans Parish since 1992. Adult holiday parties are easy. Family ones fail the same way every time: a nice evening planned for grown-ups, forty children nobody planned for, and by 6:15 they are running laps around the fellowship hall.
Why do family Christmas parties fail when adult-only ones go fine?
Because nobody owned the children as a line item. Food got a budget, the room got a budget, and the kids got a folding table with crayons on it.
Forty kids with no plan will make their own, and it usually involves the stage or the parking lot. The fix is a defined zone that absorbs them for three hours, with named adults standing in it.
What does a kids' zone actually look like at a company or church party?
Three parts: one inflatable, two or three carnival games, and a supervision plan. That covers 30 to 60 children.
- One bounce house or themed combo as the anchor. A 15x15 unit cycles 8 to 10 kids every 10 minutes.
- A kiddie bouncer roped off for the under-5 crowd. Mixing a 3-year-old with 10-year-olds is how you get a crying child at the dessert table.
- Two or three carnival games — basketball shootout, sticky darts, putt-putt — for kids who will not take their shoes off.
Supervision: two adults per inflatable, one per carnival game, in 45-minute shifts. That build needs five posts per shift, so ten volunteers plus a rover.
Put names on the sign-up sheet. "The parents will watch them" is not a plan.
Will an inflatable fit inside our fellowship hall or gym?
Check the ceiling before the floor. That is what kills indoor setups.
- A standard 15x15 bounce house stands 15 to 16 feet tall and needs 2 feet of clearance.
- Most fellowship halls run 10 to 14 feet, which rules out full-size units.
- Toddler and kiddie bouncers run 10 to 12 feet and usually fit.
- Gyms clear 20 to 24 feet and handle almost anything.
In a gym the real obstacles hang below the ceiling: hoops, light cages, sprinkler heads, fans. Measure to the lowest object over the footprint, not to the deck. Measure your door too.
Indoor floors mean sandbag ballast instead of stakes. Disclose the surface at booking so the crew loads bags before leaving Kenner.
Fellowship hall, warehouse, or outdoor campus — which setup works best?
| Church fellowship hall | Corporate warehouse or lot | Outdoor campus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearance | 10–14 ft, kiddie units only | 24–30 ft, anything fits | Unlimited |
| Ballast | Sandbags | Sandbags | Stakes on grass |
| Power | Kitchen circuits already loaded | Usually solid | Generator per two blowers |
| Best for | Parish family night | Employee appreciation day | Campus festival |
Warehouses are the most underrated venue in the metro. Clear a 40x40 bay, push the racking back, and you have a better kids' space than most rented halls. Parking lots work too, coned off, with 10 to 12 feet clear around each unit.
Does outdoor still work in December in New Orleans?
Most years, yes. Our December averages a high near 64 degrees with lows in the mid-40s, which is bounce-house weather for anyone under 12.
Kids in a bounce house are not cold. Adults standing still are cold. Plan heaters or hot chocolate for the grown-ups.
What shuts us down is sustained wind above roughly 15 to 20 mph, or steady rain. We set a morning call time and decide together, and deposits convert to a raincheck.
How do carnival games double as a toy drive and prize mechanic?
Make the game card the currency. Every child who brings an unwrapped toy gets a card good for all the games, and every game hands out a prize. That raises your donation count and pulls kids into the game line instead of the dessert table.
Three add-ons that work as the prize:
- Spin art, $100 for the first 50 cards and $60 per additional 50. The card is the gift.
- Pucker Powder, from $200 covering 50 to 75 servings.
- Stuff-a-bears, gift and activity in one.
When should we book, and how do I justify the cost to a committee?
The first two Saturdays of December are the tightest dates on our calendar. Company family days in Metairie, parish parties in Kenner, and holiday festivals all want those two mornings. Lock them by mid-October; six weeks is the minimum I would risk.
Parks, church grounds, and commercial venues carry a $500 delivery minimum, against $150 residential. That covers crew time, ballast, and a longer build.
Frame it per child for the committee. A $600 kids' zone for 45 children is about $13 a head, less than the catering line nobody argues about.
Deposits are $50 under $500 and 25% over. Ask about corporate event packages — bundling beats booking units one at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Can you set up a bounce house inside a church fellowship hall? Usually only a toddler or kiddie unit. Full-size bounce houses stand 15 to 16 feet tall and need 2 feet of clearance, while most fellowship halls run 10 to 14 feet. Gyms at 20 feet handle anything. Measure to the lowest hanging fixture.
Is there a minimum order for a company or church holiday party? Yes. Commercial venues, church grounds, and parks carry a $500 delivery minimum, against $150 residential. Most family-party builds clear it by the third attraction. Deposits are $50 under $500 and 25% over, convertible to a raincheck.
How far in advance should we book a December party? By mid-October for the first two Saturdays in December, the tightest dates of the season. Six weeks is the practical minimum. Weeknight parties and mid-December dates stay open longer, sometimes into November.
What power do you need in a warehouse or parking lot? A dedicated 20-amp breaker per blower, and larger units run two. Warehouse circuits are usually fine; fellowship hall kitchens already carry warmers and coffee urns. With no usable outlet, plan a generator per two blowers.
How many volunteers supervise the kids' zone? Two adults per inflatable and one per carnival game, in 45-minute rotating shifts. One bounce house, one toddler unit, and three games needs five posts per shift, so ten volunteers plus a rover. Recruit 20 percent over, because somebody's kid always gets sick.
Planning a family Christmas party this year? Call Bounce World at 504-467-9424 or book online. Serving Kenner, Metairie, New Orleans, Harahan, Gretna, Marrero, Destrehan, LaPlace, and the Northshore since 1992.