HALLOWEEN DISASTER DIVERSIONS

This time of year kicks off the busy party season with Halloween parties for kids, teens and adults. It can be a challenging time to try and plan a Halloween party for your school-age ghosts and goblims. Here are a few tricks and a couple of treats.

1. School starting changes your child's social scene and making the guest list can be a potential landmine. Be sure to make sure last years shunned football squad, isn't this years best buddies. Discuss this again the DAY OF the event, so you aren't surprised.
2.  If your child is at a new school throwing a party to break the ice is NOT a good idea. If no one is able to come your child will be left holding the bag, and probably not wanting to go to school on Monday. Better to visit the downtown area where most local businesses host a trick-or-treat for kids. This gives him the chance to mingle with school chums outside of the classroom.
3. Activities need to be considered carefully with the weather changing everyday from rain to sun to early frost. If your party is during the day, its still a good bet the kids can go outside.  Cameron The Caterpillar gets the kids outside, and still protected from the elements. Its a great way to get out all that pent-up energy run-off with a large slide, teeth, and windows. (Watching them navigate the maze is as much fun as they have going through.) 



CAMERON THE CATERPILLAR



Dance Dance Revolution

4. If indoors is the plan, why not make it a video arcade theme? Dance, Dance Revolution gets them up and moving and everybody interacting. If you are giving out prizes, keep a few extra on hand in the event of a tie. If you notice one of your guests struggling with interacting you can enlist their aid to help pass out gifts and party favors. 
5. Three hours is long enough for a kids party, but have a few back-up games on hand in case you find yourself with bored guests and extra time, or any other Boo-Ha-Has. Here are a few:
• Zombie Dance
• Pass The Pumpkin
• Costume Contest
• A Charlie Brown's 'The Great Pumpkin' or your child's favorite video is a great way to wind down the party while parents are picking up their kids.
6. Finally, as said before, its a busy time of year and things can get overlooked at the last minute. But the FOOD can be the best part. Let your child help invent a menu item on their own.
1. Spaghetti is fun if you wanna tell the kids its brains (meatballs) and intestines (pasta) but be careful not to scare anyone into not eating.
2. Goblin Feet
3. Hot Dog Mummies



Goblins Feet



Hot Dog Mummies

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend and we will see you next week!

HALLOWEEN DISASTER DIVERSIONS

This time of year kicks off the busy party season with Halloween parties for kids, teens and adults. It can be a challenging time to try and plan a Halloween party for your school-age ghosts and goblims. Here are a few tricks and a couple of treats.

1. School starting changes your child's social scene and making the guest list can be a potential landmine. Be sure to make sure last years shunned football squad, isn't this years best buddies. Discuss this again the DAY OF the event, so you aren't surprised.
2.  If your child is at a new school throwing a party to break the ice is NOT a good idea. If no one is able to come your child will be left holding the bag, and probably not wanting to go to school on Monday. Better to visit the downtown area where most local businesses host a trick-or-treat for kids. This gives him the chance to mingle with school chums outside of the classroom.
3. Activities need to be considered carefully with the weather changing everyday from rain to sun to early frost. If your party is during the day, its still a good bet the kids can go outside.  Cameron The Caterpillar gets the kids outside, and still protected from the elements. Its a great way to get out all that pent-up energy run-off with a large slide, teeth, and windows. (Watching them navigate the maze is as much fun as they have going through.) 



CAMERON THE CATERPILLAR



Dance Dance Revolution

4. If indoors is the plan, why not make it a video arcade theme? Dance, Dance Revolution gets them up and moving and everybody interacting. If you are giving out prizes, keep a few extra on hand in the event of a tie. If you notice one of your guests struggling with interacting you can enlist their aid to help pass out gifts and party favors. 
5. Three hours is long enough for a kids party, but have a few back-up games on hand in case you find yourself with bored guests and extra time, or any other Boo-Ha-Has. Here are a few:
• Zombie Dance
• Pass The Pumpkin
• Costume Contest
• A Charlie Brown's 'The Great Pumpkin' or your child's favorite video is a great way to wind down the party while parents are picking up their kids.
6. Finally, as said before, its a busy time of year and things can get overlooked at the last minute. But the FOOD can be the best part. Let your child help invent a menu item on their own.
1. Spaghetti is fun if you wanna tell the kids its brains (meatballs) and intestines (pasta) but be careful not to scare anyone into not eating.
2. Goblin Feet
3. Hot Dog Mummies



Goblins Feet



Hot Dog Mummies

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend and we will see you next week!

Last Minute Halloween Party

HALLOWEEN DISASTER DIVERSIONS

This time of year kicks off the busy party season with Halloween Parties for kids, teens and adults. It can be a challenging time to try and plan a Halloween party for your school-age ghosts and goblems. Here are a few tricks and a couple of treats.

1. School starting changes your child's social scene and making the guest list can be a potential landmine. Be sure to make sure last years shunned football squad, isn't this years best buddies. Discuss this again the DAY OF the event, so you aren't surprised.
2.  If your child is at a new school throwing a party to break the ice is NOT a good idea. If no one is able to come you, your child will be left holding the bag and probably not wanting to go to school on Monday. Better to visit the downtown area where most local businesses host a trick-or-treat for kids. This gives him the chance to mingle with school chums outside of the classroom.
3. Activities need to be considered carefully with the weather changing everyday from rain to sun to early frost. If your party is during the day, its still a good bet the kids can go outside.  Cameron The Caterpillar gets the kids outside, and still protected from the elements. Its a great way to get out all that pent-up energy run-off with a large slide, teeth, and windows. (Watching them navigate the maze is as much fun as they have going through.) 



CAMERON THE CATERPILLAR



Dance Dance Revolution

4. If indoors is the plan, why not make it a video arcade theme? Dance, Dance Revolution gets them up and moving and everybody interacting. If you are giving out prizes, keep a few extra on hand in the event of a tie. If you notice one of your guests struggling with interacting you can enlist their aid to help pass out gifts and party favors. 
5. Three hours is long enough for a kids party, but have a few back-up games on hand in case you find yourself with bored guests and extra time, or any other Boo-Ha-Has. Here are a few:
• Zoombie Dance
• Pass The Pumpkin
• Costume Contest
• A Charlie Brown's 'The Great Pumpkin' or your child's favorite video is a great way to wind down the party while parents are picking up their kids.
6. Finally, as said before, its a busy time of year and things can get overlooked at the last minute. But the FOOD can be the funnest part!
1. Spagetti is fun if you wanna tell the kids its brains (meatballs) and intestines (pasta) but be careful not to scare anyone into not eating.
2. Goblin Feet
3. Hot Dog Mummies



Goblins Feet



Hot Dog Mummies

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend and we will see you next week!

HALLOWEEN MAZE; A Fun Twist on the Old Haunted House

Looking for a way to amp up the excitement at your annual Halloween Bash? 

Haunted Houses just not generating the thrills and chills they used to?

Dreading the design and construction of another haunted maze?

Here's an idea: 

Trade in the old haunted house for a Dark Knight Maze. 

Turn your location into a Ghost-Busters adventure with this custom-made maze. We fill the maze with Halloween music, spooky fog and luminescent decor for an unforgettable experience. The theme is up to you.

If your goal is to save time and create an easy to navigate haunted house, this is the perfect setting for safe haunting with its inflatable walls as the backdrop for spooky ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the dark. Or as dark as you make it  with the black lights and your own ghoulish lightening.

If your events plans include more action-packed fun, maybe your group is ready for Black-Light Laser-Tag. Equipped with a hand held laser gun and target vest, your ghost busters are ready to do battle through a maze of barriers, inflatable obstacles and sticky spiderwebs.

Getting in that Halloween mood, here are a few additional ideas to help create the perfect ghoulish gathering. 

• Build suspense by lighting the way to your Haunted Maze with Illuminating Pillars 
• Add a corn maze for the little ones to run and older guests to stroll through. 
• Capture memories forever by including a couple of photo opportunities in the corn maze. 

Do you have plans that would help take a haunted Halloween from ordinary to extreme? Please share you thoughts with us.

Back-To-School Bashes That Break The Ice and Don't Break the Budget

Lower Columbia College 2011 Back-To-School Bash
Bill Wagner / The Daily News

Student Vice President Teakre Vest, 17, launches a flying leap to subdue a fellow sumo wrestler, college Public Relations Director Dimitrius Marith, 18, Thursday at Lower Columbia College. Officiating is Scott Gumm of Portland Party Works, whose company rented the inflatable costumes and arena to the group. The pseudo-sumo wrestling event was part of a two-day welcome of students at LCC that included free food (elephant ears and shaved ice), music and games in the college's grassy quad this week.

Sumo Wrestling Suits as well as other interactive activities are as popular at high school and elementary school Welcome Back Parties as they are for the college crowds. Activities that encourage crowd participation like our Sumo Suits, Inflatable Rock Walls, Laser Tag  and Human Orb Balls are the perfect environment for students to mingle and make new friends.

Inflatable Laser Tag

The common goal of these events (regardless of age) is to offer a fun-filled, anxiety-free environment for new students to integrate with returning students and get familiar with their environment. It is also mentally helps close the door on the leisurely fun of summer and allows students to refocus their attention on school. 

PartyWorks has been helping students return to school in memorable style all over Oregon, Washington and Idaho for over 20 years.  We can help with planning, organizing, and staffing your Welcome Back Bash. We are not just another vendor, we strive to be a valued partner, ensuring your event is successful and leaving your students with happy memories for years to come. We offer a “Best Price Guarantee” when you are shopping for your event. 

A few of the things to consider:

• What is/are the goals for your event?
• How will this event relay your schools values?
• Is the event for ALL students or New students only?
• How will this event be funded?
• Will you include an orientation session and school tours?
• Where will the event take place? (this helps determine activities)
• How will you staff your event? (students, teachers, parents)
• How will you handle food? (Snacks, a meal or ice cream social?)



Catered Buffet or Pizza Party

• How will you measure success?

This is one of those events where detailed pre-planning is crucial for success. With so many different things happening at the same time it is easy to get overwhelmed and overrun. Depending on a fully insured vendor with experienced staff and equipment to handle any situation will save you both time and money. A good event planner generally has access to discounts not available to the public. Trained to recognize and prevent potentials for disaster, their past experience gives you "event success insurance". 


Here are some reviews from other schools we've worked with:
"Your crew arrived on time, was extremely helpful and friendly, and was crucial to making our event a success. In addition, the large crowds surrounding each attraction demonstrated that the participants thoroughly enjoyed the services provided by your company. I look forward to working with you again!" 

~ University of Oregon

"We wanted to write and thank you for your support of our first college Bowl event! It is always such a pleasure to use your products, as well as recommend you to others. The mix of games, personnel and enthusiasm helped to make our first Interactive Fan Fair a success.!" 

~ College Bowl Game Production

"On behalf of St. Luke's, I look forward to working with you on "Abracadabra Kid For A Night" and many more events to come"
~St Luke's