How to Throw an AMAZING Back to School Party

FunFlicks inflatable movie screen at a back to school party

Are you ready to celebrate your kids going back to school? Look no further than us for the best advice and rental equipment to make your back to school party a hit! For decades, we’ve put on back to school parties across the nation. Whether you’re a member of staff planning to put on a schoolwide event or are just a parent wanting to throw a party in the backyard, we’re here to help. Follow our step-by-step guide so that you can have an amazing back to school party.

Back to school written on a chalk board

Why Throw a Back to School Party?

The summer is coming to an end, and the kids are sad that it went by so fast. Cure their back to school blues with a celebration! After a long break, a party can help rejuvenate their enthusiasm and motivation for learning. You’ll see your children more eager to participate and open to learning in the classroom after a fun icebreaker event. Socializing and forming positive relationships are crucial aspects of the educational experience, and a back to school party provides the perfect setting for this. Not only is a back to school party a great place to rekindle old friendships, but it's also the perfect chance for new students to feel welcome at their school. Make the first day of class less scary for everyone with a fun event where they can meet new classmates and share their summer adventures.

Outdoor movie back to school party

Steps to Having a Great Back to School Party

1) Ask Yourself: Who? Where? When?

To begin planning your back to school party, you need to ask yourself some essential questions:

Who do you want to invite?

Start planning your back to school party by gauging the number of people who’ll be there. It’s recommended to start the planning at least a month in advance.  Estimate the expected crowd size first so that you can better answer later questions in your planning process. Creating a list of the students, parents, teachers, or staff members that you plan on inviting to the party will give you an idea of how many people will be there.

Where will the party be?

After making a guest list, you’ll need to choose a location that’s fitting for the expected crowd size. Keep in mind that not only guests will occupy the area; tables, audiovisual equipment, or planned activities may require extra space. The comfort of your guests should be your highest priority in order to ensure that everyone can have a good time. Be sure to ask for permission beforehand if you want to hold your party on property that is not your own, such as at a school, park, or another home. Whether you’re wanting to hold your back to school party on your property or someone else's, you need to make sure that restrooms and garbage cans are available. Restrooms should be clean and supplied with soap and toilet paper. Trash cans placed around the location will save you time cleaning up after the event.

When is the best time for a back to school party?

To maximize your party’s attendance rate, you’ll need to throw it at a good time for everyone. Ideally, a back to school party should happen the week before classes start. That way, families will have time to be back from vacation, and students will be able to meet new friends and revisit old ones right before school begins. Having guests arrive in the afternoon or evening is a great time to get the party started.

Inflatable pool toys

2) Decide on a Theme

Having a distinct theme at your back to school party will fully immerse your guests for the most enjoyable experience. When picking your theme, let your imagination run wild. To celebrate the end of a fun summer, your theme can reflect this with a tiki luau, water war, or under-the-sea celebration. The theme isn’t only important for your guests' enjoyment; it also ties everything together neatly. The theme is one of the most important parts of the party. When choosing your theme, think about what is most appropriate for the occasion and audience. Reflect your theme in your decorations, outfits, food, or activities.

3) Plan the Activities

Every back to school party needs activities to keep the kids entertained throughout the event. Consider the age group of your audience and what they might most enjoy.

Back to school movie party in the gym

Watch a Movie

Having an outdoor movie night is a great way to bring everyone together for a time of fun. Luckily, we’ve helped people around the country have their own movie nights for decades, and we make it easy for you. With a variety of different screen sizes and types, we have the perfect display for you, whether you’re throwing a party for the entire district or with a few classmates in the backyard. A local FunFlicks technician will set up all the equipment at your location and will be there for the entirety of the event. With our state-of-the-art equipment you won’t find anywhere else, your watch party will amaze everyone, from young to old. This is a great bonding opportunity for the school to come together under the big screen.

Click Here to Find Your Local FunFlicks®

Back to school dance party

Have a Dance Party

Pump up the jams and get everyone excited for back to school with a dance party. All you need for the most basic dance party is proper audio equipment and a device to play music from. Make sure you choose music that’s appropriate for the entire audience.

Slip-n-slide at a back to school party

Slip-n-Slide Out of Summer

Savor the last bit of summer with a water party! If you want to watch your kids laugh and have fun for hours, supply them with water balloons and water guns for an all out water war. Water slides and slip-n-slides are both fun for the kids and a great activity to have at your back to school party as well.

4) Advertise the Event

Now that you’ve planned everything out, it’s time to let everyone know about your back to school party. For those throwing a small backyard event, send direct invitations through mail, text, or email. To get the word out about a schoolwide party, send parents emails or announce the party on social media. However small or large your party may be, it’s vital to include details such as the start time and location. Build up the excitement by previewing the activities in your announcement. If you’re needing premade or custom invitations, visit our Movie Event Marketing page:

Click Here to Visit the FunFlicks® Event Marketing Page

A FunFlicks event host serving guests popcorn at an outdoor movie party

5) Prepare the Area

It’s almost time to party, which means it’s also time to prepare the area. To make sure everything is in order, create a checklist of duties that need to be completed before guests arrive. This could include making sure the food is prepared, cleaning up outside, or setting up for activities. If your party is outdoors, make sure that the sprinklers are all turned off. We make preparing for your back to school party easy with the help of our amazing event technicians. They’ll arrive on time and be ready to help.

Event Rentals for Your Back to School Party

FunFlicks® Inflatable Movie Screen Rentals

Inflatable movie screen rental drive-in

FunFlicks® inflatable movie screens are professional quality at an affordable price. There's a size for everyone, whether you're throwing a massive film festival with thousands in attendance or a small birthday with family at your house. To make sure everything runs smoothly, a local FunFlicks® event technician will arrive at your location on time, set up the screen, oversee the technology, and pack it all away at the end of the screening. Booming high-definition sound, crystal-clear laser projection, and a larger-than-life display are all included when you book an event with us.

Click Here to Find Your Local FunFlicks®

Backyard 16'
12'x7' Display
100 Guests
20 Cars

Premiere 21'
16'x9' Display
250 Guests
50 Cars

Blockbuster 26'
20'x12' Display
500 Guests
75 Cars

Elite 32'
26'x15' Display
750 Guests
100 Cars

Epic 40'
30'x17' Display
1500 Guests
150 Cars

Xtreme 50'
40'x22' Display
3000 Guests
250 Cars

FunFlicks® LED Screen Rentals

LED screen rental event among palm trees

FunFlicks LED screens are perfect for day or night display in almost any environment. Utilizing electroluminescent technology, our LED screens generate light effectively at any time of day. Each panel is rated IP65, meaning they are both rain and dustproof. Day or night, rain or shine, you get to decide when the magic happens. All of our mobile LED trailers have onboard generators for portable power. Therefore, no power supply is needed. Similar to our inflatable screens, our fleet of LED screens comes in a variety of dimensions for a variety of crowd sizes. Local event technicians across the country are available to bring our LED trailers anywhere for you to enjoy video games, live sports, movies, advertisements, or almost everything else!

Click Here for More Information

8'x5' LED Trailer
75 Guests
15 Cars

12'x7' LED Trailer
100 Guests
20 Cars

15'x8' LED Trailer
250 Guests
50 Cars

17'x10' LED Trailer
500 Guests
75 Cars

23'x13' LED Trailer
750 Guests
100 Cars

FunFlicks customers get 10% Off Movie Licensing through Movie Night Ministries!

Movie Night Ministries is a family-oriented organization whose ultimate goal is to provide excellent, newly released movies directly to communities throughout the United States.

Click Here to Learn More