Party Center Space Optimization

Family fun centers are excellent facilities for a variety of different uses. These sites give nannies and babysitters a great resource as a charming place to go during the week. Not to mention, they can typically accommodate large groups of people for parties of all shapes and sizes. Needless to say, if you were thinking of going into this type of business, these places fulfill the need of many consumers. But how do you best enhance your space to be user-friendly? If you are looking to begin a party center, here are some concepts to consider in regards to space optimization.

Find Your Market

There are neverending types of play in the world. Indoor playgrounds, for one, are not only increasing in popularity, but they are also expanding creatively as well. Some playgrounds are available for free in settings like malls or, in the summertime, outdoor parks. These jungle gyms can have a variety of slides, tunnels, treehouses, and other structures for climbing. Since these setups are typically a free resource, consumers might not want to pay money necessarily for only that. While your facility can include a playground, it should consist of more than just that for monetization.

Age Range

Another factor to consider is the ages in which your facility caters. The type of party center that you create can vary depending on what needs you’d like to fill. For toddlers, cause and effect toys are good options to offer. These could include buttons that cause music to play, push or pull toys, or hammer sets. Toddlers, with some guidance, could also benefit from large inflatable bouncy houses. 

Maybe your goal market includes older kids as well. Once the ages start getting up into the 4-6 years old range, kids like to do more physical activities and games. Some facility ideas for this age and up would include a trampoline park or laser tagging. A few other suggestions include a ropes course, rock climbing walls, or even virtual roller coasters. The options are endless when it comes to what kind of place you can make. If you want to create a venue that suits all ages, combining some of these ideas into one could work in your favor.

Photo Source: fun-center.com

Food

A party center doesn’t only include activities or toys. There are other considerations of the space as well. For instance, are you serving food at your facility? Most successful play centers make their money not only from ticket sales but also from concessions as well. If you decide to have food served at your venue, your next step is to come up with a menu. Keep in mind; if you are gearing your business towards a particular market or age group, your cuisine should align with that market. You can include standard items like chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, etc. for young kids. Equally important, if not more, is food suitable for adults. The parents and caregivers are, after all, the ones paying for the experience and often can get overlooked. You might as well cater to them with healthier and tastier alternatives than just cheesy noodles. Try a variety of sandwiches and salads as well.

Private Party Rooms

So now, you have the play area and kitchen/ dining space. What else do you need at a party center? A private party area, of course! You can get some revenue from small groups of people dropping in, but the big money maker with this type of establishment is reservations for private parties. For this purpose, private party areas are essential. Depending on how much space you have left, there are many ways to create a private party room. If you have just an open room dedicated to these party areas, use room dividers to block off space. 

Screenflex Room Dividers are excellent products that come in many shapes and sizes. Having movable screens can add versatility for a room to become any shape. When you have multiple parties happening at once, the dividers can give each group semi-private spaces for all of their people. These screens are also tackable, so if the party host wants to pin decorations, they can do so easily. What’s also great about these partitions is that when the gathering is over, they can fold up and be stored in a 2 ft by 3ft space, opening up the entire area back up for bigger parties. 

Sound Control

The last component to keep in mind is sound control. With potentially hundreds of kids running around all at once, it’s going to get loud. Although you won’t be able to get rid of the commotion completely, you can lessen it with various sound-absorbing products. The room dividers can help with this, as they have sound-absorbing panels. Other products that you could also use for this are Acoustical Wall Panels. With these panels throughout your party center, you can at least control the echoes and ultimately dampen the extra unwanted noise.

There are many elements to consider when you are starting a family fun center. The plan for what to do with your space is only the beginning. With these ideas, you now have a solid base to build off of to create a thriving venue for a family fun center.