March Madness is Coming Soon!

After Michigan State dominated Michigan last night in one of coach Tom Izzo's better games in the rivalry, most people should have realized something.  Michigan State appears to be hitting their peak again, which means the best tournament in college sports can't be far away!  Whether you're an Ohio native cheering for a team up north, or the Flyers, Buckeyes, Bearcats, Musketeers, or Bobcats, or someone from Indiana rooting for the Hoosiers, Notre Dame, or Purdue, college sports fans are preparing for another great tournament.  Before you start mentally preparing your dream bracket, you should probably take a look at what implications there are over this next month.  You don't want to watch the game alone do you?  You could take it in a local sports bar, or, if they don't appreciate your loud criticisms of the referees and players, you could simply host it at your house.  The best March Madness party throwers know that keeping that great atmosphere is key, and A&S Play Zone actually has some great items to give your party that arena feel.  We have four great products that can help you prepare the food for kicking back and watching the game.  Previously we discussed our variety of concession machines, but the ones that work best for indoor, colder weather events are the popcorn, hot dog, nacho, and pretzel machine.  To make things even more appealing, you don't have to pay ten dollars per nacho box, and with all the people you'll have over, you'll start saving money in the first game.  Perhaps the best benefit though, is that you will never have to make the dangerous decision to run up to the concessions stand and miss a potential tournament making play.  You get to sit back and enjoy every moment.  So start thinking about that March Madness party now and how much better having your own concession machines can make your party great!

Sky Dancers at the Car Show

Sky Dancers

As you can see here, the sky dancers were in downtown Dayton, helping to draw people in to see the car show, held at the Shriner building near Riverscape Park.  People passing by loved watching the inflatable items wave back and forth to them!  If you are having an event and are trying to draw people to stop by, the Sky Dancers are an effective tool to help get your event noticed!

The Castle Slide Combination Bounce House

When people ask what the most popular inflatable moonwalk is, I tell them it is the Castle Slide Combo.  When people ask me which bouncer has a big jumping area and sliding area, I tell them it's the Castle Slide Combo unit.  If someone asks me for a small slide, the Castle Slide bounce house has that and bouncing!  And if someone wants to know which blowup is the most cost effective, it's the Castle Slide bounce house.  If these examples haven't shown why the Castle Slide is so loved, then here are a few more!  The Castle Slide bounce house accommodates all ages!  It is designed to hold lots of children, and adults as well.  

School carnivals love this inflatable because kids can get inside and bounce around, and then when they go down the slide, it exits away from the entrance.  This means that kids have to get back in line when use the slide, helping to keep crowds around the inflatable to a minimum.  Big festivals like this jumper too because it accommodates the most children of any jump house except the extreme 20x20.  

So that should help answer any questions regarding the Castle Slide Combination Unit.  If you have any more, we at A&S would love to help you out if you give us a call!  

A & S Play Zone

www.asplayzone.com – Bounce Houses, Inflatable Blowups, Giant Slides

937-885-5454

513-315-9110

820 Pleasant Valley Dr.

Springboro, Ohio 45066

Water Slides | Dayton Cincinnati

With the weather giving us no breaks here in Southern Ohio, it looks like water slides are still a popular rental item.  Consistent temperatures above 85 and 90 are driving more people to call A&S about water items.  With the lack of many water slides in the Dayton and Cincinnati area, inflatable slide rentals have been incredibly popular for parties.  Whether you need something to keep the weekends fun and cool, or want to have a family party, why not look at A&S Play Zone's line up inflatable slides and water slides to help keep the outdoor fun more bearable.  

Water Slide Listings Dayton Cincinnati

If you aren't looking for something as extreme as an inflatable water slide, maybe a versamist fan or port-o-cool fan is an option.  They are great for events where people need a place to relax and cool down, so they are a perfect combination with a tent rental.  This is a must have at events when there is hot weather, for people who are sensitive to the sun.  

Cool Misting Fans

A & S Play Zone

www.asplayzone.com – Bounce Houses, Inflatable Blowups, Giant Slides

937-885-5454

513-315-9110

820 Pleasant Valley Dr.

Springboro, Ohio 45066

Tent, Table and Chair Rental - Dayton and Cincinnati

As discussed briefly in my post on Graduation Parties, A & S Play Zone can also provide the seating, shade, and more for your event.  Whether it is a Concession Machine, or something completely different, A&S can help out.  We have tents ranging from 10x10 in size, to 30x30 high peak tents, perfect for large outdoor events, where cover is necessary.  The chairs we provide for rental are clean and white, like the tables.  We offer 8 foot tables, 6 foot tables, and 60 inch round tables.  These items are also white, and also clean.  Whether you are having an event with outdoor bingo, or have a carnival set up, we can help you out every step of the way!

A & S Play Zone

www.asplayzone.com

937-885-5454

513-315-9110

820 Pleasant Valley Dr.

Springboro, Ohio 45066

Kid's Fest at The Greene

Everyone loves the Greene.  One of the best shopping environments in the Dayton region, the Greene always provides a great atmosphere for enjoying the company of friends and family.  Although I have always been impressed by the Greene's level of quality and service, I did not realize they put on such fabulous events like today's Kid's Fest.  Here is the event listing from the Greene's own website:  http://www.thegreene.com/events/eventdetail/tabid/3371/articleid/3435/kids-summer-fest.aspx.  

Here's what the website lists - 

Wax Hands
Face Painter
Photo Booth
Inflatables
Caricature Artist
Magician
Scavenger Hunt
Obstacle Course

...and much more!

Well you can guess who provided the inflatables.  

As you can see above, one of the popular bounce houses was our Buckeye Bounce, which the hometown Ohio State Fans accepted well.  We also brought out the Spongebob Squarepants Bouncer Combination unit, which kids absolutely loved.  The obstacle course the Greene mentioned?  Also from A&S Play Zone.  The choice was made to bring out the child friendly Fortress Obstacle course, shown below.  

Patrons appreciated the tropical theme, as the weather stayed comfortable in temperature, and a gentle breeze rolled through.  As I strolled around the grounds, taking in all the sights, from the 1960's Batmobile to a display of the surrounding cities' multiple squad cars, I met the magician.  His name was David McCreary, and he was fantastic!  David was personable, funny, and most importantly, excellent at his magic.  I don't want to give away too much, but my favorite trick from David was the card trick with his wallet.  Here is Mr. McCreary's Facebook page, if you want to look him up - https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Comedy-Magic-of-David-McCreary/196171891771.  Also included in the festivities, was a wax hands station, a clown, and face painting.  

The other attractions brought by A&S Play Zone included our Dance Heads video station, and a Build-A-Friend stuffed animal building station.  Dance Heads is a unique booth style item, where, using green screen technology, participants have their singing heads placed onto dancing animated bodies, and sing along to their favorite song.  Upon completion, a copy of the video is emailed to their email address, and a picture is printed out as a keepsake.  The Build-A-Friend station featured animals of different sizes that could be stuffed with animal fluff, and dressed up with different outfits.  

Overall, everything at the Greene was a marvelous success, and we truly thank the Greene and it's staff for having such a great event!  And thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the fun today!!

A & S Play Zone

www.asplayzone.com

937-885-5454

513-315-9110

820 Pleasant Valley Dr.

Springboro, Ohio 45066

Summer Training!

The management of A&S Playzone invited its attendant staff into their newly opened training room for a night of reviewing safety policies and regulations.  The evening began with the owner of A&S Playzone, Tammy Chapman, describing specific features and requirements of the over fifty inflatables that A&S has to offer.  The items fall into many categories, such as bounce houses (or moonwalks), wet and dry slides, and obstacle courses.

Attendants Listening to Safety Training Instructions from Tammy

Tammy first elaborated on safety policies designed by A&S itself, which strictly adhere to and exceed the state requirements and recommendations.  Some of the rules involve common sense, such as no flips in moonwalks, and no shoes, glasses or jewelry.  Attendants were taught these rules, as well as how to handle roughhousing in the inflatables.  The instruction included finite warnings that only a seasoned safety expert would know, such as to ensure that older kids were warned not to jump or push others into the mesh walls surrounding all bounce houses, to remove the risk of an individual tearing through the mesh. Continuing along the theme of moonwalk safety, the attendants in training were shown a fully inflated 15 x 15 moonwalk.

Tammy Gives a Hands-On Demonstration of Attending a Moonwalk

As the trainees gathered around one of our more popular bounce houses, Tammy began demonstrating specific safety checks that the attendants would be required to perform.  Depending on what surface the inflatable needs to be anchored to, attendants learned that they would have to check sandbags or stakes for proper anchoring to the ground and to the item.  Ensuring proper anchoring means ensuring that the inflatable will be able to handle winds without leaving the ground and endangering those in the bounce house.  Attendants did learn how to detect if wind speeds were approaching an unsafe level, and were told to deflate the moonwalk if this happened, reducing the object’s surface area so it could not be blown away.  In addition to learning safety measures, A&S staff described how to comply with state regulations.  This involves having a sheet with each inflatable that states the Ohio Revised Code, and a fire extinguisher.  When providing an inflatable to events, A&S also provides instruction manuals for all inflatables, along with copies of their dimensions.  Among many other topics that were covered that night, potential attendants discovered the difference between inflatable moonwalks, obstacle courses, slides (both wet and dry), and many other unique party equipment.

Overall, the safety training night was a fantastic success, and A&S Playzone and its entire team look forward to a fun and safe summer!!