Every August and September, the same question shows up in Atlanta parent group chats and church planning committees: should we rent carnival games for this thing, or just build them ourselves? The honest answer is it depends on the game, and it depends on how much time you actually have between now and the event. Here's how to think it through.
Start with what "carnival games" actually means
When people say carnival games, they usually mean a mix of two very different categories. There's the simple stuff, ring toss, bean bag boards, a duck pond with a kiddie pool and some rubber ducks. These are basically wood, paint, and a weekend project. Then there's the powered stuff, popcorn carts, cotton candy machines, inflatable games with a blower running. That second category is where DIY starts to fall apart fast, because you're now dealing with equipment most families don't own and wouldn't want to store afterward.
Knowing which bucket a game falls into is most of the decision right there.
The case for DIY
If you've got a free Saturday and a Hobby Lobby run in you, a handful of toss and aim games are genuinely easy to build and they hold up fine for a backyard party or a small classroom event. A ring toss is a base, some dowels, and rings you can buy or cut from pool noodles. A bean bag board is plywood, a jigsaw, and paint. None of this needs a truck to deliver or a generator to run.
The other upside to DIY is you get to keep it. If your family does a fall festival every year, or your church runs one annually, building your own game set once means you're not paying for the same rental every single year going forward.
The catch is time, not money. A game that looks simple in a Pinterest photo can eat three or four hours once you count buying materials, building, painting, and letting paint dry before the event. If you're already handling the guest list, the food table, and coordinating a bounce house delivery, that's a lot to add on top.
The case for renting
Rent the games that need power, moving parts, or specialized setup. A cotton candy machine or snow cone cart is a good example. You can technically buy one, but most families use it once a year at most, and storage between events is its own headache in a Georgia garage that already doubles as storage for holiday decorations. Renting means someone else worries about the machine working, and someone else hauls it home afterward.
Renting also makes sense any time you need more games than you have time to build. A church fall festival or a school field day usually needs six to eight stations to keep lines from backing up, and building that many from scratch is a real project, not a weekend one.
One thing worth knowing: carnival games aren't something Party Lab Atlanta rents ourselves. We focus on bounce houses, water slides, and obstacle courses, delivered and set up from our base in Conyers. But we get asked about this pairing all the time, because a lot of Atlanta families build their event around one big rental, like a bounce house or an obstacle course, and then fill in the smaller booths with DIY games or a local games vendor. It's a good combo. The big rental is the draw that keeps a line moving and gives kids a clear "main event," and the smaller games give them something to rotate through in between turns.
A simple way to decide, game by game
Instead of picking one lane for the whole event, run each game through three quick questions:
- Does it need power or a motor? If yes, lean toward renting.
- Do we already own the materials, or close to it? If yes, lean toward DIY.
- How many hours do we realistically have before the event? Under two hours of free time between now and party day, rent more than you build.
Most Atlanta families end up with a mix. Ring toss and a bean bag board at home, a cotton candy machine rented, and a bounce house or water slide as the anchor everyone actually lines up for.
Building it for Georgia weather and yards
A few things come up specifically in metro Atlanta that are worth planning around no matter which route you go. Red clay yards get slick fast after rain, so stake or weight down anything lightweight before a September afternoon storm rolls through. Humidity is rough on cotton candy specifically, it can go sticky and collapse faster here than in a drier climate, so if you're renting a machine, ask the vendor how they handle that. And if games are running outdoors in full sun, plan for some shade over at least one or two stations so volunteers running them aren't standing in the heat all afternoon.
We put together a longer list of DIY-friendly game ideas, prize tips, and layout advice in our backyard carnival games guide, which is worth a read if you're leaning DIY for most of your event. And if you're curious about other novelty rentals showing up at Atlanta parties beyond just games, our rentals beyond the bounce house post covers bumper cars, LED dance floors, and more.
If you're planning a church or school fall festival specifically, our fall festival ideas post walks through layout and activity mix for a bigger crowd.
Where the bounce house fits in
Whatever you decide on games, a bounce house or obstacle course tends to be the piece that actually anchors a carnival-themed event. It's the thing kids ask about first, and it keeps a line moving in a way that a table of small games on its own doesn't. Our inflatables lineup covers everything we currently deliver across metro Atlanta, from classic bounce houses to obstacle course setups built for a bigger crowd.
If you're planning a carnival-themed birthday, school event, or church festival and want to talk through what to rent versus build, call (404) 480-2645 or reach out through contact and we'll help you check availability and figure out what fits your yard and your headcount.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to rent carnival games or make them yourself?
DIY is usually cheaper in dollars if you already have craft supplies around. But factor in your time. A ring toss or bean bag board takes an hour or two to build well. If you're already juggling a guest list, food, and a bounce house delivery, renting a couple of games back can be worth the trade even if it costs a bit more.
What carnival games are actually worth renting instead of DIY?
Anything with moving parts or a motor, like a mini popcorn machine, cotton candy cart, or an inflatable game with a blower, is worth renting. Simple toss and aim games (ring toss, bean bag boards, duck pond) are the easiest to DIY well with cardboard, paint, and an afternoon.
Does Party Lab Atlanta rent carnival games?
Not currently. We focus on bounce houses, water slides, and obstacle courses across metro Atlanta. If you're planning a carnival-themed party and want a big-ticket centerpiece to anchor it, that's exactly where we come in, and you can build the smaller game booths around it yourself or through a games vendor.
How many carnival games do we need for a school or church festival?
For a backyard birthday, three or four games is plenty. For a school field day or church fall festival with a bigger crowd, plan on six to eight stations so lines don't back up, and make sure you have enough adult volunteers to run them.
What's the biggest mistake people make with DIY carnival games?
Underestimating setup time. A game that takes an hour to build can take another hour to haul, set up, and test on the actual event day, especially outdoors where wind and uneven ground come into play. Build a day or two ahead if you can, not the morning of.
Can we mix rented carnival games with a bounce house or water slide?
Yes, and it's one of the most common setups we see for backyard birthdays and church festivals. The bounce house or slide is the big draw that keeps a line moving, and carnival games give kids something to do between turns instead of just standing around waiting.