Planning a Water Carnival

A practical checklist to plan a fun, smooth, and safe water carnival — from activities and layout, to safety, manpower, and approvals.

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1) Before anything else, lock these down

These 4 decisions make everything else easier (event layout, choice of inflatables, manpower allocation).

Target audience

Kids / Teens / Families

Estimated crowd size

Who to invite?

Event duration

Typically 2–4 hours

Budget range

Plan costing for activities

Pro tip If your crowd is big, plan rotation by age group and assign time slots to reduce congestion.

2) Choose Water Carnival Activities

Mix active + chill elements so everyone can enjoy and have fun.

A. Water Inflatable Floats

Perfect for pool play and safe, structured fun.

View packages (from $680) →

B. Water Fun

Dolphin boat, banana boat, hamster wheel — you name it, we got it!

Explore water fun →

C. Food & Drink Stations

Keep energy high with snack breaks and hydration.

View snack stations →

D. Games & Fun Activities

Great for guests who aren’t entering the pool.

Browse games & activities →

Good mix example Inflatable floats + 1 water fun + 2 dry games + 2 snack stations.

Don’t forget Plan queue + waiting time. A fun activity can become stressful if the line is messy.

3) Safety & Risk Management

Safety first, fun always. These are your must-have measures.

Designate a Safety IC to oversee the whole water zone.
Put up safety signage with clear disclaimer.
Place non-slip mats around wet zones.
Station crew to crowd control at the entry/exit points.
Bad weather plan: During CAT1 status with lightning alert, make sure to pause all water activities and only resume after the status has cleared.

Bad Weather Rule (CAT1 Status) Stop water activities immediately and keep guests in a safe dry area until clearance.

Suggested safety signage copy

Water Play Disclaimer:
All participants enter at their own risk. Please follow crew instructions, no running on wet surfaces, and children must be supervised. Activities may be paused during bad weather or lightning alerts for safety.

Crowd flow checklist

Entry point + exit point
Queue markers and a waiting zone
Rotation times (especially for large crowds)
Dry rest area for parents and kids to rest

4) Layout & Space Planning

Good layout = smoother flow + less chaos.

Wet play zone (in the pool)

Main water activities + lifeguard line-of-sight.

Waiting / queuing area

Queue lanes + shade if possible.

Dry rest area

Parents & kids take a break, towel-up and rehydrate.

Food & drinks corner

Refuel zone to keep everyone happy and hydrated.

Games & activities corner

For guests not participating in the water activities — keep the event lively for all.

Layout tip Keep food and dry games away from splashes. Place the rest area between wet and dry zones as a “buffer”.

5) Manpower Planning

Right roles = safer event + smoother crowd experience.

Safety supervisor (overall Safety in charge)
Lifeguard (pool safety and rescues)
Water crew (ready to assist partcipants if needed)
Crowd control crew (queue, entry/exit flow)

Reminder If you expect a bigger crowd, add more crowd control to manage queue and keep walkways clear.

6) Permits & Approvals

SFA food safety cert (if there are snack booths)
Public liability insurance (strongly advised)

What to prepare for approval

Event plan + layout map (wet/dry zones, queue area)
Safety plan (roles, signage, non-slip mats)
Bad weather plan (CAT1 pause procedure)
Vendor list (inflatables, crew, food stations)

7) Event Day Timeline

A simple flow that works well for most events.

Setup: 2 hours before event start time
Registration & briefing: safety reminders + rotation plan
Water play rotation: by age group if crowded
Snack break: refuel + rehydrate

Make it smoother Use short time blocks (e.g. 30 min rotations) so more guests get a turn with less waiting.

Get Ready to Splash!

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Planning A Water Carnival

Planning a Water Carnival

1) Before anything else, lock these down