If you have kids, chances are you’ve been to a birthday party with a bounce house…or a million. While they offer non-stop, sweat-filled, bouncy excitement, it’s time skip the been-there, done-that and hire a party rental unlike any other. Your birthday hosting skills will be the talk of the playground with these unique LA party rentals.
photo: Shawn H. via Yelp
Smokey’s Fire Truck Events
Fulfill your junior fire-fighter’s dreams and hire a real life fire truck to keep the pint-sized party-goers entertained at your next celebration. A real fire truck will arrive at your house that excited tots can climb on and explore. The truck is even outfitted with special seat-belted bench seats so up to 12 kids (and fire truck loving grown-ups) can go for a ride. You can also try on the jackets and hats and practice putting out a fire, squirting water from a fire hydrant they bring along. (For older kids who still love fire trucks, check out Company 77, which is a fire truck/food truck that makes and serves up pizzas!)
The Details: The fire truck activities, including water games and rides, last for about one hour. Rates start at $325 and go up based on travel distance (the company is located in Irvine).
949-361-1913
Online: firetruckbirthdayparty.com
photo: Pump and Splash
Pump and Splash
You don’t have to throw a pool party to have some fun with water at your next big bash. Pump and Splash is a truly unique party rental that might actually teach your tiny party animals something while they play. The gear consists of giant tubs topped with different types of pumps and water play devices. Starting with the simple Pumper, a basic hand powered water pump, to the Racer, which gets kids pumping as fast as they can to see who can tip a bucket full of water first, these one-of-a-kind party rentals will get kids moving and thinking, and most importantly entertained, for hours. And not to worry, all the water in the pumpers is recirculated so you don’t have to feel bad about wasting in the drought.
The Details: Rates start at $250 for their standard package of four pumps and go up to $360, which includes six different pumps. Party rentals are up to four hours, though you can add more time for an additional $25 per hour. You can also hire supervision in case you need another pair of eyes for $100.
818-352-7031
Online: pumpandsplash.com
photo: Kenneth A. via Yelp
Thrills On Wheels
Bring the excitement of a party at an arcade to your house. No tokens needed! Thrills On Wheels brings a party bus brimming with old school arcade games, as well as, all latest gaming systems right to your driveway. Your little gamers (and big ones too!) will have a blast checking out the classic relics, like Pac-Man, and challenging each other to over 400 different games on every video game console imaginable. Of course, no arcade would be complete without the dreaded Claw. This one is a million times better since it requires no coins and actually hands out prizes so your guests will leave with smiles instead of meltdowns.
The Details: The 40 foot bus contains 7 arcade games, and four video game consoles with flat-screens which can accommodate up to 25 gamers at once. Rates start at $375 for a two and a half hour rental and $125 for each additional hour.
818-844-7564
Online: thrillsonwheelsla.com
Silly Photo Booth
There’s a reason your camera roll is always full of kid selfies after your phone-obsessed tot has been playing with it: because silly photos are fun! You might think of a photo booth as more of a grown-up party activity, but the truth is even at adult shindigs it’s usually the kids hogging the snapshots. There are a zillion photo booth companies around these days so narrow it down to the ones that give you prints immediately, because kids need instant gratification, and make sure they offer plenty of fun dress up props. Silly Photo Booth Rental is a great example of a photo booth company perfect for kids parties. They come with a bin jam-packed with all kinds of fun props from feather boas to inflatable saxophones and they give you a scrapbook so you can actually look at those wonderful photo strips after the party instead of leaving them in a dust-collecting stack.
The Details: Packages start at — for a two hour rental with two attendants, unlimited photo prints, and a high-res DVD of the images.
818-517-8833
Online: sillyphotoboothrental.com
photo: David S. via Yelp
Magic Jump
From water slides to sumo suits, there’s so much more that can be inflated than a simple castle shaped bounce house. Think outside the air filled box with Magic Jump Rentals—they have it all, and then some. Besides their fleet of basic bouncers, this party rental all-in-one will help you knock the little socks off your party-goers with inflatables of all kinds, like Velcro walls, sumo suits and wrestling rings, human Foosball, obstacle courses, water slides, basketball hoops, giant outdoor movie screens and even bull riding rings. Of its inflatable, they’ve got it and your cake-fueled kids are going to love it. You’ll love it too, because these activities burn off all that sugar, so the birthday kid sleeps well.
The Details: Rentals are typically for an 8-hour period. Prices vary depending on the rental you choose.
800-873-8989
Online: magicjumprentals.com
Did you have an amazing birthday party with a unique rental? Please share any fun finds we missed!
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Need some fresh ideas?
Related reads
