Ball in a Bucket is the fairground classic that fools everyone.
Three buckets mounted on the board, you throw a ball, and it's
to stay in the bucket without rolling back out. That's the
whole game - and it's possibly the hardest and most frustrating
thing on the row, because the ball fits the bucket and the eye
says "done" a good half-second before the ball bounces straight
back out.
Working out why it bounces out keeps people at the line longer
than any other stall we run. The throw wants a high arc and a
soft hand rather than pace, so the loud confident throwers tend
to lose and the quiet ones win.
The game lives in its own flight-case unit - lid open for the
backboard, buckets on the board - setting up on a trestle table
under the striped canopy. It's one of the four games inside our
Grand Carnival stalls; this
is the standalone hire of it, for the events that want one more
stall rather than the four-game unit.
Three buckets, one ball, and it has to stay in without rolling out. What looks like the easiest game on the row is possibly the hardest.
Flight-Case Unit
The game lives in its own flight case - lid open for the backboard, buckets mounted on the board - setting up on a trestle table with nothing to assemble.
Any Surface
The flight case travels on a trestle table, so it goes on hard standing, closed roads and town squares as well as grass - and it goes indoors, which puts it in halls and marquees through the winter.
Brandable
Sticker transfers can carry your artwork on the stall front for the hire period - applied, removed and replaced clean for the next booking.
Staffing Your Way
Staff aren't in the hire price. One of our qualified team can come to run the stall and hand out prizes, or your own people can run it - tell us which when you enquire.
£5m Public Liability
Five million pounds of public liability insurance on every booking, with the risk assessments and method statements a council or venue procurement team will ask for.
What's included
The Ball in a Bucket flight-case unit with backboard
The three target buckets and the throwing balls
A trestle table and the striped canopy
Delivery, setup and collection by our own team
£5m public liability insurance as standard
Staffing is priced separately from this one - our qualified
staff can run the stall and hand out the prizes if you would
rather not put your own people on it. Prizes can be supplied
alongside; ask for the current options when you enquire.
Tell us the event date, postcode, surface and expected numbers,
and whether you want our staff running the stall or your own.
Ball in a Bucket is priced with the event rather than from a
fixed list price, and as a single-stall add-on it prices into a
row more cheaply than it hires alone. It sits naturally beside
the Tin Can Alley - the two
flight-case games make a natural pair - with the
Coconut Shy and
Hoopla holding the rest of the row.
Your written quote will cover the delivered price, staffing if
you want it, and the setup details for the site.
Gallery
The Ball in a Bucket stall under its red and white striped canopy, with the buckets mounted on the board
The flight case opened for play, showing the three target buckets on the striped game board
The game unit on its trestle table, with the backboard and buckets ready for players
The stall set up on hard standing, showing the game works on paved sites and indoors
Common Questions
How much does Ball in a Bucket hire cost?
Hire starts at £295. Staffing is quoted separately. Send the date, postcode and what else is coming on the day and we'll return a delivered quote.
How do you win?
You throw a ball into one of the three buckets and it has to stay there without rolling out. It fits - but only just - so it pops back out more often than it settles.
Does it need grass?
No. The flight-case unit works on hard standing, closed roads and town squares as well as grass, and it goes indoors, which makes it a regular at the winter events.
Is it the same game as in the Grand Carnival stalls?
Yes - Ball in a Bucket is one of the four games inside our Grand Carnival stalls. This is the standalone hire of the same game, for events that want one more stall rather than the four-game unit.
Is the stall staffed?
Not as standard - the hire price doesn't include staff. We can add one of our qualified team to run it and hand out prizes, or your own people can. Say which you would prefer when you enquire.
Tell us the date, postcode, surface and expected numbers, and
whether our staff are running the stall or yours. If it's
joining a row or extending the Grand Carnival, mention it and we
will price the package together. Prefer to chat? Call
0845 468 0590.
