How to do a Color Run for your school

How to do a color run for your school

What is a school Color Run?

A color run is a type of fun run that is perfect for schools. Kids start out wearing white T-shirts and by the end of the run they are covered in color.

A color run is usually where volunteers throw color powder at the runners as the run by. These days colored slime is also a great option for color runs.

The main reason to host a color run is to raise funds for a determined cause. The runners will then pay, or get sponsored, to participate in the event. Hosting a color run at your school, is not only a great way to raise funds, but also an effective way to entertain the kids, while keeping them active. It is a fun and interactive way for everyone to get involved and is definitely worth planning.

In this article, we will teach you everything that you need to know about color runs, so that you can host your own color run, fundraising event at your school.

How to set up a color run?

A color run is typically a 5K run (3.1 miles), although the length of the run can be varied to suit the age and abilities of the students.

A color run is usually divided into stations (at least 4), each positioned an equal distance apart around the track. Each station will contain a different color. At each station you need to have volunteers ready to throw color powder or spray slime at the runners as they zoom past. As long as you have a course mapped out, plenty of volunteers, and a good amount of color powder or instant slime at each station, then you are ready to race.  

Color Runs with Slime!

While color runs were originally all about color powder, some schools have started to use colorful Instant Slime as well.

Party GOAT® Instant slime is a product that makes a huge quantity of super colorful slime by simply adding water. This slime can be sprayed out of water blasters as the kid's run by.

Instant slime is great to use alongside color powder. If the kid's run through a slime station first the slime gets them slightly wet which helps the color powder to better stick at the next station.

Kid's absolutely love slime so adding a slime station to your color run is bound to be a hit. Click here to learn more about SLIME BLASTER STATIONS. 

Buy fun run slime below! Fast and Free Postage within the USA, Canada and Australia.

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Does Color Run Slime stain clothes?

Party GOAT's unique Instant Slime formula was specially designed to be non staining and easy to clean up. Unlike some color powder products which may stain clothes (see further info down the page), you will have no staining issues with Party GOAT Instant Slime. Watch the video below for proof it is non staining and for some easy clean up ideas.

How much does a Color Run cost?

How much a color run will cost you is directly proportional to the amount of color powder you're going to use for your event. The recommendation is that each participant uses 0.6lbs of color powder. So, for example, if you have 200 kids you should buy a total of 120 lbs of powder (200 x .6 lbs). Then you can distribute the total powder in your color stations. If you have 4 color stations, each station will receive 30 lbs in the example above and you will dispense 0.15 lbs per station per participant. 1 handful of powder is approximately 0.10 lbs - 0.15 lbs.). Please know that these are all approximate figures and it is not an exact science. We recommend to play it safe, the more color powder, the better!

What do they use in Color Runs?

Color run powder

What they use in color runs is colored powder which is non-toxic, free of heavy metals and all certified. The powder is a combination of cornstarch, baking soda and FD&C (food safe) dyes.

Are Color Runs safe for your lungs?

Color powder used in color fun runs is typically made from 100% natural and edible ingredients, although consuming it is not advised. If you're worried about its effects on your lungs, rest assured that it's generally safe. However, like any powder, it's best to avoid contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent discomfort. To ensure added safety, consider wearing protective eyewear, a bandanna, or a dust mask. You can also hold your breath or breathe through your nose, which has natural filters. While the powder might cause slight coughing if inhaled, especially for those with respiratory conditions like asthma, it's generally harmless. Volunteers are instructed to apply the powder below the waist, and some events even offer colorful glasses for extra fun.

Are color runs safe for your lungs

How do you clean up after a Color Run?

Wait! Don't get wet yet, the best strategy to clean up after a color run is to dust and shake off as much color as you can. A good idea is to set up a blow station where you can have volunteers operate leaf blowers, helping the participants to blow away the powder off their bodies.  After removing all of the loose powder, you can then use water and wash yourself.

Does Color Run powder wash out?

Yes, generally color run powder washes out of clothes and they will come back to their original state. However not all color powders are the same, certain brands, and typically darker colored powders, are more likely to stain, so check with your supplier before ordering. After you remove as much color powder as you can, rinse your clothes in cold water before a normal washing cycle. If the clothes are still colorful after the washing, then try washing it one more time, and that should do the trick. 

Does the Color Run powder stain your hair?

No, the color run powder won't stain your hair. With some hair types, the color run powder might be a little more difficult to be removed (like blond hair), however with enough washes, the color run powder will eventually all go. Here's a few tips for removing color run powder from your hair:

Consider wearing a head cover, bandanna or hat during the color run. You can also use some leave-in conditioner before the event, especially for bleached or highlighted hair.
After the event, make sure you dust off all the colored powder before jumping in the shower.
Wash your hair as usual, repeat if necessary.

Does color run powder stain your hair

Does Color Run powder ruin your shoes?

The color powder should wash out mostly after the event and shouldn't ruin your shoes. However, like anything colorful, it may cause staining depending on how much time it has had to set, so the sooner you wash it the better! Give your shoes a good scrub with warm soapy water and they should come out fine. If however, you are still afraid that the color powder may stain or ruin your shoes, it's recommended to wear items that you don't mind getting dirty!

What happens if there is bad weather in a Color Run?

Weather is something that no one can control, so what happens if there is bad weather in a color run? A little rain will actually make the colors look brighter, so it's fine to continue the event even with forecasted rain. The cleaning up will most likely be a little more complicated for the participants, but at least the course will be self cleaned. If a more severe weather warning occurs, it is obviously recommended to postpone the event for the safety of the participants and volunteers in the color run event.

How to make your Color Run more fun!

The whole purpose of a color run is the FUN, so is it possible to make it even more fun? Yes, it is! Here are a few ideas below on how to make your color run even more fun:

1 - White is a must! That's a very important tip when organizing a color run. The participants should wear white clothes as the color powder will show up better on white. Other colors don't have the same  effect as they do on white. 

2 - You can have a group warm-up/warm-down session before and after the event, so people can start having fun as soon as they enter the event and also continue having fun once the official run is over. It might be a good idea to hire a DJ to get people excited about the event and dancing. 

3 - Enhance the color run experience and buy our PartyGOAT™ products to make your event unique.

Party GOAT Instant Slime

Party GOAT Instant Slime allows you to make huge quantities of super colorful slime by simply adding water. Each bag of Instant slime mix makes 25 Gallons of slime. The Slime is colorful making your participants look awesome plus the color powder will stick better.

One of the best ideas is to create a Slime Blaster Station in between the color powder stations so the participants can get slimed when they pass through the section.

Slime in your color fun run

Slime Battle Packs

Instant Slime comes in a battle pack which contains 4 colors of slime powder. Make up to 10 Gallons of Green, Pink, Blue and Yellow slime.

Battle packs are great for use in fun runs or for slime fights and slime parties.

Expansion packs contain 10 gallons of purple and 10 gallons of orange slime. Buy a Battle Pack and Expansion Pack to have all 6 colors of slime. 

BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
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BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
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BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
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BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)
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BULK INSTANT SLIME (Makes 25 Gallons - 95L)

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Party GOAT Instant Mud

A fun alternative or addition to a color run is hosting a mud run. Check out this guide with ideas on How to do a mud run. Party GOAT Instant Mud takes all the hassle out of creating a mud pit for a mud run event. Each pack makes a huge 60 gallons of a clean mud like substance that the kids will love diving into or crawling through. Dirt that you dig straight from the ground can have sharp objects in it like sticks and rocks and harmful bacteria. It also takes a fair bit of man power to dig up enough mud for your obstacles as well. Party GOAT Instant Mud creates bulk mud with ease. A dark and safe mud to make your event even more fun.

Instant Mud in you fun run

Buy Fun Run Mud below - Fast and Free postage within the USA & Australia.

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SLime Crawl Pools

Instant Slime can be used to make fun slime pool obstacles for your color run. The idea of these obstacles is that you make the participants get down low and crawl through the slime. You can make them crawl by setting up a cargo net over a pool or tarp and then spraying it with slime. The slime will make the plastic extra slippery to ensure that it is a challenge getting underneath the net. 

How to clean up the Color Run powder off your school after the event?

I'm sure one thing that you are wondering is how to clean up all the color powder off your school after the event finishes. Please know that this is quite an easy process and there is nothing to worry about. 
Be mindful that all the color powder will
be concentrated where the color stations were.
The procedure consists of 2 simple steps -

1. Blow or sweep off most of the color powder in all areas.
2. Then turn on either sprinklers or hoses to wash down the area (you can also use a pressure washer for a faster approach).

The PartyGoat instant Slime and Mud is also biodegradable and soluble in water so your school can be washed down clean by using the same cleaning method above.

Other Obstacles for a Color Run

Aside from color powder and slime many people like to add additional obstacles to their color fun run to make the course more entertaining and challenging. Simple obstacles can be set up between color powder and slime stations that participants need to run through, climb over, crawl under etc. For example you could:

• Set up a tyre run by laying out a bunch of spare tyres that participants must step through.
• Set up a small marquee to run through. Hang colorful pool noodles from the ceiling.
• Lay out nets to crawl under or tunnels to crawl through.
• Set up markers to zig zag between or low beams to balance across.
• Set up hay bails to jump over.   

Inflatable Obstacles for Color Run

Inflatable obstacles are perfect for color runs as they are usually bright and colorful structures that can be erected quickly in various locations around the course. Hiring a large inflatable obstacle course or water slip and slide can be a great addition to a school color run. Inflatable courses come in many different shapes and sizes meaning you can hire a different inflatable for each year's event.

Be sure to check with the inflatable hire company at the time of booking as some companies will not allow the use of colour powder on or near their inflatables.

Also keep in mind that difficult inflatable obstacles can slow the flow of traffic around the course as safety requirements mean you can only allow a certain number of participants on the inflatable at the one time.

If you are planning a large event with many participants you may need to stagger the start times, or choose an inflatable obstacle course with several lanes. 

obstacle course hire ideas for color run
color run inflatable obstacle course rental

How to make money with a Color Run Fundraiser

If you decide to host a color run for your school, you can make money in a number of different ways including ticket sales, sponsorships, food and drink sales, merchandise and more. 

Sponsorships

The most common way for schools and organisations to raise money is by asking participants to find sponsors to sponsor them for the race. Sponsors are simply people who are willing to donate a certain amount of money to help the cause and support the individual competing in the race.

This is a good option as there is no limit to the amount of money that participants may be able to raise for their school. Participants can also be incentivise to raise money with prizes provided if they are able to raise a certain amount of money, and grand prizes for the participants that raise the most money. 

Some schools offer slime the teacher incentives, where if a certain amount of money is raised the highest earner gets to slime the teachers.

Slime the Teachers

how to make money with a color run fundraiser

Ticket sales

Another option is to charge participants per head to be able to participate in the event. Color runs are a lot of fun to participate in so it is not hard to find contestants willing to pay a ticket price to be able to run the course.

You want to make sure you charge enough to cover the cost of the set up (e.g. the color powder) as well as making some profits for your cause. $10 per head is a common charge for basic fun runs.

If you go all out with lots of expensive obstacles such as inflatables, climbing structures, foam tunnels and such you may be able to (and will want to) charge more per head for a grander event.

Food, Drink & Merch

A final way to make money at a colour run event is to sell food, drinks and/or memorabilia. If you have a large group of participants, volunteers and spectators, they are likely to get hungry at some point. Offering special food or drink packages, food trucks, or items of memorabilia, such as color run T-shirts, could be a good idea. YOu could also sell fun novelty items such as colored sunnnies, armbands, or colorful wigs for participants to wear during the race. 

Check out some other great ideas for your school!

How to host a slime party

Here's some information on How to host a slime party.

Fun mud run ideas

Obstacle course ideas. Fun mud run ideas!

10 Great Fun run theme ideas

Thinking about having a Fun run at your school? Here's 10 Great Fun Runs ideas!

 Need some ideas for your next party?

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