Quick Strategies To Finish the Year Strong Even After a Slow Black Friday

Every year, right around mid-December, I start getting the same messages from indoor playground owners:

Black Friday wasn’t what I hoped.
Open play is quieter than I expected.
Membership sales are flat.
Retail isn’t moving.
My party calendar isn’t full yet.

And if you are feeling any version of this, you are not alone.

December can be emotionally confusing for business owners because it feels incredibly busy. Your space is buzzing. Kids are out of school more often. Membership usage spikes. You’re hosting events, managing parties, and navigating a never-ending line of coats, boots, and snack wrappers.

Yet, when you sit down to look at the revenue, it doesn’t always reflect the effort.

That disconnect can make you question everything.

But here’s the good news: it is absolutely normal, and it is absolutely not too late.

Many indoor playground owners see their strongest revenue days of the entire year between December 10 and January 2 — but only when they run the right offers.

Below are strategies that consistently work, even when the month feels slow.

Why December Doesn’t Always Deliver Automatically

It’s easy to assume December will be a top revenue month because:

• kids are out of school

• families are looking for activities

• the weather pushes people indoors

• holiday spending is high

But there’s another truth happening simultaneously:

Parents are overloaded.

They are attending school concerts, classroom parties, recitals, tree lightings, cookie exchanges, and extended family gatherings. Even when they want to visit your space, planning and decision-making take energy they don’t have.

So business owners must shift from “wait for customers to show up” to proactively offering something easy and appealing.

And that begins with the offer that outperforms everything else in mid-December.

Run an Annual Membership Sale

If you only do one thing this month, make it this.

Annual memberships perform extremely well in December because parents are thinking about practical, clutter-free gifts. A year of play offers:

• routine

• connection

• a guaranteed place to go all winter

• something that gets used every week

And grandparents love gifting it.

The most successful sales focus on existing monthly members. These families already visit regularly and appreciate the value. You are simply helping them save.

You do not need a deep discount. What works best are clear, simple offers:

• 12 months for the price of 10

• a small percentage off

• a free sibling

• guest passes or coffee included

The key is communication. Do not rely on one announcement.
Busy parents need reminders.

A simple promotional rhythm is enough:

• announce the sale

• share proof or savings

• follow up once

• send a final reminder

This alone can generate thousands of dollars in a week.

Invite Parents to Lock In 2025 Party Pricing

Another reliable strategy is promoting birthday parties for the year ahead. If your party prices are going up in January, use that to your advantage:

Book your 2025 party now and lock in today’s pricing.

Parents understand inflation. They don’t want to scramble for dates. And they often don’t need to pick a date yet — all you need is a deposit.

You can make the decision even easier with a low-cost value add:

• a balloon garland

• extra playtime

• upgraded cupcakes

• coffee for adults

These are inexpensive to provide yet highly persuasive.

This one offer can fill your spring calendar before January arrives.

Offer Holiday Break Camps

If open play has been quiet, that may be a sign that parents want structure, not just access.

Holiday break camps solve real problems:

• kids have energy

• parents still need to work

• families need an affordable option

And camps do not need to be elaborate.

Kids are thrilled with:

• crafts

• sensory bins

• obstacle courses

• holiday movies

• pizza lunch

Half-day or full-day both sell. Camps often fill very quickly because parents are desperate for childcare during school closures.

One additional revenue opportunity many owners overlook:

Sell summer camp gift cards now.

Even if your summer program is not fully finalized.

Parents do not need final details to buy something useful.
Grandparents especially love gifting camps.

You earn revenue today.
You finalize logistics later.

Host a Live Sale to Move Retail Inventory

One quick way to boost revenue — especially when holiday shipping deadlines have passed — is a live sale.

Instead of posting a discount, go live on video with your retail items. Number each product with a sticky note. Show an item on camera, share who it’s perfect for, and viewers comment “sold” with the number.

This method creates:

• urgency

• excitement

• personality

Shopping becomes fun again.

Even though buyers still need to complete payment afterward, owners report an average 80—85% completion rate, which is excellent for an interactive format.

This approach is especially effective for unique toys, sensory products, and items that are hard to find locally or on Amazon.

It’s also a way to clear inventory before ordering for the new year.

Add One or Two Low-Lift Events

If you feel behind on event planning, do not panic. Families are not looking for elaborate productions right now.

They want something:

• festive

• calm

• age-appropriate

• easy to attend

Especially for babies, who are often left out of free community events.

Events that are easy to plan and still sell out:

• Cookies and cocoa

• Santa or character story time

• Ornament making

• Pajamas and Pancakes

• Noon-Year’s Eve countdown

And a few surprisingly powerful events:

Gingerbread workshops using pre-built houses
Baby’s First Snow Day sensory play
Handprint or footprint keepsakes using templates
Bell Jingle Jam with scarves and bells
Elf on the Shelf Sleepover — no playtime required

Add a small photo backdrop and you’re done.

A dozen tickets is successful.

You Don’t Need to Do Everything at Once

December burnout is often caused by trying to run every idea simultaneously.

You do not need:

• a membership sale

• and a party promotion

• and camps

• and gift cards

• and events

• and retail sales

All at the same time.

Choose one initiative at a time.

Ask:

What will move the needle fastest?

Then run it clearly and confidently.
Give it a deadline.
Remind your audience.

Clarity beats complexity every time.

Parents Pay for Ease, Not Price

Here is the mindset shift that changes everything:

Parents are not choosing the cheapest option.
They are choosing the easiest.

If your:

• messaging is simple

• checkout is smooth

• reminders are consistent

Parents will buy.

Amazon does not dominate because it’s cheap.
It dominates because it is easy.

Your indoor playground can be the easy choice for local families.

It Is Not Too Late

Even if:

• Black Friday was slow

• memberships feel flat

• retail hasn’t moved

• your calendar has gaps

You still have time.

Families are home.
Kids are out of school.
Grandparents are asking what to buy.
Parents need childcare.
Everyone wants memories.

Make it easy.

One offer at a time.
Clear communication.
Simple checkout.
Friendly reminders.

That is the formula.

December does not automatically become profitable just because the calendar is full and the space is busy. Profit comes from strategic offers that meet parents where they are right now.

The ideas that reliably work are also the simplest:

• annual memberships

• locking in 2025 party pricing

• holiday break camps

• summer camp gift cards

• live retail sales

• low-lift events

Choose one.
Execute it fully.
Then move to the next.

There is still time to finish the year strong.

If you want to see real examples — actual emails, graphics, photos, and results from owners running these promotions right now — that’s exactly what Play Maker Society is for.