Do it yourself Airport Security Props

We built two airport security archs and faux conveyor belts for our travel themed AfterProm. It was great. After "signing in" for the night, the young adults had to go through Airport Security to enter the AfterProm area.

We made Securiy archways out of firring strips (my favority cheap lumber for props) and gave them a boxy top. Everything was covered (we have a free supplier of tyvek, but any covering will work) and painted. Inside the boxy top we installed a clanger bell with an out of sight switch to ring the bell. We powered the bell from a nearby outlet.

Our "airport security" led the students through a rope maze just like at the airport and then through the security archway. My wife sat near the entrance to the archway and randomly rang the bell.

Well, these kids acted like it was the real thing - "it must be my cel phone setting it off", "maybe it rings for anyone tall" and my favorite, "do have have too much glitter in my hair". Of course, my wife said yes to all of the inquiries.

Later that night, all of the rope mazes were down, two sets of double doors were wide open and the archway was just sitting in the middle of the lobby. A boy came out to the lobby to use the restroom, looked at the archway and went out of his way to walk through it again going both to and from the restroom. Obviously, he understood....don't mess with the high tech security equipment.