Hello again; Today, I want to address the recent story about three kids in New York who were injured when the bounce house they were playing in took flight. I want to use this occasion to instruct people on the safe operation of a bounce house. A children’s party should be a happy event.
Some facts
The bounce house in question was a little tyke’s toy model purchased by one of the parents living in the apartment complex where it had ben set up. They had used the unit several times with no incidents. However, the unit appears to have ben staked down with six inch plastic stakes that were insufficient for the weather conditions they had on that day. Th stakes generally used for a commercial inflatable are 18 inches long and made out of strong metal. They are routinely driven at least half way into the ground, but the freak winds experienced on that day may have still resulted in the moonwalk becoming airborne.
Types of rental companies
There are two basic types of inflatable rental companies. There are full service and self service. In general the self service bounce house rentals are operated out of a party planning store and offer only bounce houses. They will let you pick up the inflatable and trust you to operate it safely and then return it when you are through. The other full service party rental companies will generally offer all kinds of inflatables such as obstacle courses, competitive games, and slides both wet and dry. They will insist on delivering the units to your location or an approved park location, setting them up, and instructing you on the proper use of their equipment. They may even insist on leaving at least one person to supervise the party. Obviously having the items delivered to your home means they will be more expensive to rent. I know in this tight economy everyone is trying to save money wherever they can, but I would strongly encourage you to rent from professionals who will know how to avoid most potential problems.
Should you own a bounce house
Many of you have probably thought about how you could save a lot of money if you just bought your own bounce house. I’m sure that often families or groups of neighbors have thought about pooling their money and buying one to share. I’m not going to tell you not to. I’m just going to give you a few things to think about. And later I’ll give you a safety check list. If you are going to buy one, then first check with your home owner’s association or land lord to make sure that it will not violate any contractual agreements. Next, check to see what your insurance policy says about injuries that occur on your property or at your residence. Then, be sure to purchase a commercial grade inflatable to provide the maximum level of safety and enjoyment. You can often purchase these from local bounce house companies who are often eager to sell older units as they are under constant pressure to have the latest themed bouncers. You may also purchase a new one from any of the many inflatable manufacturers. But be sure to purchase items made or sold by companies in your state or province. Companies that sell in your hom country will be more able to insure that your item conforms with all the latest safety regulations. I would be happy to consult with you on the purchase of new or used inflatables.
Safety check list
1. electrical cords
You want to make sure a commercial electrical cord is being used and not some yellow extension cord. Black extension cords are okay. The cord should have a three prong plug and should not be looped, kinked, or stretched too tightly. It should not be nicked or frayed
2. fan motors
The motors have protective cages around the fan blades. You do not want this to be damaged in any way as the blades turn very fast. If the motor makes squalling noises when running, then I would request it be replaced. It may not be a safety issue, but it could effect your over all enjoyment. Noisy fans don’t run as strong, put out as much air, and could be about to fail.
3. Condition of vinyl
I’m especially talking about the vinyl where the tie downs are connected. It doesn’t matter how strong the stakes are or how well they are driven if the material connecting the bounce house to the anchor isn’t solid. You want to check that it isn’t brittle, rotting, or has been patched extnsively. Check to make sure that none of the tie downs have come off. There should be at least one for each corner plus one every so many feet on larger inflatables.
4. Staking it down
As I said earlier most professional bounce house operators use stakes that are at least 18 inches long and drive them at least half way into the ground. However, the way you do this is important. On the corners you want to stretch the tie down at a 45 degree angle from the sides of the inflatable and pull the rope cord or strap tight. You then want to drive the stake at about a 30 to 45 degree angle from straight up and down. In place of stakes, you can use sand bags. And if you want more weight, you can use a metal garbage can filled with water in a pinch. Remember that water weighs over seven pounds per gallon.
5. Proper capacity
Be sure and ask how many children and or adults a unit can safely handle. Find out how large a person is intended to use the unit. Usually this is stated by age, but a better indicator is size or weight. No one likes to be the one that has to tell the kids that someone has to get out of the play house, but its all about having a fun time with no crying kids. I suggest you try to keep the groups to kids of roughly the same size and age. You will have fewer complaints that way.
6. Watch the weather
It is generally ruled that a bounce house should not be in use if there are sustained winds inn excess of 20 miles per hour. The rule varies in the U S, but in the United Kingdom the rule is 25 kilometers per hour or so I have ben told. That would be about 16 mph. This is because the wind will naturally have gusts that are even stronger. I suggest you set someone’s phone to alert you to changing weather conditions. And you should know that most reputable rental companies will not let their equipment go out if there is doubt about the weather. To prove this many now have weather widgets on their websites to advise you.
While I was working on this post yet another story reached me about a moonwalk being carried off by a strong wind. I know these stories are scary to read, and they will usually start debate about new regulations. In most cases the regulations currently on file are sufficient. But nothing the legislatures can pass will ever replace diligent supervision by watchful family and friends. I hope what I have discussed with you here will help you to have a safe and happy experience. I also should point out that most people who run full service party rental companies started out by buying one for their kids. Often it was thought that it would be a fun business for the whole family to take part in. So, you can believe me when I tell you that they don’t want anyone to ever be injured using their equipment. They most likely think of their own kids and grandkids playing on the same bouncers as yours will whenever they make decisions about safety. I know that me and my family thought that way back when we still operated a traveling carnival.
I should address something that came up when we discussed this on my google hangout. It was asked if my occupation as an equipment broker played into my opinions on the over all safety of inflatable bounce houses. I think this is a fare question and one I’m happy to answer. It does no good for me or for the industry to have equipment out there that is dangerous in and of its design. Trust me stories of injuries on amusement rides will often result in new legislation or the threat of it. Parents will become reluctant to send their kids or teens to the carnival or amusement park. Rentals of bounce houses are probably already suffering. And none of this makes it easier for me to sell new or used equipment. In general inflatables are some of the safest devices in the industry. When there are accidents, they are almost always minor. Usually, you are looking at bumps and bruises, sprains, and the occasional chipped tooth or broken bone. Most all of the injuries associated with the use of moonwalks can be avoided with proper adult supervision. And with the thousands of rental companies and the millions of parties where bounce houses are included; the stories of serious injuries like we have had this month are very rare. I wish you all a very happy happy birthday filled with smiles and fond memories for all.
Sharing is caring
If you learned something from this post, then pleas share it with your friends and family. If you still have questions, then pleas feel free to email me via the contact form. I look forward to your comments. I will respond to all of them, and its my usual practice to visit the sites of anyone leaving a comment. Also, don’t forget that comment luv is enabled so you can get up to three back links for each reply to this post. You get a link to your website, another to your twitter profile, and a third to your most recent blog post should you be a blogger.
This is the first time I have ever taken on a subject like this. I hope I did it justice. And I always love hearing from my readers. So, if you have a question about this post or anything else on the blog or the website, then just ask. Also, you don’t have to have a business reason to say hello. If you want to get to know me, ask questions about social media or blogging; or find out more about what its like to be blind and run a business; then I’d love to hear from you too. Thanks for dropping by and take care out there, Max
Great tips on bounce house safety Max.
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thanks paul; I just wish I had gotten off of my but and written it sooner. I say that because there was a second incident that occurred between the time I had the idea and the time I finished writing the post. appreciate your stopping by friend. take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
I’m glad you posted this for all the mommy blogger out there they need this information. Very thorough!
Laurie Hurley recently posted…5 Social Media Etiquette Tips – Emily Post Would Approve!
Hi Laurie; thanks for the feedback. I was worried people wouldn’t think it thorough enough or worse that they would see it as self serving. Now, how do I get the post noticed by the mommy bloggers? sounds like I could have a viral post with some better promotion. thanks again and tai care, Max
I learned a lot from this post max which kind of surprised me as I didn’t think the article, when I first saw the title, would captivate me. But it did and found it to be very informative. Not sure when this information about Bounce Houses will be of use to me but then again, you never know. Thanks.
Tim recently posted…Beckoned Skyward by an Earthquake
hi tim; I’m glad I could provide some helpful information. And considering your world travels, you may never have need of it. but maybe someone you know will. and hopefully your comment will help spread the information. I hope I can help keep other kids safe. take care out there. Hoping to be traveling myself soon. Maybe we will run into each other somewhere. If we do, I’ll count on you to pick the food, and drinks. smile Your friend, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
My garden doesn’t have the space to put one, so I’d hire one if such a thing were required. However, you bring up important safety issues. This happened recently at a public fayre here in the UK. It was a little… shall we say, scary (?) for the parents of the children. Didn’t help that the “attraction owner” took her children OFF the inflatable and left everyone else’s on it, then took shelter AWAY from the attraction they were supposed to be supervising. Can’t legislate against stupid, even this side of the pond! But thanks for posting some sound advice 🙂
Louise Priestess Tarot recently posted…3rd June ~ Wildwood : Catch My Tail
Hi Louise; I’m glad you got something out of the post. You are right they can’t legislate stupid. You have me thinking that this post would be helpful to event organizers letting them know what to look out for. One thing that most festival or fate committees don’t address in advance is what kind of weather would cause the suspension or cancelation of the event. It sounds like the incident you mentioned caught people by surprise maybe even the owner of the bounce. ONe thing I can tell you is that from my information the United Kingdom has the most forward thinking regulations on inflatable attractions, and their rules are enforced uniformly throughout the entire country. Thanks again and take care, Max
Max, these are great tips, and I think every parent should read this before using or getting a bouncy house. With that said, I’ll guiltily admit that we, along with a few of our friends, own a small bouncer that we pass around for birthday parties. It’s been great for us for the past several years, with no problems. It’s just about on its last legs, and our kids are all outgrowing it, but it’s been one of the best investments we ever made! One thing we’re very careful about is the wind. We won’t use it if it’s more than barely breezy. Thankfully the worst that’s ever happened are the rug burns! 🙂
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Hi Meredith; Thanks for the kind words. You, your family, and your neighbors have ben doing it right. Its just like I said in the post, I’m not going to tell people not to own a bounce house for shared use. It can be a good investment especially if there are several families with two, three, or more kids each involved. You just have to buy a good unit and use good judgment. The best way to avoid injuries is with concerned responsible adult supervision. thanks for being responsible bounce house owners. Take care my friend, Max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
This is very timely Max. We have a very large family gathering and we are looking into a bounce house for the kids. This will be something we will refer to as we make our selection and decision. Thanks for this Max. 🙂
Susan Cooper recently posted…Spitballs Snow In Classroom 10: Story
hi susan; I’m glad I could b of some help. This time of year a lot of people will be having parties with bounce houses or other inflatables. If you rent from a reputable party hire company, you shouldn’t have to worry about these things. But now people have the information. Let me know how the party and the rental turn out. Have fun, Max
Thanks for these tips. Will definitely come in handy when I have kids.
Carl recently posted…Trains Rule! No, Really!
Hi Carl; thanks for th comment. hoping th post does become a resource. and glad to see you on the blog. take care, max
Hi Max – I read about those bounce house injuries and am so glad you wrote this post – hopefully parents will pay attention. So often when we buy fun things for the children we expect them to be safe so we don’t give it much thought. Writing this you may very well have saved some serious injuries.
Lenie
Lenie recently posted…Raised Bed Gardening, Organic Style – Any Size, Any Where.
thanks Lennie; And often we hire people to perform services for us where we don’t know what the proper procedures should be. I’m just sad that I didn’t write this post much sooner. I say that because it seems like we have had stories like this each of the last few years. thanks for supporting my blog. Good luck, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Great tips Max. The bounce house run-away stories have been crazy…feel so bad for the kids and the parents.
JACQUELINE GUM recently posted…Crepe…Where’s The Justice?
Hi Jacqueline; thanks for the kind words. The stories are scary, and the injuries unnecessary. I hope this post will help avoid more of these kinds of stories as the summer goes along. Take care, Max
Really useful health and safety advice. Sometimes I help out at Fun events and the kids love going on the Bouncy Castle. Not sure if I will feel so comfortable about my children going on it now.
Mina Joshi recently posted…Tadka Dall and Naan bread for Wordless Wednesday
Hi Mina; I would think you should feel even better about it now that you know how to tell a safe one from an unsafe one. In general most festivals or fates will have more professional companies. And having a watchful adult like yourself is the best way to keep the kids safe. take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Thank you for these very useful suggestions. I have read about these accidents and I agree that nothing replaces the care and attention of parents/friends/neighbors in these situations.
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Hi Karoly; Thanks for your comment. I thought the best way I could help parents was to give them some basic things to look for. I hope it works. take care, max
This is good information. My daughter loved going in bouncy castles as a young girl, but all the ones we went to were professional set-ups. I hope parents planning to set up their own re-think that plan.
Donna Janke recently posted…Supporting Twigs – Tenuous or Tough?
Hi Donna; I’m glad you and your daughter had good experiences. Bounce houses are supposed to b fun. whether people rent from accredited companies or set up their own, I want them to be safe. thanks, max
Hi Max! I had wondered about that accident. Thanks for clearing it up by explaining that the set up wasn’t sufficient for the conditions. I really appreciate this article and safety and I hope you will do more. It is reassuring. My kids are long grown up but there are so many who can be vulnerable to poor maintenance and installation.
Beth Niebuhr recently posted…Serve The Ones You Like
Hi Beth; I appreciate the kind words. I wasn’t quite sure about writing this post. I thought some might think I was just trying to gloss over the issue so that i could sell more rides. I know you and my friends know better, but you never know who will read a post when you put it out there. I think the industry as a whole does a very poor job explaining accidents when they happen. I think they are to worried about liability issues. And quite frankly many of the owners just don’t come off well on camera. I like to use the example from the NFL. They have learned that quick clear detailed descriptions of contriversial calls by the referees helps to prevent violent crowd reaction. When you consider that we are talking about people’s kids here, the owners should understand the need to calm fears and provide factual information. And as for the bounce house in Colorado it should never have been in use during those weather conditions. thanks again and take care, Max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
When I saw that bounce house flying on the news all I could think was I hope no kids were in there. Then later i found out that some kids were and got hurt. You are right that it is important to cover all safety issues and check the weather for the day. If there are high winds then people should not bring those bounce houses out.
Jay recently posted…By: Becc
hi jay; luckily the three kids in new york will all recover. but that’s all it takes to be watchful of the weather and make the adult decision. take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
This is a wonderful post, Max, and judging by the array of comments you have rec’d on it, I believe you have touched a lot of people with it. Thanks for your thoroughness.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…collaboration: a key to success
Hi Doreen; Thanks for the comment. I’m glad that the post has been so well received. I went a few weeks without a post. I was in a bit of a funk. I needed something to get me out of it, and writing this post that could help so many people did the trick. take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Hi Max,
I have been reading a few of your post and really like what you have to share. I have an 8 yr old and a 1 yr old so I really appreciate post like this. You can never be to careful.
Most of the time I think people focus more on whether or not it will rain or not. The wind is a far after thought and honestly it ‘was’ for me as well. 16 mph winds are not incredibly strong. So I would have not thought of this so Thanks!
Take care Max!
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Hi Steve; I believe you are right. People worry more about rain because they mistakenly think that wind can’t spoil their fun. And 16 or 20 mph doesn’t seem that strong, but you have to remember that we are talking sustained winds meaning that gusts can and usually will be stronger. Also, a bounce house is essentially a sail in wind. Thanks for the comment and you take care too, Max
Honestly, if I bought a bounce house it would probably become my primary residence. I agree that despite the extra cost, safety comes first and I would be more likely to trust my children and their friends playing in a bounce house that was set up for me by a professional.
Michele Harvey recently posted…Traveling Solo Through Chile For Personal Growth
Hi Michele; There is an idea get a bounce house for exercise and stress relief during down time as a blogger. Maybe I’m missing an audience. By the way did you see any bounce houses or other amusement devices during your travels? I hear they have some crazy attractions in central and south america. Take care out there, Max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
The pictures of those kids taking off in the bounce house were pretty scary. There have got to be safer “toys” to play with. I don’t think I’d like to see my child taking off into the wild blue yonder!
Jeannette Paladino recently posted…Engaging Your Employees So They Don’t Hate Work
Hi Jeannette; parents want safety and kids want fun. Its a never ending battle. I can remember some of the injuries we had as kids and all we had to jump on were mattresses. 🙂 we broke a lamp playing with a ball in the house once. and my aunt m once cracked her breast bone jumping out of a loft on a double dog dare. these are generally safe with supervision and consideration of weather conditions. thanks for the comment, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Hi Max,
After reading your post, I wouldn’t have guessed it was your first attempt tackling the topic of bounce houses. You go into great deal about how to ensure the highest level of safety for kids, which I’m sure all families and event planners appreciate. Thanks for sharing!
Hi tatia; actually its my first post about ride safety of any kind. I hope more people do read it and learn from it. It would b cool to know that I prevented injuries and maybe even saved a life someday. thanks for the comment and good luck with your blogging, max
Hi Max,
I’ve seen bounce houses and went in one with my daughter when she was small, and that’s the extent of my experience with them.
The safety considerations you’ve pointed out are very important… but that begs a question… Do you think perhaps the onus should be on rental companies to supply only metal ground stakes, and not plastic?
Kind Regards,
Bill
William Butler recently posted…Maya Angelou: Her Love, Her Life, Her Legacy
Hi bill; I agree with you completely. The plastic stakes used on the bounce house in new york came with it when the parents purchased it from a toy store. all professional companies should use metal stakes and most do. The exceptions are those who prefer sand bags because it keeps them from having to worry about water, sewer, or gas lines when driving stakes. thanks for the comment Bill. Take care, Max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Hi Max,
It must have been terrible for the parents as you mentioned about the incident with the kids and bounce house…one can just imagine keeping oneself in their position as we have kids of our own too. I think you need to be so careful with these things and just as you mentioned, the cords and other details have to kept in mind. Must be shared post for parents and kids.
Thanks for sharing this with us. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted…How To Make A YouTube Video Easily
Hi Harlena; thanks for the comment. I hope my suggestions will reach lots of parents. I don’t like reading about kids getting hurt on anything but its worse when its something like a bounce house that should have been nothing but good clean fun. You have a good week too, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Max several posts back you interviewed an Industry expert about what it was like working in the sector, the post was called, “Learning from leaders of the amusement industry interview with Troy Powe of Wonder Jump”.
Mr. Powe said one of the most challenging things about working in the sector was the weekend warriors because they rent their equipment at low rates, but they don’t always understand how the equipment works best. At the time I remember thinking that as a parent the last thing I would want to do is rent equipment form someone who didn’t know their industry inside and out. I don’t know what happened in the particular story you reference, but no matter how much fun those things seem, if you’re going to put your child or anyone elses in it, you need to know that every precaution has been taken to make it safe. I get the chills just thinking about it.
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hi debra; i agree with you completely. but there will still be those parents who feel pressured into having a bounce house and looking for a cheaper option. for those I hope this list of things to check will help them avoid disaster. thanks and take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…Six steps to a safe bounce house party