Are Bounce Houses Actually Safe For Toddlers?

Sharing is caring!

 

Imagine a kid’s party without a bounce house? It would be disastrous, wouldn’t it? Well, kids love bounce houses and they are part of every birthday party or playtime at the park. However, as a concerned parent, you might be wondering whether or not bounce houses are actually safe for kids. Here’s what you need to know about bounce houses and whether or not you should let your kids play in them.

COVID Concerns

While we will hopefully have the COVID-19 Pandemic behind us soon, its obviously still a concern around the country and the world. We should keep in mind that bounce houses are generally not great for social distancing, as they are enclosed spaces where 6-10 kids will be bounce and jumping and exhaling strongly, making them a possible breeding ground to spread the virus.

However, this could pretty much be said about any birthday party, so a Pandemic might not be the best time to have birthday parties or other large gathers.

However, if you are purchasing your own bounce house and looking at commercial bounce houses for sale, it may be a good way to give your family unit some fun activities for the backyard. Sales of backyard amenities like bounce houses and basketball hoops have jumped in recent months as parents look to give their kids some activities outside (and perhaps stop them from bouncing off the walls inside).

Bouncer Safety

Kids love jumping up and down in bounce houses. They can be perfectly safe for any kids’ event as long as they are used in the proper way. Also, if you hire a bounce house for your kid’s event, make sure that all the rules for inflation, deflation and use are followed properly. Of course, when hiring a bounce house, you might be wondering whether it is age appropriate for your kids.

Well, you should know that bounce houses are mostly designed for younger children. They are generally used for kids between 6 and 13 years of age. Younger kids can still use them, but are more likely going to get hurt if they are playing with older kids in the bounce house. That’s because they are likely going to get knocked down when jumping. Also, other kids bouncing inside the bounce house could make them fall down. Also, older kids tend to play roughly and might harm the toddlers. Therefore, if you choose to let your toddlers in a bounce house, make sure it’s with other kids their age to avoid any roughhousing from the older kids.

Furthermore, don’t let kids who are unable to walk or stand independently use the bounce house.

Weight Limits and Capacity Limits

Each bounce house has its own weight limit and a capacity limit. They are similar but different, so its important to keep both in mind.

  • Weight Limit – The total amount of weight allowed in the bounce house. For most bounce houses this is around 1000 pounds.
  • Capacity Limit – The total amount of “riders”, or “bouncers”, allowed in the house at one time.

When renting a bounce house, be sure to ask what the appropriate limits are. During your event, make sure to monitor the bounce house to make sure its not over crowded or over weight.

Children under 13 years of age should be able to play in the bounce house comfortably. Teenagers should avoid playing in the bounce house because these inflatables come with weight restrictions. A bounce house should be able to support a limited amount of weight depending on the size and design.

If there’s too much weight, especially from older children or too many kids, the bounce house is likely going to become damaged and start deflating. Anyone using the bounce house as it deflates could most likely be injured. Therefore, before setting up a bounce house for your kids to play, you should consider the total weight capacity and the weight of the children who will be playing in it.

Also, to avoid going over the weight limit, you should manage the number of kids playing inside the bounce house at all times. Make sure kids of approximately the same age and weight are using the bounce house together rather than mixing different age groups and weights. That way, you can ensure that the weight is evenly distributed.

Keep adults away from the bounce house. The weight of an adult is likely going to put a lot of pressure and stress on the bounce house resulting to damage and deflation. Also, an adult might cause injuries to any children in the bounce house, especially if they are using it at the same time.