With the start of summer, kids’ fun also starts. You will find a lot of fairs with carnival rides, pop-ups, bounce houses, pumpkins, etc which can easily grab your kids’ attention. Among all these fun games, bounce houses are the ones that are liked by all the kids and they enjoy playing in it. There are a lot of people who have purchased residential bouncy castles for their kids and set it up in their homes. For fun, it is an amazing thing where your kids can jump and scream and enjoy a lot but sometimes bouncers are proved dangerous also. Therefore, it is required to take all the safety measures before allowing your kid to use it.
No matter whether it is a commercial or residential bounce house, safety should be the first priority. According to a survey in 2010, 31 children per day get bouncer-related injuries and then get treated in the emergency department in the US. This study also reveals that a child gets injured every 46 minutes. Injuries are of different types such as tissue injuries, strains, sprains, fractures, etc. Don’t worry you can save your kid from any accident that may happen while playing in the bouncers. We have come with a lot of safety guidelines that you should follow and must keep in mind when your child is visiting for an inflatable jump.
Safety measures for residential bounce houses
If you are planning to purchase a moonwalker that you can set at your home to keep an eye on your kid playing there then it is a must for you to take a look at the below instructions and guidelines.
- Setting up the bouncer
You can easily purchase a bounce house under $400 without any professional advice. What’s important to learn is the setup process so that you can make it safe for your kids.
Keep sharp objects away from the bouncers, it will be good to inspect the ground or any other area where you are planning to set up the inflatable. Remove the pieces of rocks and sharp objects like jewelry, shoes, keys, glasses that can damage the bouncer, or harm your kid too.
If you are purchasing the inflatable for one or two kids then consider a small bounce house that weighs 50 pounds. This will reduce the accidents of deflating houses. If you are using an electric inflator make sure to learn how to use it properly and keep it away from small kids.
Also, at the time of purchase, make sure to consult the owner about the wind speed as different bounce houses have different capacities to bear the wind speed. In general, you cannot use a bounce house when the wind speed reaches 13-17 MPH. Secure the Jump balloon on the ground properly to avoid any further accidents.
- Keep an eye on the kid
Often it is noticed that kids don’t jump in a particular pattern, they always try new and unique poses for jumping on the bouncer, especially when you have organised a party in your house. Keep the age limit and weight limit in mind. Manufacturers and retailers often suggest sending one child at a time (especiallyin the case when you are using a small bouncer) but practically this won’t be possible, so it is mandated to keep an eye on your kids when they are in full mood of joy.
- Supervise the activities
It is your responsibility to keep an eye on all the activities that are happening in the bounce house. You cannot keep yourself busy with other parents. You can hire a person for this or supervise one by one so that you and your partner can enjoy the party thrown at your home.
- Prepare the kids before allowing them inside the house
Kids get over-excited when they see a bouncer and start jumping without listening to you. It’s your responsibility to explain to them the dos and don’ts. Tell them to have fun without flips or fights. Not to push others while jumping and especially when they are on slides. Ensure that one kid is sliding at a time and prohibit others from climbing at the same time as it can harm them. Make sure that all the kids who are participating inside the bouncers are of the same weight and age so that there is no issue of disbalance and the bouncer will last longer.
- Avoid overloading
Every bouncer comes with a certain number of guidelines where it is clearly mentioned how many kids can participate at a time. If the limits exceed then there are chances that because of overcrowding any kid may get injured. Also, because of overloading anchors of the inflatable may become loose and it starts deflating.
One such incident happened in 2013 in Washington, where three kids were saved from a collapsed bounce house.
- Kids with health issues should avoid inflatables
If you have organized a party where kids are also invited then make sure no such kid with serious health issues such as breathing problems, heart disease, back problems, etc, or any major injuries like a fracture, etc is participating in the bouncers. Though it will be a little difficult to convince that kid, but it is necessary else it can harm him/her even more and create serious problems.
Commercial Bounce House Safety Precautions
Nowadays air jumpers or inflatables are so common in parties and other places where there are possibilities for kids to come. It will keep the kids engaged and let their parents enjoy the party. For such occasions, you can use a bounce house on rent where you will get professionals who will arrange the complete set up for you. These experts will take care of the heavy lifting and all other issues.
But you can’t rely on them completely, you need to check whether they are following the guidelines or not.
You just need to take some precautions, follow the safety guidelines and bounce houses can be fun for your kids.
