11 Helpful Bounce House Rules for the KIDS – Safety First!
Ok here is my disclaimer about the following list. This is a practical list of things that I actually tell my kids. These are standard rules that always apply when we pull out the bounce house, for my kids and all friends that come over. They are like “don’t stand on the kitchen table” and “don’t hit your sister”, basic accepted rules at our house. This list is NOT intended to be an all-inclusive list of every tiny thing and it does not include everything that is already in the user’s manual. And of course, it does not include those things that are really up to the adult to take care of- not a kid’s rule.
I realize that it does not include things like “make sure an adult is always present” or “never use if wind is greater than 25 miles an hour” or “make sure it is securely staked down and completely inflated before you get on it”. While these are great safety procedures and should be followed, they aren’t the sort of things I rehearse for my kids to remember. I’d also like to mention that this list is just what works for my family. Your family may have all sorts of different ages and personalities and may need more or less or even different rules, but hopefully this will give you some helpful ideas about where to start.
Bounce House Rules for Inside-Use
No Food/Drink – this includes gum, candy, or really anything in their mouth. There are two main reasons for this. First, it can make a huge mess. Second, it’s a choking hazard. It can be so easy for kids to choke while they are jumping so I don’t even allow gum in the bounce house for the older kids that can keep it in their mouth. That may be a bit picky but choking scares me!
No Hard Objects – shoes, toys, dueling devices, etc. We normally don’t wear shoes in the house, so this is mostly for the toys. As their creativity expands, they are always wanting to bring different toys into the bounce house. I don’t allow anything plastic that could hurt when someone lands on it like Legos, blocks, or small dolls or figurines. Some of these hard plastic objects could even puncture the inflatable is the conditions were right. As a simpler rule, we only allow these basics that are used most often: soft balls, stuffed animals, pillows and blankets. If they are using the bounce house more as a fort than they are using it to jump in, then books or other objects shouldn’t be a problem, but you can be the judge of that.
- No Lifting or Moving– When the bounce house is set up inside, we don’t tie it down. It’s fast and easy to set up this way and has never been a problem not being tied down, with one exception – someone lifting it up from the outside. Just recently the kids have figured out that since it is essentially a huge balloon filled with air and really light, and the kids can lift it up and move it around. This can pose a few problems, 1) it can cause the connection to be pulled from the blower, 2) it can get placed in a position that hinders entrance and exit, and 3) curiosity has caused kids to lay underneath it, making it potentially hazardous for the person if another kid jumps on them from the top! Therefore, we have the rule of – no lifting, no moving. If they want it moved, then I can adjust it for them, but they are not allowed to move it themselves or get under the bounce house. This may sound silly, but kids think it’s super fun to climb under things for some reason.
- No More Than Two Jumping at a Time – OK this rule completely depends on your bounce house size, location of its placement, and the dynamics of your family. However, for our bounce house, two seems to be the perfect number. Two kids can jump and play together without hitting heads or bouncing into each other hard enough to get hurt. Note that I said jumping, not a total number of those in the house. If two kids are jumping, then one could be sitting in the middle or going down the slide. The kids love to “pop” each other up while one person sits, and others jump.
Youngest Determines Activity Level– This may just apply to our family, but if there is a child much younger wanting to jump then the activity level or intensity of play must be determined by the youngest child’s abilities when they enter the jump house. I have two rambunctious children, a 4 and 6-year-old, and then a much younger 15-month-old. You may be thinking that 15 months is way too young to be on a bounce house, but she loves being in there and mixing it up with the older siblings! I am convinced it is helping her develop balance and coordination and building confidence in her walking ability.
It is also a lesson in patience for my older kids as they are forced to slow down and put her needs first – looking out for little sister. I’m always close by when she wants to get off, but the older kids know that when she is in the house, she gets to determine how high they can jump and fast they can go. She usually just sits in the middle while the kids jump on the sides or just bounce a little and will try to bounce with them. However, the minute she loses control or the ability to sit up because they are jumping too hard then they must slow down and ensure she is taken care of. This rule still works with children older than 15 months. Consider a 3-year-old trying to jump with a 7-year-old. Simply because of their size difference, the older child will constantly be compromising the younger child’s ability to play or even stand still if the older child is jumping as hard as they can. They need to be aware of others in the house and look out for anyone younger, smaller, or of a reduced capability.
Bounce House Rules for Outside-Use
- No Food/Drink– Yep, this one is the same as above, however it is important enough to include it here as well. Outdoor summer parties at our house normally include some kind of popsicle, ice cream or “cold treat” to combat the heat. No matter what they are eating, make sure it doesn’t come anywhere near the bounce house. If you don’t have the distance to separate the food from the inflatable, it may be worth it to turn off the blower while the food is out. Not only is food messy and sticky on the bounce house, jumping with anything in your mouth is a scary choking hazard! And, food and drink that spills in the bounce house outside is less likely to be noticed, and therefore cleaned up, and overtime could have a negative effect on the integrity of the inflatable material.
No Shoes – Because we don’t wear shoes in our house, the kids seem to need a recurring reminder to take their shoes off when the bounce house is outside where they are wearing shoes. Shoes can bring in all kinds of dirt, debris, and even germs. Consider the additional cleaning time you will have to spend if they track debris into the bounce house. Shoes will also put a significantly greater amount of wear and tear on your bounce house than do socked or bare feet. The difference overtime in the life of the bounce house can be significant. You may also need to determine whether kids need to wear socks when in the house. Some people require that their children, and bounce house guests, keep their socks on to give an extra layer of protection. However, I prefer they take their socks off because I think it helps prevent slipping. This may be a choice between blister formation risk, and injury from fall risk.Bounce houses are normally made from material that can often be slippery with socks. Additionally, I normally don’t want them to get their socks all dirty running in and out of the bounce house, and we usually a bare footed when we wear sandals in the summer. However, if you are inviting friends over and the bounce house is not on grass where they can run barefoot, you may have to be stricter about shoes.- No Sticks/Rocks, Sand, Mud– This would also include any other “outdoor” elements that can soil or detrimentally affect the integrity or cleanliness of the bounce house. This is probably one of our biggest rules when the bounce house is outside. Getting some amounts of grass, sand or dirt on your bounce house is simply inevitable the minute you inflate it outdoors, so don’t think this rule will save you from ever having to clean it. However, purposefully bringing dirt or sticks or rocks to play with onto the bounce house is never allowed for obvious reasons – they pose a safety risk for the kids, they can dirty or even risk damage to the bounce house, and simply are undesirable when combined with kids jumping and playing.
Everyone Helps Clean Up – Inherent in outdoor use is the likelihood of your bounce house becoming dirty form outdoor element. When it comes to cleaning the bounce house before deflating it, I would highly encourage you to involve your kids. This teaches responsibility, helps them understand the purpose of this rule, includes them in ownership of an investment, and because we are all very busy, it makes the whole clean-up process go a lot faster.- Youngest Determines Activity Level or Age Rotations– One of the things we have learned is that “outdoor” bounce houses tend to draw friends and neighbors over to play. This dynamic increases the number of kids vying for jump time, and a greater variety of kids with their varying sizes, ages, and skill levels. For the same reasons as listed above, the youngest or smallest child playing needs to determine the level of jumping allowed and a fair rotation system for all kids to play together while protecting the younger kids from the more vigorous play of older kids. I also believe that this is an important lesson beneficial for kids of all ages to learn.
- Water or No Water– This decision is up to you, but I would advise making the decision before it happens randomly. If your bounce house gets wet, you need to make sure that it is COMPLETELY dry before you deflate it. If you are outside on a hot windy day this might not be a big deal, but if there is rain in the forecast you could have quite a mess on your hands, or if you determine to include water in the bounce house festivities, be prepared for the action that needs to be taken when it is time to deflate the house if you plan to do so. If you choose to have some pre-planned water activities, I recommend that you determine them in advance, so it is you that controls the “what” and “how” of the use of the water. Consider the following:
- Water balloons can be a ton of fun on a bounce house. They take some preparation time but are fun to watch fly through the air when they are bounced up. However, picking up pieces of the popped water balloons at the end of the day is going to be a time requirement that you will determine if worth doing. With this additional “fun” activity, you may need to instruct the kids in another rule, that of whether you will allow them to pick up and throw the balloons at each other. Take my word on this, if a rule is not established beforehand, kids will naturally start tossing them at each other as part of their play activity. But again, this is a call that can go either way.
- Water beads can also be a lot of fun, but they too bring the need for clean-up. The thing about their clean-up though is that it is always more difficult and nearly impossible to completely clean the house of their remaining debris. I also believe that their debris can be a breeding ground for germs and an adherent for debris of other sorts.
- Sprinklers have sometimes been used to kind of flood a bounce house with water by spraying it in from the sides and even down from the top. Here there is no real clean up, only the need to let it dry before you deflate it if that is your plan.
Like so many things in life, rules and regulations can help keep order, prevent undesirable consequences, and even contribute to a more enjoyable experience for all involved. And yeah, sometimes the spirit of the law is more applicable than enforcing the letter of the law. Hopefully the items touched on in this article can be of help to you as your children enjoy the bounce house and time spent with friends and family.