So you’ve got big plans for your new bounce house, but you need to decide where the best place is to set it up. Will it kill my grass? Will the cement scratch the bottom? Will Gravel pop it?! There are a lot of things to consider to keep your bounce house (and your yard) in the best condition. We have researched all the options to give you the best information to make your decision.
You can set up a bounce house on any relatively flat surface that does not have sharp objects such as rocks, dry, prickly weeds, mulch, or sticks. The most commonly used surfaces are concrete, asphalt, grass, and dirt. Grass is the most kid-friendly and easiest to tie stakes down into.
Before you race to the best grass location, there are actually some other very important things to consider about where to set up your bounce house. Most importantly is the distance to a power source for your air blower.
Where to Set up a Bounce House?
The most important thing to consider up front is your power source. If you do not have a generator to plug your air blower into, you will need to be within an extension cord’s reach from a plug. Keep in mind that there will be crazy and fun activities afoot around this bounce house and possibly some water depending upon the type of bounce house you choose. Make sure to think of safety as you consider the power source because once the games begin, safety is not always the first thing children worry about. Try not to have electrical cords wrapping around the bounce house or in an area where children will be constantly running. Although extension cords are an option, try to pick a location that is as close as possible to a power source.
Next, find a large location on a flat surface. It needs to be big enough for not only the bounce house but area for kids or adults to run around. Keep enough distance on all sides from a house, car, fence or other toys for jumping off or running around. While grass is the best option, it can be set up on cement or asphalt as long as you have a proper way to secure it without tie downs- such as using sandbags. Stay clear of anything sharp such as gravel, mulch or sticks, low hanging branches or power lines. Clear away any toys, hoses or yard furniture as well. Kids can be extremely creative so it might be a good idea to move all other outdoor toys such as bikes or scooters away from the bounce house so the temptation to put anything on the bounce house that shouldn’t go on it isn’t a problem.
Another helpful tip when picking a location to set-up is to consider is the clean-up. Although it won’t hurt the bounce house to set it up on freshly cut wet grass, or right next to a sand pit, every person that runs through the grass or sand will track some of it onto the bounce house making the clean-up process that much harder. There are tips to help clean up these kinds of messes but sometimes it is best to avoid them altogether if you have the option. Try not to set up around anything that could be easily tracked into the bounce house.
Will the Bounce House Kill my Grass?
This is a very common and great question. Unfortunately, there are several different answers out there on the internet. From my experience and research, the answer depends a LOT on the sun that day and general weather. A few summers ago we set up a similar water slide tarp in our backyard for our kids and their cousins. It was a blast but when we went to move the tarp after only about 4-5 hours, the grass was yellow! I was horrified! The sun was out very bright that day and was beating down continuously on our dark-colored tarp that was essentially suffocating the grass underneath in what was probably very high temperatures. Luckily with shade and some continuous watering, the grass returned to its green color after about a week.
However, some places online say your bounce house will be completely fine in the same spot for a few days at a time. This could absolutely be true in some areas- in cooler temperatures or in the shade without direct heat from the sun.
The best answer to that question would be to watch the sun. Rotate your bounce house if you are worried about it being in the same place for too long, but ultimately watch the weather and avoid direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
If I’m being completely honest, that day was too hot for the kids to even play outside all day without getting heat stroke. It was the dead of summer and we had them come inside for water breaks and time out of the sun. (Unfortunately, we left the tarp on the grass during their breaks.) If it’s one of those days- that you are pulling your kids in for water breaks and worried about heat stroke- then don’t let the bounce house sit in the sun for hours either. However, on a normal overcast day, the bounce house should not kill your grass if it moved every few days.
Can I set it up indoors?
ABSOLUTELY! We LOVE using our bounce house inside! We live in an area where winter lasts a few months longer than our liking and our bounce house is a lifesaver on days when the kids have more energy than our house has room to run and there is just too much ice and snow to play outside. Using the bounce house indoors also offers a completely different variety of games than using it outside. For example, our kids like to pile pillows or stuffed animals in the bounce house or at the bottom of the slide that I wouldn’t allow them to take in the bounce house if it was outside.
Obviously, the biggest thing to consider is space. Gyms or open public areas normally have plenty of room. However, if you want it set up in your house you may have to put more thought into it. Measure the room and the bounce house you are considering and make sure there is plenty of clearance above and around for the kids to play safely. Open basements and long hallways often offer the perfect amount of space for a variety of the smaller bounce houses available.
One important thing to keep in mind while measuring a room or possible tight quarters that we didn’t think about beforehand was that the tube that supplies the air from the blower to the actual bounce house is about 3-4 feet and then another half a foot or more for the blower. This large tube needs to have enough room to stay straight and full to keep a constant supply of air to the bounce house to keep it inflated and safe. Even if a room is big enough, sometimes we need to be creative about using a doorway or hallway with an outlet for this tube area. Most dimensions for bounce houses don’t include this length because they just list the area of the actual base of the play area, however, these extra few feet are crucial for your bounce house to stay inflated.
Related Questions:
How much electricity/power does a bounce house use?
Each air blower may vary slightly and the size of the bounce house will affect this as well but in general, it will take less than 1 Kilowatt. It should not affect your power bill much at all. Depending upon what you pay for power, it may only cost about 13 cents an hour to run.
Can you put a Bounce House on a Slanted Surface?
The amount of slant to your yard or driveway can make a big difference, however, as a general rule thumb the answer is “no”. In some states, it is against safety regulations.