Before we actually purchased our first bounce house I was worried about the set-up. I had only ever seen professionals come in with their large equipment to set up massive inflatable obstacle courses and the thought of setting one up by myself in our living room was a bit overwhelming. We did some research before our purchase and now, years later, I can confidently say- it is so much easier and faster than I had expected. In fact, it’s probably easier than pulling out the bucket of puzzles!

How do you set up a bounce house? Some of the specifics will depend on the type of bounce house that you have and where you are setting it up, but for the most part, there are only three simple steps:

1 Roll out or unfold the bounce house- for indoors that’s it!  If you are doing it outside do the following:
a- Lay out the tarp and secure with stakes. Note: Stakes need to be pounded down to ground level or below. If stakes are above ground, cover with pads or sandbags.

b- Roll out Bounce House on top of the Tarp and secure bounce house down with stake in one corner. Next, Stake down bounce house on the opposite corner but same side.

2- Attach the inflatable tube section to a blower.

3- Plug in the air blower and turn it on! As the bounce house is filling with air, pull corners of bounce house out and secure remaining corners.

NOTE: All stakes should be at or below ground level to prevent injury. For larger bounce houses, place sandbags over stakes.

Although the set-up process really is that simple, there are a few other things to consider- especially the first time you do it. For indoors, it’s important to make sure you have the right space (and in the right places- that aren’t always obvious) and for outdoors, you may have to consider your power source and special tie downs.

Where is the best place to set up a Bounce House?

INDOORS

For indoors, you really are only looking for the biggest available space option. Open basements or hallways are the most ideal. Measure your area available before you make a purchase if you are planning to use the bounce house inside. I would recommend having at least a foot open on all sides of the bounce house as well. Consider low hanging ceiling fans or chandeliers and sharp corners or furniture that kids might roll into off the inflatable slide- when there is one. If your available space is tightly matching the dimensions of the base of the bounce house, there is something important to consider. The air blower can sometimes take a few feet stretched out taut in order for the blower to inflate the bounce house correctly. In our own house, we have had to get creative with extending the blower into a doorway or closet to obtain the added distance. Keep in mind that the blower will need to be close to a plug, although this is not normally difficult when you are indoors. Finding a location in your house where there is ample open space and a plug relatively near are your two considerations for setting up indoors.

OUTDOORS

When finding the perfect spot for your bounce house outside, the first thing to consider is your distance to a power source. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Simply find an outlet on the outside of your house and use a good quality, outdoor extension cord and make that spot work. If a power outlet is not an option for places such as a park- consider a location closest to where you can park so that it is not a far haul to pull the generator.

Second, find the best ground surface. Grass would be the best option as it is soft and safe for the kids to slide onto and easy to drive stakes into the ground to secure the tarp and inflatable bounce house. Try to keep the stakes as close to ground level as possible. For two reasons, this ensures that the stakes are adequately secure and stakes sticking up from the ground can cause a hazard for kids running around them. If they cannot be pounded to ground level, place sandbags or something around the stakes to alert children to run around it.  Lay down and stake the tarp first and then lay out the bounce house on top and stake it down as well before attaching it to the blower, power source and turning it on to inflate.

If you have to set up on cement or gravel make sure you have adequate sandbags to hold it down to. The larger the bounce house, the heavier the sandbags need to be. A good rule of thumb is if you can push on the side of the bounce house and the sandbag move, add more weight/sandbags.

While you determine a location, keep an eye out for anything that could cause harm to those playing on the bounce house or the structure itself. For example, steer clear of old fences, low hanging branches with sharp sticks or electrical wires.

Once the bounce house is inflated, do a double check around the entire bounce house for anything that needs attention. Check that all stakes are still secure and there are not any leftover stakes or equipment left out. Make sure the air is flowing strongly and firmly and that there is enough distance from the blower to the bounce house to allow the tube connecting the two is taut and full continually. Lean on the bounce house and make sure it can hold weight without easily collapsing to ensure the strength of air flow.

Lastly, make sure the safety rules are clearly explained and shoes are removed before letting the fun begin!

Tips to speed up the process:

• Store the air blower and bounce house (and tarp when necessary) all together in an organized way and neatly folded so you have everything you need in one place.
• Once you find a location that works- don’t get fancy. The location is really selected for ease in setting it up and taking it down. Once it is inflated, it really doesn’t make a difference where it is for the fun you will have inside it.
• Always consider the take-down process while you set-up! The place with the easiest take-down will be the place that keeps the bounce house the cleanest so you don’t have to waste a lot of time wiping out wet grass tracked in or sand.

Related Questions: 

How long does it take to set up a bounce house?
This answer is going to greatly depend on the type of bounce house you have. Our small, family-sized bounce house can be set up in our living room in less than five minutes. However, some of the large commercial ones with a lot of fun features or with water attachments can take up to an hour to set up. Having the proper amount of adults/workers can greatly increase the setup process.

How does a bounce house work?
An air blower is constantly pushing air into the inflatable while it is continually escaping from the seams or purposefully placed holes in the fabric. The strong air blower pushes air with enough force for not only the bounce house to stay inflated but also to support the weight of bouncing fun.

Can I set up a bounce house in the wind?
Light wind – Yes. However, it is extremely important that you do so with the proper amount of adults helping for the size of the bounce house. Additionally, you need to ensure that you have an adequate amount of stakes and sandbags.

Every tie down location needs to have stakes and sandbags. If the wind is greater than 20 miles per hour, don’t set up the bounce house as the winds can pick up the bounce house into the air with kids still inside or even rip and destroy the bounce house.