More than one-third of the risks associated with bounce houses occur in children under the age of five. The major types of injuries are injuries to the arms and legs.

Risks Associated With Bounce Houses

• Bounce houses are not appropriate for children under the age of six.
• Only small groups of children (less than four) of similar size and age should play at a time.
• Parents should not allow their children to perform somersaults, flips, or general horseplay because these activities result in the most serious injuries.
• A parent should always supervise the bounce house by watching the children and being ready to intervene if any danger presents itself.
• When entering a bounce house, children should remove their shoes, eyeglasses, and jewelry, as well as any sharp objects from their pockets.
• Children should keep a safe distance from the bounce house’s entrance, exit, sides or walls.

Guidelines To Avoid Risks Associated With Bounce Houses

If you rent a bounce house, there are guidelines for setting it up, such as making sure the surface is flat and free of objects beneath it, as well as keeping it away from tree branches and power lines. If the bounce house is on a hard surface, make sure the exit is soft. A large rubber or any thing appropriate that can be used for support will suffice.

By following these guidelines, you can allow children to have fun and play while avoiding bounce house accidents. If the bounce house begins to lose air, immediately stop play and carefully exit the bouncer.

Related: Electricity And Blower In Bounce Houses

Safety and Supervision

1. It is critical to ensure that the bounce house is supervised by responsible (and preferably trained) personnel while in use. Just as you would not ride a roller coaster without an attendant or allow young children to swim without supervision, you should not allow children to enter a bounce house that is not properly watched. This is one of the risks associated with bounce houses you can avoid.
2. The bounce house should be supervised at all times, and the bounce house operator should not be under the influence of any drugs or alcohol that would impair his or her judgment and ability to ensure the safety of the children. 
3. The most secure way to use a bounce house rental is to only have one child on it at a time. While that is not always possible (and certainly not fun for the kids), the bounce house supervisor should ensure that the children bouncing together are roughly the same age and size. This is one of the risks associated with bounce houses you can avoid.
4. Ensure that the number of children bouncing at any given time does not exceed the bounce house’s maximum occupancy limits. The maximum occupancy limits are usually stitched onto an outside label of the bouncer.
5. Children should be encouraged to bounce away from the bouncer’s walls, and they should not be allowed to bounce near the entrance/exit, where they could fall out. Children should be taught how to use the inflatable correctly and in accordance with its design.
6. The bounce house operator, should ensure that children are bouncing on their feet and not on their backs. If there is a slide, children should go down feet-first rather than head-first. Injuries can be avoided by using the equipment correctly. 
7. Before entering the bouncer, children should be instructed to remove their shoes, eyeglasses, and jewelry, as well as any sharp objects from their pockets. This is one of the risks associated with bounce houses you can avoid.

Related: Bounce Houses: Risk of Injury For Kids

In Conclusion

Bounce houses are not substitutes for babysitters. Although it may be tempting for parents to walk away from bounce houses, believing that their children are safe and secure in a soft environment, this could not be further from the truth.

Bounce house supervisors and parents should collaborate to ensure that children are bouncing safely and not roughhousing, flipping or somersaulting, or landing on other children.

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