Wind and Bounce Houses, Safety in Inflatable Bounce House Use

On Monday May 12, 2014 a tragic accident occurred in a bounce house leaving three children injured. The accident occurred 3:20pm on Monday in South Glens Falls, New York (Read More on Article). From reports, it is not apparent how strong the winds were that caused the accident, but it was described as a strong gusts of wind, which would easily be over 25 miles per hour. What concerns us is the lack of safety in the use of this bounce house. The bounce house that was used and that flew away leaving three children injured was a residential Little Tikes brand bounce house that is sold at stores like Target, WalMart, Toy-R-Us, eBay, or Amazon. There are major safety concerns with these residential bounce houses which we would like to address and compare to our commercial bounce houses.

Safety Issues With Residential Bounce Houses

What is the difference between Residential and Commercial Bounce Houses?

Residential bounce houses are sold at big box retail stores, manufactured in China, and do NOT follow the same regulations on safety and operation as the rest of the inflatable amusement industry. That is why these residential bounce houses are sold for nearly 1/2 or 1/4 of the price of commercial bounce houses. Commercial bounce houses are made locally by a few companies like Magic Jump Inc, or overseas by other companies. They follow strict regulations in the amusement industry for safety in design and operation. Residential bounce houses are small, do not use heavy duty vinyl material, do not have many safety features like slide stoppers, and use plastic stakes which is a big violation of safety standards. Commercial bounce houses use high grade heavy duty vinyl, long steel stakes, address all safety concerns, and include detailed owners manuals with every purchase. You can view more comparisons at Magic Jump's Website on Residential vs Commercial Bounce Houses.

As a company that has been in the industry since 1996, we have done thousands of inflatable setups a year with none flying away. We provide rules and safety tips for customers as well as having trained operators doing setups to make sure anchoring is done properly. 

NOTE OF CAUTION TO ALL USERS

If you are using an inflatable and there is high winds present, you MUST immediately evacuate the inflatable and turn it off. It does not matter if the inflatable is anchored down! If there is presence of very high winds it can still make the inflatable flyaway (even when it is staked down to the ground). Safety Rules on commercial bounce houses state this as well and so does our rental terms and agreements. Always provide an attendant to supervise the riders, make sure the attendant is a capable adult who has read all safety rules and is familiar with the product. 

Extra Dollars for Extra Security

So you're planning an event and you have many options for vendors. You're shopping around and notice the same item in two different locations, with two different prices. You wonder why the same item is listed at different prices: One vendor is giving you a 50% discount, another vendor will deliver for free and a different vendor will even let you keep it over night for no extra charge. With all the different options and different vendors, and different prices, who do you choose so you know you have peace of mind if anything is to go wrong? 

Picking the perfect party package is only half the job. When you are price shopping and looking for the best deal you can find, keep your eyes out for the fine prints each company has. When hosting a party and/or event, you become the person responsible for all the guests at the party. Make sure the company you are renting from is fully insured and can provide you with an insurance certificate which will protect you if anything happens. Even though we all plan (and some of us overplan) to prevent injuries, sometime accidents happen and kids may get hurt. 

If and when a child gets hurt, it becomes your responsibility as the host, to take care of the injured person. An insurance certificate provided by your vendor covers you if an accident occurs during your event.  Make sure that the vendor you are renting from is fully insured and is able to put your name, or the location of the event, as a certificate holder. If your name is on the insurance certificate as the "certificate holder", you are fully insured for the duration of time that is listed on the insurance. When the company provides you with an insurance certificate, it is your responsibility to make sure that all the information on the certificate is correct. 

One question that gets asked a lot is "Is the permit I got from the city and the insurance certificate the same thing?"

Actually, no. The permit that is given to you from the city (usually for city park rentals or even a block party) is a written document from the city that gives you permission to host your event at the park. A permit is usually needed if you are having vendors at your event: especially for an inflatable. If you have an inflatable (or any other vendor) at your event, and do not have a permit, the city rangers may come and have you shut off the inflatable and will be unable to use it.

The insurance certificate you get from your vendors covers you for the duration of your event which  covers for any injuries that may happen. If your vendor does not supply you with an insurance certificate, and an injury happens, you are held responsible for any expenses that need to be covered for the injured person. 

Following Inflatable Safety Rules

Safety Rules for Bounce House Rentals 

Children follow safety rules at schools and parks to make sure no accidents happen to them. It is the same with any bounce house or inflatable rental.  One of the best ways to make sure your children and guests are safe during an event with an inflatable is to have a Magic Jump Rentals certified attendant at your event. Magic Jump Rentals Attendants know each inflatable like the back of their hand and are able to operate any inflatable  They know all the safety rules to heart and will make sure your children are safe during your event. Following the safety rules that are posted on the inflatables are the best ways to stay safe. Here are a few of the rules to keep in mind; These are also posed on each of the inflatables provided by Magic Jump Rentals.

If you are injured, pregnant, or think you're pregnant, do not go on the inflatables. This is the easiest way to stay safe while there is an inflatable on site.

If there are small children in a bounce house, do not let adults and/or older kids in the bouncer at the same time. With kids bouncing, it is very likely they do not understand air-awareness and will not be able to control their bodies in the air.  It is NOT safe to have a "Big kids vs. Small Kids" race in the bouncer.

Do not let children play near the entrances and exits of the bouncers. The children will fall out and land on the hard ground. Do not climb on the sides of the inflatables. All inflatable slides have climbers in it which will lead you to the top of the slide.


If your inflatable a slide, make sure you follow the correct guide lines for sliding. For an inflatable slide, riders should slide down feet first and cross their hands to their shoulders for safest way. There should be no more than one (1) rider at a time.

If your inflatable is a Slip 'n' Slide, riders should slide head first and by having their arms by their ears. They should keep their feet together and make sure their elbows are straight. There should only be one rider at a time.

The following items are prohibited from inflatables since they will damage the vinyl and be harmful to the other children in the bouncer: Glasses, cell phones, watches, earrings (any jewelry), forks, knives, or any sharp objects. Gum and silly string is not allowed in the bouncer along with shoes. The safest way to enjoy the bouncer is by entering the bouncer with socks and no sharp objects.

If you feel the inflatable is damaged, or is deflating on its own, exit the inflatable immediately to ensure every child is safe. If you notice the weather conditions are very windy and the inflatable is unstable, have the children exit the bouncer immediately.

Do not tumble, flip, chase, wrestle or dog-pile while in the bouncer. Because the inflatable is designed to move up and down as a child is bouncing, the injury risk rises when activities like these take place.


As every parent tries their best to make sure their children are having fun and are being safe at the same time, following these rules and having a certified Magic Jump Rentals Attendant on duty while an inflatable is rented out, your children will be safe and having the time of their lives.

SAFETY: Wet Bounce Houses with Slippery Surfaces

Safety should always start with the companies in the industry renting out inflatable rides and Magic Jump Rentals takes pride in making SAFETY it's primary concern in conducting business, not money. Unfortunately, some companies would rather profit at the risk of injury to their customers by renting bounce houses or even combos with water. Magic Jump Rentals discourages this at all times!

So before even renting an inflatable ride, be sure to pay attention to the safety precautions your vendor takes. At Magic Jump Rentals, we take initiative in making sure you enjoy our rides safely. Our delivery personnel are educated in properly securing inflatables and know not to set up in high winds. And now with summer in full-swing, we would like to educate our customers on yet another often overlooked injury risk: wet bounce houses and slippery surfaces.

Bounce Houses & Combos
NO WATER ALLOWED

With so many customers asking to rent bouncers with water, we realized that the inherent risk in such play was being neglected. Please be aware that any inflatable game that involves "bouncing" action is NOT recommended to be used with water. This includes regular bounce houses, jumpers, bounce and slide combos or anything with a general bouncing area.

The vinyl used in manufacturing inflatable games gets very slippery when wet. This greatly increases the risk of injury to children playing in the bounce houses. At the least children can roll or sprain an ankle with the possibility of even breaking an ankle, or leg, or worse! So please be mindful of not wetting a bouncing surface or letting children climb into bouncers when wet.

Water Slides & Slip-n-Slides
WATER ALLOWED

Worry not, you can still beat the summer heat with some inflatable water slides and slip and slide rentals that provide tons of fun. Our water slides are all designed with safety in mind. With only a rope-assisted climber and slide (and no bouncing area) you can enjoy our water slides safely. As a safety conscious company we make sure to not allow customers to bounce around when wet.

So remember to be mindful of safety concerns when renting inflatable games. Water slides are fine, but bouncers should NOT be used when wet; and if a vendor tries to argue that it would be safe, keep in mind that the only thing that should be slippery is the sliding surface.

SAFETY: Commitment to Inflatable Safety

Magic Jump Rentals is committed to safety in inflatables operation and use. How are we safe? All of our products have the latest inflatable safety features in design; safety steps, safety netting, safety rules plaque, anchoring points, safety walls, and more. We take time to train our employees and drivers on safety precautions and measures. We also make sure our customers and any people using our products are aware of all safety concerns and rules that must be followed. 

We have also taken the time to get certification for inflatable safety to demonstrate our commitment and concern for safe inflatable use and operation. S.I.O.T.O., Safe Inflatable Operators Training Organization, is an organization that provides inflatable safety certification, rules, and guidelines for operators and users to be aware of and follow. Magic Jump Rentals is a certified member of S.I.O.T.O. and plans to attain certification on a consistent basis.

During the decade and a half that Magic Jump Rentals has been doing business, we have not experienced any major injuries or accidents, mainly because of our dedication to safety. While other companies are claiming safe operation, we take it a step further. We provide all of our clients with copies of inflatable safety rules, along with operating instructions for all attendants and people supervising the inflatables. We also have a safety labels on all of our inflatables and games that provides any and all inflatable safety rules for that particular product. Inflatable safety is our top priority, because no one should be getting hurt during a time of fun.

SAFETY: Inflatable Safety Rules

Need instructions for cotton candy, popcorn machine, or snow cone machine operation? Want to have a paper copy of the safety rules that must be followed during usage of any inflatable product? Visit the Inflatable Safety page for more information.

Inflatable safety rules are very important to understand and follow during usage. Inflatables are small amusement rides that can potentially cause harm or damage to people or property if not used in the manner advised.

The following are videos of unsafe usage and how NOT TO use an inflatable. These instances are potentially dangerous and can cause injuries or damages. Attendants should be present at all times so events like this don't happen and people don't get injured.

This video shows the attendant or parent not doing their job.

This video shows the attendant not present and a child potentially injuring himself.