The Bounce House - Fun, but...

Having a Bounce House at your Next Party?  Consider getting insurance for a bounce house!

For parents planning a child’s birthday party, a bounce house is a very popular entertainment choice.  However, parents should consider the safety consequences that come along when renting one. Injuries can occur if rules aren’t followed.  Common injuries that occur on bounce houses include cuts, scrapes and sprained ankles, and as we've seen in the news recently, serious injuries can occur as well.

Insurance policies for rental companies cover incidents caused by improper setup. If the renter hires a company that provides a ride attendant, usage and setup is covered in addition to anything else that happens.  Also, home insurance policies that don’t specifically exclude bounce houses will cover injury claims.

Here are four things parents should do to ensure their kids are safe when playing in a bounce house.  

1. Have an adult attendant.

Having an adult monitor what’s going on in the bounce house is vital for safety. An attendant should prohibit kids from wearing glasses, performing flips or bouncing off each other in the bounce house. An attendant also will watch weather conditions and check that the bounce house is securely tied down. Company-provided attendants aren’t licensed but do receive training from the company on proper bounce house safety. A parent or other responsible adult can act as an attendant as well.

2. Avoid human seesaws.

Having a 3 year-old child bouncing in the same bounce house as a 10 year-old child is equivalent to putting the same kids on a seesaw. One won’t move and the other will quickly learn how to fly.  Every bounce house has a weight restriction, but dramatically different sized riders can cause injury such as sprained ankles when children fly through the air and land improperly.

3. Keep inflatables tied down.

Make sure stakes, which secure tethers, are driven into the ground a specific length based on the size of the bounce house. Also, once winds get over 15 miles per hour, most responsible bounce house providers will say you shouldn’t set up the inflatable because it’s unsafe.

4. Spend the extra money to get an insured company.

There’s generally a $10 to $20 increase in price to rent a bounce house from an insured party equipment rental company instead of an uninsured one. For example a company that carries insurance will likely be responsible in other ways too, such as ensuring delivery of a rental inflatable even if the company’s truck breaks down.