The Inflatable Argument

Frequently, an event involving family-friendly activities includes inflatables also known as bounce-houses. I’m sure you have seen these at carnivals, festivals, church functions, town picnics, and if you have kids, possibly even had one in your own back yard.

I have a love-hate relationship with inflatables. From an event planning standpoint they serve a lot of children at one time. If you have an event where there will be many children, put three or four of these up and you can entertain a couple hundred kids for hours. I have used these at events and stood back and watched as many children squealed with delight until the inflatables were deflated at the end of the day.

Another reason to love inflatables is they can be used outside or inside if you have a big enough space. They also fill a lot of space if you have a large area that needs to feel like it’s full of action such as a large grassy field. I don’t know if you’ve seen some of the latest and greatest inflatables but they can truly take up a small city block with their obstacle courses and multi-lane activities.

From an operational standpoint…there’s all of those shoes. You can provide all of the cubbies and bins you want but when a child sees an inflatable, all bets are off. You will have a pile of shoes that everyone trips over no matter what. Sometimes you will have to wrangle some shoes because a kid has taken a running start and duffed his shoes mid-stride. And, inevitably, two or three of the little darlings bang their heads together while enjoying the “bounce” in the bounce-house. Keep a stash of ice packs and boo-boo bears on hand and things should be alright.

But from a germaphobe standpoint, ew. There has to be a myriad of germs inside one of those inflatables. Some little boy hasn’t changed his socks in a week and they’re crusty and black and smell bad… and he’s climbing around in there. And, if it’s summertime, little girls are wearing pretty, sparkling sandals which means they are now bare foot, and of course, everyone is sweaty. There isn’t enough hand sanitizer in the world to make me want to get near one of those. But I digress.

However, in my 16+ years of planning events, inflatables are some of the most popular child-friendly, cost-effective, easy-to-do activities you can have. Kids will talk excitedly when asked about the event and if you are trying to get a child to come back again (like to a recurring event like day camp) this is definitely one way to get their attention.

What has been your experience with inflatables? Send me an email or share it here. I’m always curious about others’ events.

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