Before you Bounce: What you Need to Know about Inflatables

We often receive questions from Fund members about buying or renting inflatable bounce houses or moon walks for school carnivals or celebrations.  Sometimes these events are managed by the school and sometimes by a parent organization or booster club.   

In either case, it is a good idea to understand that inflatables are considered “amusement rides” by the state of Texas and are licensed and inspected as amusement rides.

Based on injury statistics, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends the following for equipment setup and use:

• Inspect equipment prior to use, and make sure a trained operators manages equipment
• Ensure a clear perimeter of eight feet on all sides, and avoid power lines and other overhead hazards
• Inspect generators to ensure proper inflation—suffocation is a risk with deflation
• Separate students by age and/or height—injuries are worse for children of different sizes
• Ban stunts like flips or somersaults, as these activities more commonly result in spinal trauma injuries
• Provide adult supervision at all times