Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Bouncy Castle

Whether you are hiring a bouncy castle for your garden or are enjoying one at a friend's birthday party, there are plenty of ways to ensure your kids are staying safe whilst still letting them have fun. We're bringing bouncy castles for hire to Portadown, Armagh, Portadown, Craigavon, Moira, and Banbridge, as well as other areas in County Down and County Armagh.

But how do you keep safe? Here are a few tips to keep your kids safe on the bouncy castle.

Look Out for Basic Safety Measures

When hiring a bouncy castle, always make sure to check what methods it will have to make sure that it is securely anchored to the ground. All reputable bouncy castle companies should be able to answer this question easily, with bouncy castles able to be secured in the form of water containers, sandbags or stakes. Sometimes it may be possible for the bouncy castle company to provide an operator to stay on site for extra peace of mind, but either way, the company should be able to provide you with in-depth knowledge about how the bouncy castle will be operated and what associated safety measures will be in place.

Watch Out for Overcrowding

No matter whether the bouncy castle is in your own garden or a public place, you need to watch out for overcrowding. Depending on the size of the bouncy castle, there will be a maximum user limit, but you don't always need to know the exact number of children allowed in order to be able to judge whether or not a bouncy castle looks safe. If there is a small group of older children bouncing, with very little room left for younger ones, it would be advisable to let the children take turns in jumping, rather than risk them all piling on together and injuring themselves. A party rota can be a really useful idea for parents to use in particular, making sure that all children can enjoy the maximum amount of bouncing fun without too many kids jumping together at once.

Adult Supervision

Whatever the occasion, there must always be at least one adult supervising the children on the bouncy castle at all times to prevent any dangers arising. It is important to note that this supervisory adult should be separate to someone letting the children on and off or collecting tokens, as it only takes a second of distraction for a child to get hurt. If possible, it is best to have adults watch children using the bouncy castle in pairs. That way, if there are any accidents, even a minor one, someone can stay with the child whilst the other adult can ask for further help.

Get Involved!

A fun way to help keep children safe on a bouncy castle is actually to join in with them! It doesn't mean that you necessarily need to start doing backflips and jumping yourself, but sitting on the sidelines where you can watch all the children closely, especially younger kids, can be a really effective way to ensure that everyone using the bouncy castle is safe at all times. Some younger children also really appreciate being able to hold a parent's hand when jumping, which can be a great way to improve their confidence, and also make sure that younger and older children are playing and interacting together nicely and safely too.

The Right Footwear

Making sure kids are wearing the right footwear can also help keep them safe on a bouncy castle. No shoes and just socks is the best choice for jumping, as shoes can be too rough and risk ripping the fabric, whilst socks provide good grip but still provide a protective hygiene barrier, as well as assisting in preventing kids from falling over and slipping too.