Bounce houses are a fantastic source of summer playtime and entertainment, meant to be used and enjoyed by children of all ages, across the country and all over the world. The set-up and inflation of these bounce houses can be carried out by either a designated crew of professionals (when the bounce houses are being rented) or by the personal owner of a bounce house (with prior inflation and bounce house experience). If you want to become an experienced bounce house owner, there are several key points about how and where to set up your inflatable bouncer that you should know before you can be called a true expert.

Typically, bounce houses are set up on grass. The grass foundation makes the set-up process significantly easier. The spikes and stakes that come with the bounce house and hold the bouncer upright can be hammered down and held in place far more easily in dirt and grass then they can into any other surface. Grass is also a safer surface for children to play on. Since children will be using the bounce houses on a daily basis, it is worth keeping their best interests in mind.

However, in some situations, it becomes impossible to find a patch of grass large enough to accommodate the size of a bounce house, such as urban locations. However, this is no reason to panic or give up on a bouncer. Bounce houses can be set-up on cement, just as they can be on grass surfaces. However, because of the lack of grass, the set-up process will not be completely similar, and as a result, there are several precautions that must be made before you begin the set-up.

Just like you would on a grass surface, the first step is to seek out a series of pavement that is level. Bounce houses cannot stand and inflate properly on crooked pieces of pavement or a hilly landscape. Place a large mat or tarp on the ground where you want to place the bounce house. This will prevent the bounce house’s vinyl material from becoming scratched or slashed. Then, instead of stakes, you will need to hold your bounce house in place with sand bags. The common stakes will not be able to break through concrete, no matter how hard you try to drive it into the ground. Place at least one sand bag on each corner of the house, and additional ones over the handles where the spikes would commonly be hammered into the ground. As long there is an outlet within 50-100 feet of the site where the bounce house will be inflated, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Just be sure that you take the necessary precautions when picking a place to set up your bounce house, as a cement base will not be friendly and gentle with your inflatable!

It goes without saying that, even when fully inflated, bounce houses cannot float, so setting up your bounce house on water will not work!