Bouncy Castles Are Risky, But I'm Not Quitting Them Yet

Bouncy castles are huge! Quite literally. In land-scarce Singapore, bouncy castles have become a mainstay for the purpose of commercialism and entertainment. After all, the inflatables are fairly easy to set up, take down and be repurposed for future uses. Bouncy castles promise instant gratification and a haven for happiness.

Children can’t wait to dive into them, but are parents really jumping for joy? Here’s my take on bouncy castles.

Whose idea was this?

The first inflatable was created in the late 1950s by an American engineer. It was inspired by the safety air cushion used by fire departments to catch people in buildings with fire. Think of the giant slide that is deployed in a plane’s emergency landing.

My first memory of being on a bouncy castle was in 1997, as a Primary 1 student experiencing my first Children's Day. A bouncy castle was set up in my school canteen – a simple primary-coloured inflatable with a wall to scale on one side, and a slide on the other. 

Chaos was what I remembered next. The entire primary 1 cohort occupied every centimetre of this inflatable. Some bouncing, some climbing, others tumbling down the slide. Many were just falling off completely. I was seven! I knew no fear… or pain. 

Now as a 35-year-old mother of two with knee problems, doing laundry is more enticing.

Why I’m not the biggest fan of the bouncy castle

It’s ironic to me that the bouncy castle had its roots in safety, seeing as how it is anything but that in its newest form.

A year ago, I attended an event where they had a small bouncy castle with a rather tall slide attached. There was crowd control: no more than eight kids in the castle at any time. 

The problem became clear when my then-toddler, who was almost 3 years old, entered the castle with five other children of various ages. The older, stronger and more agile children bulldozed the smaller ones, and had turn after turn on the slide. The smaller, more rambunctious children had no issues being shoved aside, and were content just bouncing. 

Then there was my uncoordinated, weaker, meeker child. Struggling to climb the inflatable stairs, much to the annoyance of the older kids. Hesitating too long when she finally ascended to the top of the slide. An older girl plopped her hefty self down next to my barely 3-year-old. This unintentionally launched my child off the slide, causing her to land at the entrance of the bouncy castle.

That was it. Play time was over. She wasn’t hurt but certainly traumatised. Nevertheless, the next time she saw a bouncy castle, all was forgotten.

Bouncy castles don’t hurt people, people hurt people

I blame no one. Bouncy castles are meant to be free play. Having an adult hold each child back until they make it down the slide is just tragic. Restricting bouncy castle admissions according to age and/or size is a possible workaround, but potentially onerous to implement.

And while having parents accompany their child into the bouncy castle seems like a good fix, many of us parents are overly cautious, slowing down play and taking up too much space.

So, how can we make bouncy castles safe and enjoyable for all?

Perhaps it starts with us parents and caregivers, in preparing our children before they enter a bouncy castle. If they are fearless and rambunctious, they should look out for smaller children and know that only one child should go down the slide at a time. For the more apprehensive children, they should allow the faster children to go first. This way, both sets of children know to give way to the other.

Having said that, I also know that my daughter – no matter how much she thinks she will love and enjoy a good jump around on the bouncy castle – is simply too “delicate” to hold her own on one. I cannot expect every other child to restrict their play to accommodate my wary kid.

Final thoughts

I have heard tales of children dislocating their elbows, plenty of bloody lips and a handful of bloody noses. But based on the attendance at bouncy castle events in Singapore, it doesn’t look like parents are deterred! I know I’m not.

While my elder daughter is not the right fit for the extreme sport that is the bouncy castle, I have full confidence in the wild child that is my second born. At 15 months old, she was standing firm, navigating bouncy obstacles and fallen children like a pro. After just 15 minutes of play, she’s a sweaty mess and ready for a three-hour nap.

With results like that, it’s no wonder why I’m not quitting bouncy castles just yet.

Jill Lim is the perpetually exhausted mother of two girls and an adopted dog. Dark humour and cynicism are her love language. Like and subscribe at @killjilllll.