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Bad Bounce?

How the forces that make inflatable bounce houses fun can also hurt you

May/June 2018

By Christen Brownlee

The sun is out, you’re with your friends, and you’re ready to JUMP! If you’re like millions of kids around the country, you might play in an inflatable bounce house this summer. These colorful structures can be fun. But they can also be dangerous.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission sets safety standards for things people buy. In 2015, it studied bounce house injuries. It estimated that more than 16,000 people visited emergency rooms after getting hurt in bounce houses in 2013 (see Injury Rate).

“That number is probably much higher now,” says Dr. Gary Smith. He studies injuries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “Bounce houses have become more popular every year, so injuries have skyrocketed.”

The forces that make bounce houses exciting can also hurt you. But by understanding how they work, you can stay safer when you take the leap.

The sun is out. You’re with your friends. And you’re ready to JUMP! You might play in an inflatable bounce house this summer. Millions of kids around the country will do just that. These colorful structures can be fun. But they can also be dangerous.

Things people buy must meet safety standards. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission sets these rules. It studied bounce house injuries in 2015. It estimated more than 16,000 people visited emergency rooms in 2013 for such injuries (see Injury Rate).

“That number is probably much higher now,” says Dr. Gary Smith. He studies injuries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It’s in Columbus, Ohio. “Bounce houses have become more popular every year. So injuries have skyrocketed.”

The forces that make bounce houses exciting can also hurt you. But knowing how they work can help you stay safer when you take the leap.

Fun Forces

Most bounce houses are made of a stretchy material called vinyl (VY-nuhl). Air is pumped through them to help them hold their shape.

When you jump onto a bounce house, your feet push down on the stretchy vinyl. As the vinyl snaps back to its original position, it pushes up on your body. That force flings you into the air, explains Becky Thompson. She’s a physicist at the American Physical Society in College Park, Maryland.

Soon, the force of gravity pulls you back down. Unfortunately, that’s when many injuries occur.

Most bounce houses are made of a stretchy material. It’s called vinyl (VY-nuhl). Air is pumped through the structure. That helps it hold its shape.

Your feet push down on the vinyl when you jump in a bounce house. The material stretches. Then it snaps back to its original position. It pushes up on your body when it does. That force flings you into the air, explains Becky Thompson. She’s a physicist. She works at the American Physical Society. It’s in College Park, Maryland.

Soon, the force of gravity pulls you back down. That’s when many injuries occur.

Crash Landing

Blue_Cutler/E+/Getty images

Almost half of all bounce house injuries happen when jumpers land in the wrong position, says Smith. If you hit the floor at the wrong angle, you can twist an ankle, sprain a wrist, or break an arm or leg. Stunts like somersaults can result in even more-serious injuries. Landing on your head or neck can damage your spinal cord, which connects your brain to the rest of your body.

Kids also get hurt when they crash into each other. And the bigger the jumper, the greater the force of the impact. Smaller people accelerate, or change speed, more easily. “That means that if a big kid bumps a smaller kid, the smaller kid will go flying,” says Thompson.

Almost half of all bounce house injuries happen when jumpers land in the wrong position, says Smith. Some people hit the floor at the wrong angle. They can twist an ankle or sprain a wrist. They can even break an arm or leg. Stunts like somersaults can result in even more-serious injuries. Landing on your head or neck can damage your spinal cord. It connects your brain to the rest of your body.

Safety First

You can reduce your risks in a bounce house by following a few rules, says Smith. First, don’t bounce with too many other people. Everyone should have plenty of space. Jump only with kids of about the same size—no fifth-graders and first-graders at the same time. Stay aware of people around you to prevent crashes. “And absolutely no somersaults,” says Smith. “They cause the most devastating injuries.”

Most important, never play in a bounce house without supervision. An adult should be there to enforce the rules—so you can focus on having fun.

You can reduce your risks in a bounce house by following a few rules, says Smith. First, don’t bounce with too many other people. Everyone should have plenty of space. Jump only with kids of about the same size. That means no fifth-graders and first-graders at the same time. Stay aware of people around you to prevent crashes. “And absolutely no somersaults,” says Smith. “They cause the most devastating injuries.”

Most important, never play in a bounce house without supervision. An adult should be there to enforce the rules. Then you can focus on having fun.