Inflatable Bouncer - Houses, Castles and Jumpers

What's the most natural physical movement for a baby to make? Bouncing would probably be it, wouldn't you say? Babies love to be held around the middle and bounced up and down on someone's lap. Jolly Jumpers have long been a favorite for infants, and as soon as they figure out that pushing off the floor with their feet will create a bouncing action, they're off to the races.

From Trampolines and Rebounders to Bouncers

For a long time the best treat a parent could present to his toddlers and preschoolers, (not to mention older children) was a trampoline. The ability to bounce as high as the sky was beyond thrilling and even tiny tots got in on the act. Of course, you had to be fast as lightning to protect them from bouncing off, but they loved it. These days there's another bouncing toy around and kids of all ages are getting in on the act. It takes the principles of the trampoline or rebounder (remember those?) and adds air to it. Tah Dah - the inflatable bounce house.

You can see these toys in many different places. Commercial inflatable bouncers are popular items in parking lot carnivals and at store openings, where children may need something to occupy them while parents are off shopping. The commercial inflatable bouncers are huge and provide a place for kids to have a lot of fun jumping and falling. At special events you can often see one of these bouncers along with an inflatable slide or water bouncer. The excited squealing of happy kids lets you know they're having a great time.

A Favorite for All Kinds of Parties

They have become the current party favorite as parents are beset with children who want an inflatable bouncer rented for their party. They show up at birthday parties for preschoolers as well as grad parties for high school seniors. There is no age limit, and there's no limit to the fun that can be had on these toys. Little girls love the idea of having an inflatable castle bouncer for a birthday party. It just goes along with the idea of being a princess really well.

Indoor and Residential Bouncers

Although inflatable bouncers and jumpers can be found as permanent fixtures in many parks, carnivals, at restaurants and in some businesses, it is possible to rent them temporarily for a party or special event and residential inflatable bouncers can be purchased for private home use. Indoor inflatable bouncers can be a great way to have children burn off extra energy, and if there are little visitors to your home, they can have a lot of fun without tearing through the house. The important thing to remember is that despite the fact the toy is soft; children should always be supervised when playing in a bouncer. A residential inflatable bouncer can be purchased for anywhere from $50 to $1,000, so it's a good idea to do some comparison shopping if you're planning to purchase one for your kids.

Can Kids Be Injured in a Bouncer?

Since bouncers do require a certain level of balance and control, little babies who aren't walking well shouldn't be in one. If they are, then an adult should be there as well to protect and help the baby in the event of a tumble. While the baby may not be injured, he or she can become frightened at the inability to regain balance and control.

A study of 4,367 children seen in the emergency room for trauma was done on the incidence of orthopedic injuries resulting from bouncers by Children's Hospital, Los Angeles. The number of injuries from bouncers in this group was 49, or just over 1%. What they discovered was that injuries most frequently resulted from a collision between two children (67%) and that 19% of injuries were sustained from falling out of the bouncer. The majority of the kids injured were boys and the mean age was 7.8 years, however, often the ages on the bouncer were very mixed with a wide spread in years. Most of the injuries were elbow and humerus breaks and fractures and nearly half of the time there was no adult supervision (43% of the time). The number of kids in the bouncer at the time of injury was usually 5.

What this study indicates is that it is possible to sustain a relatively serious injury on a bouncer. Children playing in one should be supervised and placed in small groups according to their size and weight.

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