Should I Rent a Bounce House?
Hi parents! Welcome to The Bay Area Party Company blog! Here I’ll be answering frequent questions I get as a professional children’s party planner, to hopefully help all you mom’s and dad’s out there plan your child’s next birthday party!
One of the most frequent questions I get asked, is about bounce houses. Should I rent one? Do I really need a character AND a bounce house? Will having both be too much for one party?
First of all, is your party going to be at home, or at a park or other venue? If your party will not be at home, make sure the park or venue you will be holding it allows bounce houses. Some parks allow bounce houses, and some do not. Additionally, your bounce house will most likely need to be within 100 feet of a power outlet, OR you will need to also rent a generator from your bounce house company, which is typically an extra $60+ (this is the current, typical rate in the SF Bay Area. Your area may vary).
Second, how many children are you expecting, and how long is your party? If you plan on having a short (2-3 hour party), I would recommend JUST hiring a character (if this is something you’re interested in), and not worrying about a bounce house. Your character will take up 1-2 hours of your party, and then you will need about an hour’s time for cake and allowing a window for late-arriving guests, mingling, free play, etc. If your party is going to be more than 3 hours, a bounce house can be a great addition to your party. With a longer time frame, it is assumed that you will be serving some sort of meal (lunch or dinner) in addition to the cake--so kids can come and go before and after eating and in between whatever other activities you have planned. If you have a large yard or your party is held at a park, you may not even need any other activities!
Having a character AND a bounce house can be overkill depending on the location--for example, when you’re at a park. In this instance, there are so many options for the children to consider that it’s usually best to choose one or the other. However, having both is a great idea, and recommended, for the following situations:
1. Large parties of 20 or more children: Having a bounce house for the children to play in while waiting their turn for face painting and/or balloon twisting is a great alternative to simply waiting in line!
2. Parties with a large age range: It is typical for parties to include siblings, cousins, neighbors, etc and to end up with a guest list of children including ages 1-12! Your character can focus mainly on the birthday child and his/her friends, making them the star--while still giving the other children an option to keep busy if the activity is a bit out of their age range.
3. Long parties (3+ hours): For the same reason given earlier, having a character and a bounce house in the same party allows the children to take a break from their bouncing when the character comes, and something to do when the character leaves! This is especially recommended if your party will be held at home.
Got questions? We’ve got answers! We hope you’ve enjoyed our first post! What questions do YOU have about planning your child’s next birthday party? Ask below, maybe it will be the topic in next week’s blog! Thanks for stopping by!
The Bay Area Party Company
