Written by Luke
Light rain is fine on a bouncy castle, heavy rain means the children come off for a while, and wind of 24mph or more (including gusts) means no inflatable can go up outside at all. Here's how we handle each kind of weather, and what to have as a plan B.
Having an outdoor bouncy castle can add fun, laughter, and energy to a birthday party. Other events can also benefit from inflatables, including christenings and weddings. Bouncy castles are great value for money, especially in the summer months – a group of children entertained for the whole day is hard to beat.
You're unlikely to be trained in the safety of bouncy castles, which is why you need to find a reputable company to rely on. Unfortunately, many operators don't know the rules themselves or choose to ignore them. So, we've created a helpful guide so you're aware of the rules on inflatables and the weather.
How do we secure bouncy castles?
If an inflatable is being used on the grass, it's important that it's anchored down securely. We use 380mm by 16mm thick u-bend steel pegs, making sure that all anchor points are pegged on each inflatable.
On a normal bouncy castle there are a minimum of six anchor points; two on the left-hand side, two on the right-hand side, and two at the back. Obviously the larger the equipment, the more anchor points it has.
We don't put inflatables up outside on tarmac or concrete. To do it safely, the castle would have to be bolted down, which means drilling holes, or held with about seven 25kg sandbags at each anchor point. Some companies do it anyway – we don't. There's more in our post on bouncy castles on hard surfaces.
How windy is too windy for a bouncy castle?
The most common reason for your hire to not go ahead is due to high winds. If the wind speed including gusts hits 24mph or above, then no inflatable can be put up outside for obvious safety reasons. Strong winds have a chance of getting under the inflatable and lifting it from its anchor points, even when it's secured correctly.
If you're concerned about the general weather or the wind speed, it's best to take a look at the Met Office website a few days before your event. You're looking for gusts at or over the 24mph limit, not just the wind speed – but we're already watching this for you, and we'll be in touch if it looks too windy. Our windy weather post explains how we check it, from the Wednesday before right up to the set-up.
All our castles are RPII tested every year – I test them myself – and they're safe when they come from a reputable company. But they should not be used during periods of bad weather.
Can you use a bouncy castle in the rain?
Don't panic if it rains on the day of your event. We're in the UK, after all – so we should expect it to be a possibility! The majority of bouncy castles can still be used during light showers. All of our bouncy castles and some of our other inflatables have shower covers on.
The children won't mind and will continue to have fun – but bear in mind they may get a little muddy! Advise your guests to bring a change of clothes and definitely a spare pair of socks.
During heavy rainfalls children do need to come off the equipment, as the bed of the inflatable and the mats will become slippery. No one wants any children to fall over and hurt themselves. But the inflatable should stay inflated to allow the rain to run off more quickly. You may also need a few towels to help it dry after any rain.
If it does rain on the castle you may see the bed area bubbling. This is not anything to worry about – it's air escaping the castle as part of its design.
Snow and extra cold weather
Every year the tabloid press report that we're going to have heavy snowfall and the deepest winter in 50 years. And every year we roll our eyes!
We don't tend to get much snow as we are more protected in the Midlands, but it does happen so we need to prepare ourselves if your event is in the colder months. If the snow has completely covered the ground, it may be too hard to add pegs safely, the anchor points being too far from the grass to put the pegs in correctly.
Another thing to consider is that if there is a lot of snow, your guests might struggle to attend in the first place, depending on the road conditions and how far they're coming. The best thing to do is to talk to us and your guests.
Thunder and lightning
If a thunderstorm begins, switch your inflatable off straight away. It's not safe to use them because lightning could strike anywhere – particularly higher points or the metal fan at the rear.
With thunderstorms come high winds anyway, so in the interest of safety ask the children to come off the inflatable straight away and get inside. Then switch the bouncy castle off.
Plan B
We would always recommend having a plan B – especially if the weather forecast says the weather may turn bad. Here are a couple of options you may want to consider.
You could hire a hall with a good-sized outside grass area. Then you can have the best of both worlds. The children can play inside if the weather is bad and outside if it turns out to be more sunny and warm. If it's cold they'll almost certainly warm up anyway with all the jumping – so don't worry too much about that!
Perhaps your house or a family member's house is large enough to have the soft play inside. If not, you could organise a few party games, such as Duck Duck Goose, Pass the Parcel, and Connect Four. These games make a great back-up plan, as they don't take up much space.
It's always worth having a word with us. If your hire can't go ahead, we may be able to offer something else more suitable. Our bad weather policy explains what happens to your booking.
Thinking of moving your party indoors?
Having your party indoors at a venue means that you don't have to worry too much about the weather. In the Warwickshire area we're lucky to have plenty of halls to choose from, and we can help you to choose the right one for you.
Take a look at our YouTube videos of our village halls and join Luke as he shows you around the venue, or read our post on party venues in Leamington Spa that work with bouncy castles. Our hall guides cover many more.
As always, if you need any further advice or guidance please contact us. We'd be delighted to help.
<< Return to news