Contrary to popular belief, bouncy castles aren’t just for kids, and very few adults can resist hurling themselves down a giant inflatable slide. We know this because we regularly enjoy sessions on all types of inflatable fun games – from assault courses to moon bounces and even laser quest. Inflatable games are a great way of bringing out the playful child in everyone, and something we love to get out in the summer months when it’s a bit warmer. In general, inflatable games tend to be broken down into one 5 five categories:

• Bouncy castles/moon bouncers
• Challenges
• Slides (both wet and dry)
• Obstacle courses
• Interactive

But if you’ve not had the pleasure of the bouncy fun that is inflatable games, let us give you a rundown of exactly what you’re missing.

Bouncy Castles & Moon Bounces

Bouncy castles (or moon bounces as some American units are known) are the most recognisable of all the inflatable units, and will instantly send any British adult back to their 7^th birthday party, bouncing in an inflatable castle until you were sick. These bouncers can come in all sorts of themes, from princess to race car and pirate, and in a huge range of different sizes as well. You can even find some that have a traditional bouncy castle at the centre, but side elements with interactive inflatable games to add extra fun. These are the most common type of inflatable, as they are the cheapest to buy and run, so new business will often start out with a moon bounce before investing in other inflatables.

Challenges

If you ever watched the TV show Total Wipeout, you will be very familiar with the idea of inflatable challenges. These often take the form of bungee runs, cross beam runs, ball run challenges, inflatable laser quest and other forms of competitive inflatable action. These are particularly popular for team building days or parties with particularly competitive guests, as it encourages everyone to get on and have a go. Believe it or not it is possible to win these challenges – it’s just not easy!

Slides

Who doesn’t love a good slide? Inflatable slides come in a few different variations – dry, wet, wet and dry, or fairground. Each type of slide is designed slightly differently according to its intended use, which is why you need to be clear on what you want when ordering them. Dry slides are meant to be used dry, wet slides are designed for waterpark fun and make great at home waterslides, and wet and dry slides can be used for both. Dry slides will not have any sort of turn or flow to them at all, whereas wet slides will often change direction and end in a little ‘rock pool’ type section. Fairground style slides are much wider, and can accommodate 2 or more people sliding down at a single time. They will often be steeper, and require users to climb up an inflatable ladder to get to the top (instead of a standard ladder), making the whole thing more challenging and fun.

Obstacle Courses

For those who love the active lifestyle, or who have just always wanted to try out one of those army assault courses from the movies. Inflatable assault or obstacle courses and encased in one long, inflatable run, and will incorporate and indoor and outdoor elements. These courses are usually around 86ft long, and include challenges like crawling through a letter box openings, jumping areas, pop ups, battling your way through inflatable obstacles, squeezing through mangles, wall or ladder climbing, slides and more.

Interactive Inflatables

And finally, interactive inflatables are great for scattering throughout your event and creating some fun activities to drop in and out of. Interactive inflatables provide a thrill for your guests, especially those who enjoy sports or competition. Interactive inflatables can include bouncy boxing, dash and grab, football speed cage, giant Velcro football, human bowling or simply an interactive play system with multiple built in games.

At Spice, we are always on the lookout for something exciting to try, and inflatable games are a great way to tick all the boxes. We often run inflatable games nights or day sessions in the summer, in addition to all the great events we run throughout the year. To find out more, or to book on to one of our events, just get in touch with us today.