We’re all taking Thanksgiving to relax and enjoy time with our loved ones here at Blast Zone. It’s a big day for us because it’s the day before our big sale!
This Friday, we’re going to be holding a HUGE sale. We’re talking SITE-WIDE! Stop by BlastZone.com to see what kind of gifts you might find. Everything on our website is getting a markdown.
This event begins on Black Friday and will run all the way through Cyber Monday!
Can’t wait until then? We’re giving our followers early access to these discounts. Call our sales team now at 877-889-4685 for early access while supplies last.
Rain, Rain, Go Away. Or stay all day, we’ll still get to play! This is the cheer you’d hear if you had an inflatable. We get asked all the time, “can you put a bounce house inside?” The answer to that question is a resounding “Yes!”
Gone are the days where a rainy day meant kids sat at the window, watching listlessly as the rain poured down outside. We live in an age where modern homes are equipped with indoor entertainment. Television and video games may pass the time, but they don’t leave much room for expression. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. While consumable media may be a quick and easy means to an end, getting kids up and playing is an end in itself.
Children can sit for hours without realizing that there is rain falling outside because they are tuned into their screens and tuned out of the world around them. This is no way to sharpen their minds. As the rain starts to roll in, what kids need is true interactivity. If you give kids something awesome to play with, they will create a narrative to go along with it. They don’t need to be spoon fed a storyline the way they are with television or video games. They have the gift of imagination, something that many adults don’t have.
When people think of bouncers, they think birthday parties or community events. These are the bouncers of the past. Today, Blast Zone inflatables come in a wide range of shapes and sizes that allow for a multitude of different uses. One of the many uses being bouncing around at home. Maybe it’s rainy outside, or maybe it’s too hot to play outside safely. Weather conditions definitely play a big role when considering using an inflatable indoors, but perhaps the weather isn’t the reason. You don’t need any reason in particular to set up inside, all you need is a little space.
Rainy days are better with bouncers… Inflatables offer more creative freedom than TV or Video Games…
Making Space
When you’re considering setting up your inflatable indoors or thinking of purchasing a bouncer to be used inside, the first thing to consider is location. Where will you be setting your inflatable up? In a playroom? A basement? Living room? There are no rules! Just be sure to measure your area before hand to ensure that you have the space. We typically recommend at least one foot of extra space on either side of the inflatable to provide a little bit of wiggle room. Even when they are anchored, bouncers tend to move around a bit when they are in use.
In addition to the wiggle room allowed on each side, keep in mind that the blower attaches in the back of most inflatables (though some inflatables feature the blower attachment on the side). You should allow five to six feet of room behind the inflatable for the blower. When you’ve figured out how much available space that you have indoors, compare that with the measurements of the inflatable on our website. The Magic Castle and the Little Bopper are both compact favorites for indoor use.
You can find the inflated dimensions for each item in the “specs” section of the product page. Alternately, you may contact the Blast Zone support team for that information by calling 877-889-4685. Keep in mind that the dimensions on the site cover the inflatable, but you will want to add the additional 1 foot of space for each side plus the 6 feet of space for the blower when determining the fit.
Anchoring
Once you’ve determined where you will set up your inflatable and which bouncer is going to be the best fit for you, it’s time to set up. When setting up an inflatable, the primary concern is safety. Always make sure that your inflatable is properly anchored. When you’re using your inflatable in the grass, you can anchor it using the yellow anchoring stakes but on solid surfaces such as carpet you will need to anchor using weight.
Sandbags for indoor anchoring can purchased for a discounted price when they are added on with the purchase of an inflatable. Our sandbags can be filled with about 25 lbs of sand per each bag. You may not know how to anchor a bounce house indoors, but its as easy as connecting your bounce house to the easy-to-use sandbags.
Rain got you down? Bounce inside!
Placement
Now that you’ve got your inflatable in it’s place and you’ve anchored your inflatable, you can finish setting up. You may have noticed that your setup instructions warn against setting inflatables up on carpet. The general reason for this is to keep you mindful of the surface that you are setting up on. Some carpeted surfaces can be very hard, such as industrial carpeting without padding, but most homes use a standard type of carpeting that is much softer. The main point of the precaution is to advise against using on hard surfaces.
If you feel you’d like additional padding around the entry way, you can also place a blanket, folded or otherwise, to your liking, underneath the entry ramp. Generally, we advise the use of common-sense safety practices at all times. If your location seems unsafe for any reason, do not set up your inflatable there! This would include very hard surfaces, area rugs that are not secured onto the flooring, obstructions, cramped spaces, etc.
Save your furniture from becoming a jungle gym!
Ready, Set, Bounce!
That’s it. You’re ready to have some fun. Simply attach and turn on the included blower and you’ll have an indoor bounce center right there in your own home! If you’ve found a dedicated spot for your inflatable such as a playroom, you can leave your inflatable there between uses. Simply switch off the blower and let it deflate until the next use. If you’re using common living areas for temporary bouncing, you can fold it up when you’re done and store it in a closet or under the bed. It fits neatly into the included storage bag so you don’t have to think about it when it is not being used.
Rainy days don’t have to put a damper on the fun, and your little ones can keep moving even when outdoor play is not possible. Kids get to expend some of that boundless energy, flex their mind-muscles and your furniture maintains its appropriate use instead of becoming a rainy day jungle gym. With indoor bouncing, everyone wins!
Recap:
Rainy days are better with bouncers
Inflatables offer more creative freedom than TV or Video Games
A wide selection means there is a bouncer to fit in most homes
Weighted anchoring and soft carpet surfaces allow children to bounce indoors safely
Having a bouncer means your furniture won’t become a jungle gym
The Blast Zone Pirate Bay Inflatable Water Park is for home-use only.
Deborah Asks:
Is the pirate blaster commercial? How do I know if an item is commercial grade? I run a social kids fund at our campground and I am interested in a commercial water slide.
Blast Zone:
The Pirate Blaster is not a commercial grade item. It is a home-use item and is not designed for commercial use. You can view this item and its current pricing by viewing the item on BlastZone.com.
You can typically tell if an item is commercial grade because it will have the word “commercial” in the name. Another indication when browsing the Blast Zone website, is that the commercial items will be categorized in the commercial section of our site. There is also a price difference between home use and commercial grade, this is because there are several differences between these two categories. While home use products are designed for personal use, commercial inflatables are designed for business applications such as party rentals or summer camps.
Our commercial inflatables come with a longer warranty than our home use products, are constructed of heavy duty commercial grade materials, and feature higher weight capacities. While we don’t have the exact model you were interested in available in commercial grade, we do have a selection of commercial grade water inflatables that would likely suit your needs.
Blast Zone 1 Year Warranty and 2 Year Promise come with all Home Use Inflatables!
Tiffany Asks:
Is the home warranty for 1 year or 2 years? What is the 2 Year Promise?
Blast Zone:
Blast Zone home-use products come with a 1-year limited warranty. This warranty protects against defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. The 2-year promise is a program allows us to stand by our products even after the 1-year warranty period has ended.
In a nutshell, the 2-Year Promise provides an option to buy a very heavily discounted replacement product for up to 2 years after the date of purchase. If you choose to replace your Blast Zone Residential Inflatable within a two year period from the original date of purchase, after the full Limited warranty period for reasons detailed on our 2-Year Promise page, Blast Zone will replace your inflatable with the same unit or a similar unit of your choosing, without the blower, at a discount of 50% off of the non-sale, non-discounted retail price listed at blastzone.com at the time of claim.
In our Blast Zone Mail Zone series, we answer good questions submitted by you, our great customers. Pardon us if we repeat ourselves occasionally. Some questions are asked frequently, and worth answering more than once!
Blast Zone appreciates your questions. If you’d like to submit a Mail Zone Question, please email us at mailbag@blastzone.com. For immediate assistance, feel free to call us at 877-889-4685, or email us at service@blastzone.com
Halloween is a festive favorite for many adults and children alike. What is not to love? You get costumes, pumpkins, and all things spooky, and let’s not forget candy, candy, and more candy! That is a lot of fun to fit into one fun evening. While some may rise to the occasion, not everyone has the time or the mind to make Halloween night an experience to remember. Fear not! We’ve got your back! We’ve found 5 ways to make this Halloween happier and healthier with the help of inflatables.
Make Your Halloween Planning Easier
While many find Halloween to be a great excuse to get creative with their costumes and decorations, it is also a lot of work! Sometimes Halloween falls on a Saturday, which provides a few extra hours to make some magic happen. This is a luxury only afforded to us every few years. We won’t have another until 2020! Can you imagine the stress that parents endure when Halloween falls on a school or work night? I bet you can, because it happened last year. When you have a bounce house at your disposal, you may be able to get away with skipping an evening of door-to-door candy collection. Set up the inflatable, dole out treat bags to your little ones, and call it a night.
Sure, you may still find yourself handing out candy for other kids but at least it’s from the comfort of your own home. You might even get a few trick-or-treaters who forget all about candy when they spot the bounce house, asking for a minute or so to bounce around instead. Having your own inflatable means hours of fun without leaving your yard.
A Great Addition to a Halloween Party
Even if you’re already planning to skip Trick-or-Treating, perhaps by planning to host a party at home, a bounce house can help take a Halloween party to the next level. A lot of parents have realized that inflatables are easy entertainment for parties. With Halloween being all about imagination and make-believe, your bounce house becomes an extension of the fun. At Blast Zone, you can find several inflatables with themes that can go hand in hand with several classic costumes, like pirates, princesses or even wild animal costumes paired with the Rainforest Rapids Combo.
Keep an eye out for those scary pumpkins this year!
Burn off those Candy Calories
Some might argue that while it’s certainly fun to eat your weight in candy, it may not always be the best choice, all things considered. Candy calories count, and they can definitely add up. This is especially true if Halloween night spreads into something more like Halloween week, like it does for so many families. Between Harvest Festivals at your local community center and classroom Halloween parties, the sweet treats really start to stack. Now you’ve got belly aches and spoiled appetites to contend with. With an inflatable, kids have a fun way to burn off some of the extra calories and sugar.
Kids Stay Safe
Halloween traditions vary by the community, but the most widely known is Trick-or-Treating. Each year, kids all over head out after dark to collect candy from their neighbors. It is a fun tradition, but with each passing year neighborhoods everywhere are experiencing dwindling numbers of trick-or-treaters. This is because many communities are resorting to hosting private carnivals and parking lot trunk-or-treat parties in an attempt to keep kids safe. These events can be made more fun with good planning and great entertainment. There is something to be said about being the family that brought the bounce house.
Is this where all the ghosts come from?
Adults Stay Sane
Halloween is fun for adults as much as it is for kids, but the reality is that a lot of the traditions were started for kids to have a good time. For a lot of parents, holidays and festivities are all about making sure that their kids have plenty of fun and fond memories to look back on. While creating these memories can be a lot of work, their smiles make the work worth it.
The grown-ups are responsible to make sure that it all goes off without a hitch. With a bounce house at your disposal, it takes away a lot of the guess work in making the evening filled with fun. While kids bounce around and work up a sweat, you don’t have to worry about how to keep kids warm in costume. Inflatables can also give you a few moments to relax and enjoy the sound of their laughter. An inflatable might make for a happier Halloween but best of all, the evening of Halloween is just the beginning. After the capes are hung and the make-up is washed away your bounce house will remain, ready to entertain.
We often get this question, so we had an independent lab measure the decibel rating of our blowers, while attached to a bounce house, which is the most practical application for this test. Each measurement was taken 1 meter from different parts of the blower – The outlet nozzle, inlet, opposite side of inlet, and rear. We then averaged the ratings, which were similar in each position. We did it this way because most people are concerned with the level they will perceive when using the product, rather than the specific rating of the motor itself.
Typically users are not this close to the blower, so the actual decibels registered by players would be lower, or substantially lower than these results. The average reading for the various blowers was 73dB, with a range of 67-83. The 67 dB reading is the blower used on smaller items designed for younger players, while the 83 rating is at the outlet nozzle of the blower we use on the largest Home Use Bounce House and Inflatable Water Parks, typically designed for older players, which also happen to be products where the blowers are commonly further from the entry or play area.
We usually tell people the sound of the blower is similar to a vacuum cleaner. Reviews of test results on a number of common vacuum brands ranged from 75dB to 90dB, so the more accurate answer is “Our Bounce House Blowers are typically quieter than a relatively quiet vacuum cleaner.”
The List Below Illustrates the dB level of common household noises.
60
Conversational speech
73
Average Blast Zone Home Use Blower
75-90
Popular Vacuum Cleaners
Now on to Inventing a vacuum bounce house that cleans the house while kids play!
Anon Asks:
This is wonderful, do I have to worry about this getting holes in it if it is used on concrete?
Blast Zone:
We get this question way more than we’d like. Please do not use any inflatable on concrete or hard surfaces. You need to worry about safety first and foremost, but yes, the concrete can also damage the inflatable!
BE SAFE and have a blast.
Allie Asks:
Pirate Blaster Inflatable Water Park.
Question: What are the differences between this version (Blaster) and Pirate Bay? I noticed it said improved design. Thanks!
Blast Zone:
The Pirate Blaster is indeed an improved version of the Pirate Bay, in that it adds a couple features. First, an “Inside Return” path is added to the inflatable water park, that allows kids to reach the climbing wall to the slide without exiting the water park. This keeps grass and debris out of the splash area, since kids don’t have to get out and get back in repeatedly.
Second, the Blaster has a reconfigured pool that is a little more efficiently geared towards kid’s play habits.
As far as the other “improvements” – The Pirate Blaster was the first to feature a couple of upgrades to the design structurally that are more “Behind the scenes” but have since been applied to the Pirate bay, and are included on all Pirate Inflatable Water Parks sold since 2014.
So when deciding between the two very similar items, the Pirate Bay offers a lower entry price, while the Blaster adds the return path, updated look and reconfigured pool to the Pirate-Themed Inflatable Water Park
Have a Blast!
In our Blast Zone Mail Zone series, we answer good questions submitted by you, our great customers. Pardon us if we repeat ourselves occasionally. Some questions are asked frequently, and worth answering more than once!
Blast Zone appreciates your questions. If you’d like to submit a Mail Zone Question, please email us at mailbag@blastzone.com. For immediate assistance, feel free to call us at 877-889-4685, or email us at service@blastzone.com
Back-to-School season is upon us. For many children, school has been in session for about a month. Now families are re-working their normal schedules to fit around the school day. Everyone’s day is a little bit different depending on what activities you may have lined up. While some parents may be working out a carpool schedule for after school sports, practices, or music lessons, others are working on getting their kids to finish up their homework and chores before dinner time.
Kids are human too, and they too can get a bit burnt out by a long day’s work. We’ve all heard James Howell’s proverb, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” That might just be true! While of course, there are plenty of things that simply must be done each day, it is also true that breaking the day up with a little bit of fun can make a long day feel a bit shorter.
During the school-day, there is a reason that kids are given recess. They need a break. In fact, according to Larry Silver, M.D. kids who receive a mid-day break from school work display an improved ability to stay on task.
You might find your family somewhere in the spectrum between busy and bored, but we can help you find ways to entertain your children after school. Whether it is in between other activities or all afternoon, there are a lot of ways to offer kids a bit of distraction.
During the back to school season, kids are more restless and rambunctious than usual after focusing on their school work all day. By the time they get home, it’s been hours since recess and they’ve probably been sitting at a desk for quite a while.
If your schedules are tight, finding time for a bit of fun may be no easy feat. Getting kids to step away from what they are working on for even just a few minutes can give them the pick-me-up they might need. You can accomplish this by suggesting a brief activity to refresh their minds.
Taking the dog for a quick walk around the neighborhood (Fido wouldn’t object) is a great way to fill two needs with one deed. No dog? No problem. You can also try challenging them to a quick competition. Race them around the block or challenge them to a dance off (and don’t be too discouraged if they win).
For those days when going outside is not an option, you can still take a quick snack break or a few minutes of movement to stretch and shake out the day’s tension. Brain Den also offers an awesome selection of fun puzzles and brain teasers.
The Blast Zone Magic Castle is perfect for outdoor and indoor use!
If you have more free time in the afternoons a bike ride or spending some time outside bouncing on a bounce house is sure to be a welcome distraction, especially if you limit screen time for your little ones.
At first, a bounce house may not seem like a conventional form of entertainment at home but this idea is becoming a more common choice for families due to the easy set up and minimal clean up involved. You may have the impression that bounce houses are only for parties, but bouncers are a great way to get the blood flowing after school.
As the fall season approaches, using an inflatable at home makes even more sense. As the weather becomes unpredictable, a bounce house can be moved inside to avoid the elements. The Magic Castle Bounce House is great because it is big enough to excite kids but compact enough to fit in the house on a stormy day.
The “what” is typically not as important as the “why” when it comes to entertaining kids after school. Keeping them busy does help to keep them out of trouble in addition to supporting their growth in general, but giving them a little time to step away from work and have some fun each afternoon keeps them engaged and focused on the tasks thrown at them each day.
Why do my setup instructions tell me not to set the item up on carpet?
Blast Zone:
The general reason we state not to install the inflatable on carpet in the assembly instructions is to keep you mindful of the surface that you are setting up on. While level, soft grass is the ideal location for a bouncer, we do understand that our inflatables are also purchased for indoor use. Some carpeted surfaces can be very hard, such as industrial carpeting without padding, but most homes use a standard type of carpeting that is much softer. The main point of the precaution is to advise against using on hard surfaces.
Another point to the safety precaution is that products cannot be properly anchored with the stakes, but provided you use sand bags, this is irrelevant, as the sand bags are designed to make the product indoor-compatible. If you feel you’d like additional padding around the entry way, you can also place a blanket, folded or otherwise, to your liking, underneath the entry ramp.
Generally, we advise the use of common-sense safety practices at all times. If your location seems unsafe for any reason, do not set up your inflatable there! This would include very hard surfaces, area rugs that are not secured onto the flooring, obstructions, cramped spaces, etc.
Salina Asks:
I need to buy a commercial package, but I would like to modify your package. How do custom packages work?
Blast Zone:
You can modify existing packages using the drop boxes on the package page before adding the item to your cart. These drop boxes allow for minor alterations such as changing the size or color scheme on one of the included inflatables. You can also switch out any inflatable in a package for something different by creating a custom package.
Our custom commercial packages are a great alternative to the existing, already created business packages on our website. If you don’t see a package that contains the right items for you, you can create one from scratch or modify existing packages, deciding on which items will be included.
Our custom packages work by offering different discount levels depending on the total value of your package. Your package would include one hand truck and a set of sandbags for each inflatable for weighted anchoring. You will decide on which inflatables to include. When all items are added together at full retail, your total will determine the level of discount that you would qualify for. Packages with a value of $2,500.00 USD or more qualify for a 10% discount, packages with a value of $4,000.00 USD or more qualify for a 15% discount, and packages with a value of $5,000.00 USD or more qualify for a 20% discount.
If you are interested in creating a custom package or if you would like to modify an existing package, give our commercial sales team a call at 877-889-4685 (option 2). We would be happy to put together a quote for your custom package to let you know the best price that we can offer on a customized business package.
Linda Asks:
My castle isn’t firm enough. Can I upgrade to a stronger blower?
Blast Zone:
We do not recommend using a blower that is stronger than what comes included with your inflatable. We include the correct blower for each inflatable, one that is designed to provide the proper air support for your inflatable.
We manufacture our inflatables to meet the guidelines of ASTM safety standards. Per these standards, our inflatables are meant to be a little “soft” so that it provides a pillowy landing surface for anyone bouncing inside. Using a stronger blower would cause your inflatable bouncer to be too firm. It would fail to softly cushion a jumper’s landing.
Using a stronger blower not only makes your landing surface a lot firmer, it can also cause your inflatable to become too rigid. This results in a tighter bounce platform, which many would describe as being not quite “bouncy enough”.
In our Blast Zone Mail Zone series, we answer good questions submitted by you, our great customers. Pardon us if we repeat ourselves occasionally. Some questions are asked frequently, and worth answering more than once!
Blast Zone appreciates your questions. If you’d like to submit a Mail Zone Question, please email us at mailbag@blastzone.com. For immediate assistance, feel free to call us at 877-889-4685, or email us at service@blastzone.com
Blast Zone is proud to support Buddy Cruise, a non-profit charity which hosts a unique annual conference at sea! This remarkable organization provides educational opportunities and resources for families, while promoting awareness, acceptance and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome & Developmental Disabilities.
Their annual conference at sea is a unique event with something for all ages and abilities. Presenters address a wide range of disability related topics during interactive workshops. Their events are supportive of families touched by all a disabilities. Buddy Cruise sets sail every October.
We are so thrilled to support Buddy Cruise’s charity auction to raise funds for this year’s cruise. If you’re interested, we encourage you to visit the Buddy Cruise website. Here you can donate if you wish, find out more information about their organization or gather details about joining the next Buddy Cruise, setting sail each October.
Hi, I ordered the Spray n Splash inflatable park and was planning to use it in my backyard for a pool party today. However, we have a slight slope in the yard going down, at about a 10% grade. Is this OK?
Blast Zone:
Though a level surface would be ideal, we understand that this is not possible for everyone. Because your slope is not too extreme, it should be fine. We do recommend setting the slide up so that the water does not pool up against the base of the slide. It is better to have the outer rim of the splash area to be downhill from the slide.
Please use common-sense safety practices at all times. If your location seems unsafe for any reason, do not set up your inflatable there! This would include unsafe slopes, loose soil, obstructions, power lines, bear caves, volcanoes, etc.
Grass is ideal for setting up an inflatable.
Luke Asks:
Do you do financing, lease to own, to individuals? Or is that only for businesses? I am really interested in financing one of your bounce houses.
Blast Zone:
We do offer financing through our third party financing partner, Leasestation. Financing is only available for commercial orders and you can apply online, directly through our website. When you submit your application, be sure to apply for the total amount that you’d need to cover all of your equipment costs. For example, if you’re interested in an inflatable that costs $2,000.00 and you also want to add accessories that cost an additional $300.00, you would want to add in the cost of the accessories from our website to the total of the inflatable to get your total equipment cost. If you are unsure of your pricing, give us a call and we’d be happy to help out.
At this time Leasestation is only offering financing to businesses, so you would require an EIN or tax ID in order to be approved. If you are planning to start up a new business and do not yet have an EIN, you can apply for one online. It takes about 15 minutes to complete the application. You can still apply without your EIN initially, but the application will be pending until an EIN is provided.
You should find out instantly whether you are approved for financing or not, but if you do not get an immediate response, it may mean that Leasestation needs a little more information from you in order to proceed. Once you have been approved for financing, give our sales team a call at 877-889-4685 and be sure to mention that your order is being financed. Once you’ve decided on the items you want and have placed an order, our sales team will transmit your order to Leasestation so that they can complete the terms of your financing. Once you have signed off on all terms, Leasestation will fund your order and your equipment will ship.
Ramona Asks:
Can adults use any of your bouncers? I want something that I can play with my kids in.
Blast Zone:
Smaller adults weighing 100 lbs or less may use most of our inflatables, but we recommend exploring our commercial grade inflatables for items that can be used by most adults and children alike. While our home use inflatables do feature a 100 lbs per person weight capacity, most of our commercial grade bouncers can support users up to 250 lbs each, with a minimum weight supported of 200lbs.
It is important to evenly match players, because a large adult sliding, tumbling, or jumping on top of a smaller child is a potentially unsafe situation (link to evenly matched players article). If you intend to play in the inflatable with your child, avoid roughhousing, and do not slide with your child in your lap.
Evenly Matched players
In our Blast Zone Mail Zone series, we answer good questions submitted by you, our great customers. Pardon us if we repeat ourselves occasionally. Some questions are asked frequently, and worth answering more than once!
Blast Zone appreciates your questions. If you’d like to submit a Mail Zone Question, please email us at mailbag@blastzone.com. For immediate assistance, feel free to call us at 877-889-4685, or email us at service@blastzone.com
