When it comes to summer fun, nothing seems to captivate my kids as much as a bounce house.  With the advent of indoor bounce facilities, they’ve had more exposure to bounce houses and instead of satisfying their desire to “bounce” it actually has seems to fuel it.

When we drive past a house or a business where a bounce house is setup outside, for the rest of the day I hear “mommy, I want to go in the bouncey house” over and over and over.

And over.

Sometimes for days.

There are so many options when it comes to outdoor, backyard fun for kids.  For us, we needed something that would be safe and enjoyable for a wide range of ages.  My son is 7, my daughter is 3 and my niece who I watch during the week is 2.  There are few things that will really keep that wide of an age range entertained and active, yet safe at the same time.

A bounce house is a great option, and as you’ll see as you keep reading, the Big Ole Bouncer from Blast Zone is the perfect solution for backyard fun all summer long.

And with obesity on the rise in children in this country, a bounce house is not only fun, it’s a great way to get kids moving and exercising without them really even knowing it.

About the Big Ol Bouncer from Blast Zone:

The Big Ol Bouncer is, well, a BIG…. ol… BOUNCER.

This 12x15x7 Inflatable provides hours of huge, hopping fun for your family.  With approximately twice the bounce area of a standard 8×8 bouncer, this gigantic jumper is great for parties, developing motor skills and backyard exercise, but still low enough to clear most indoor ceilings.

The Big Ol Bouncer is constructed with Blast Zone’s super-durable quality standards, using reinforced polyester oxford and commercial vinyl for endless family fun.

• Included Fan
• Uses Constant Air Technology
• Puncture Resistant
• Included Carrying Case
• Fully-Enclosed with safety netting
• 12W x 15D x 7H
• Inflates in seconds
• Max user weight 100 lbs
• max gross weight 600 lbs

The Big Ol Bouncer was delivered in a single box.  The delivery man carried it, I had to use a dolly to get it out to the yard.  But I managed to get the box open myself and complete the entire setup myself.

But, I did not exactly do it right the first time.

I did read skim the directions, but I guess I didn’t pay enough attention and I attached the blower fan to the wrong yellow tube.  I attached it to the one that happened to be sticking out when I unrolled the bounce house, which was not the inflation tube.  It still inflated as you’ll see, but I wanted to make sure to clarify that the LONG yellow tube is the inflation tube.  The other one simply needs to be tied off during inflation.  After the Big Ole Bouncer started to inflate and the long yellow tube popped out I realized I messed up and turned the blower off and I switched them around.

**Please note that the blue tarp does NOT come with the bounce house.  I purchased this separately from a pool supply store.  Our lawn is only a few years old and still partially dirt and I wanted to make sure that I kept the bottom of the bounce house as clean as possible so when we put it away the dirt doesn’t end up in the storage bag.  It’s not at all necessary, but it’s nice to have if your lawn is more dirt than grass.**

Once I had everything in place, I flipped the switch!  Feel free to laugh when the long yellow tube pops out. After it inflated (and switched the blower motor to the other tube), I anchored each corner down with the provided stakes and let the kids have at it. My mother-in-law (she’s just barely over 100lbs) joined in the fun too.

Just be careful if you are a small adult (max wt per person is 100lbs) and are not sure how to GET OUT of the Big Ol Bouncer.  Actually she got herself out ok, she just didn’t know what to do once she was on the little slide.

Oops.

(I know I’m totally gonna pay for posting this too)

The kids had a BLAST (pun intended)!

The Blast Zone Big Ol Bouncer bounce house has a very large area for bouncing which makes this ideal for families.  It’s also great for parties, finally something to do that will keep the kids constantly occupied instead of running in and out of the house all day!  And with its size and weight limit, you can fit quite a few kids in there, and it certainly seems heavy duty enough to handle everything they will put it through.

Setup takes a matter of minutes.  It really was quick and easy.

By the way, this is how the blower is supposed to be attached:

It is recommended that you put your Big Ol Bouncer away each night to protect it and make sure it continues to function properly for you for years to come.  Putting it away takes a little longer than putting it up and while I did it by myself, having a helper would have been nice.  Once you turn the motor off, the unit deflates fairly quickly.  Untie the yellow tube to help get the air out, and then start folding the unit back up length-wise.  Of course, it doesn’t quite compress down to the same size it was when I pulled it out of the box, but it more than fits in the carry bag provided.  I can lift the carry bag for short distances, but I need the dolly again to move it easier.

Storage is easy and convenient and it doesn’t take up a ton of room.  It’s like the size of a large duffel bag set on it’s side.  Like one of those green military bags.

I don’t really have much negative to say about the Big Ol Bouncer.  Some minor things to be aware of, is that sometimes closing the velcro on the slot where they get in and out is a little tricky because if you aren’t super tall with the slide in the way it can be hard to reach.  Luckily my son did it all from the inside.  Also keep in mind that you still need to supervise your kids and it is important to pay attention to the weight limits.  When jumping towards the edge of the Big Ole Bouncer, the tops of the side depress, and if you had too many big kids this could become an issue.  It’s a normal part of the way the structure of these work, but I just wanted to stress the importance of following the maximum weight restrictions.  I would also like to see the unit come with a ground cover cloth.

Overall I was impressed with the ease of setup, the durability, and the FUN FACTOR the Big Ol Bouncer provides.  It’s going to be an integral part of our lives this summer and the best part is that it combines fun with physical activity.  The kids are getting exercising and don’t even know it!

So.

Now your kids you want one right?

That’s easy!

Where to buy

The Blast Zone Big Ole Bouncer is available on the Blast Zone website for $499.99 (shipping is free) or EXCLUSIVELY at Toys R Us.  And get this.  If you buy it from Toys R Us, you can save $100 because their price is $399.99!  For more information, visit Blast Zone.

Or.

If you are feeling lucky, you can try and win one here.

WIN A BOUNCE HOUSE

One winner will receive a Big Ol Bouncer bounce house from Blast zone.

HOW TO ENTER (mandatory):

To enter, tell me WHY your family needs the Big Ol Bouncer from Blast Zone.  What features make this an ideal outdoor toy for your family?

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Giveaway is open to the USA and ends on May 9, 2011 at noon CST. Winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 48 hrs to respond.  Please add kim@accidentalmommies.com to your trusted email filter.  If original winner does not claim their prize within 48 hrs, it is forfeit and a new winner will be selected promptly.