Why Bounce Houses Hit Multiple Foundational Learning Elements

This article provides recommendations for bounce houses to help multiple areas of learning development. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

Of all toys we could be recommending, why bounce houses? Bounce houses are usually something you see at birthday parties and special events. But for the home and therapy sessions?  

You may think we have gone crazy, but hear us out. Yes, bounce houses are large and sometimes expensive, but the benefits often outweigh the drawbacks. Bounce houses are the one toy most likely to hit all areas of development. And, they often entertain for hours and make life easier for busy parents.

Why Bounce Houses are a Good Idea

We’re always talking about how important purposeful movement is for a child’s foundation to support higher learning. Bounce houses give children multiple opportunities to engage in activities that support the brain, the body and all types of motor skills.

If a child craves jumping, sliding, climbing and other types of rough play, bounce houses are perfect for those types of kids. Or, if you have a child who has sensory sensitivities, it’s an easy way to encourage them to get the sensory input their body needs and develop a greater tolerance for sensory stimulation.

Depending on the bounce house, here are a few areas where they can help:

• Provides proprioceptive input (bouncing, crashing, jumping and getting pressure to the joints).
• Encourages balance (balancing on a wobbly inflatable toy needed for attention and focus).
• Gives opportunities for sliding in the prone position (strengthening the neck muscles for visual processing and copying notes).
• Develops hand-eye coordination as kids shoot baskets or throw balls in the ball pit.

The list can go on and on, but those are just a few examples. The best part is because bounce houses are fun, all these movements come naturally to kids. You don’t have to coax or force kids into trying them out because it doesn’t seem like “work.”

Bounce Houses

Bounce houses are great for indoor or outdoor purposes. If you have a basement, yard or even a park with a green space, it’s a good way to get kids engaged. They also provide opportunities for kids to socialize and develop skills for interacting with others. If you are a therapist and have your own practice, the options are endless on how you can incorporate purposeful movement in your sessions using bounce houses.

Our favorites are the ones that look most like obstacle courses. It’s creating opportunities for crawling, climbing, crashing, balance and sliding. If you don’t have a lot of space, you can still get a smaller bounce house that encourages jumping, crashing and balancing. Just those few elements will provide kids with a good amount of vestibular and proprioceptive input their body needs for future classroom learning.

Below are a few our bounce house favorites.

Integrated Learning Strategies is a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning challenges achieve academic success. Our services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas. Areas to find Integrated Learning Strategies include: Reading tutors in Kaysville, Math tutors in Kaysville, Common Core Tutors in Kaysville, Tutors in Utah, Utah Tutoring Programs