15 November 21 - How Bouncy Castles Can Help Children with Special Needs – a Brief Intro.

Bouncy castles are extremely popular with virtually all children and if set up and supervised correctly they can be inclusive for all children. Some children have special needs and love the sensory experience of playing on an inflatable! All children need to be provided with sensory input to enable them to learn and self regulate their emotions to help with their cognitive development.

Play inflatables including bouncy castles are a fun and stimulating environment to meet those needs - and reports have been published confirming that the benefits of inflatable play are permanent and far-reaching and affect that child with special needs for the rest of their lives. Bouncy castles and other play inflatables including soft play can also be very beneficial as they help children socialise and make new friends. Research has now clearly demonstrated that play is fundamental to the development of children and adults in all abilities, and can be used as a means of supporting social and emotional wellbeing.

Research has also shown that play is essential for children with special needs to integrate into the mainstream classroom environment and lead fulfilling lives. Children with special needs need to be included and supported in their learning and development. For these reasons, play inflatables are a fantastic new tool in the provision of special educational needs and disability services.

There are four key areas in which bounce inflatables assist special needs children in an environment that may be lacking in other settings, to include – safety, inclusion, group-hanging and engagement. There are specific safety concerns for children with sensory processing disorders. Strong smells and strong textures can trigger different reactions, and often things that are brightly coloured, or loud noises or bright lights will be overwhelming. These things can overwhelm children with sensory processing disorders, and often a bouncy castle is full of those very things.

As a result, the bouncy castle can help train these children that these concerns should not be feared – in fact they can be embraced because they are fun! When children with special needs begin to realise this then there fears for other life issues can diminish which is always a good thing. Bouncy Castles can be used in a variety of settings - including schools, family homes and medical centres - and with the simple addition of a few safety measures can be adapted to suit all ages and all situations. Having a useable resource such as this provides educational, therapeutic and practical benefits for many children and their families.

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