Big Bounce America
Steffens Park, Fraser
May 17, 2025
I’d been wanting to check out Big Bounce America for years, ever since the ads for the colorful giant bounce houses started popping up on my social media feeds. This year, I finally had my chance when it returned to Metro Detroit – and it didn’t disappoint.
Big Bounce America is an inflatables company that tours the United States bringing a series of over-the-top bounce houses for children and the children at heart.
Its Metro Detroit stop brought seven inflatables, each with a different theme. What makes them special – in addition to their sizes – is that each has its own special offerings that makes the experience more fun.
The main event, encompassing 24,000 square feet, is the giant castle, dubbed “The World’s Largest Bounce House,” which it claims to be. While access to the rest of the inflatables is unlimited, the castle has specific reserved 45-minute time slots. Inside, the inflatable is full of climbing walls, basketball hoops, jousting pads and more amid an ambience of dance music and bubbles. The live DJ in the center during my visit was a big fan of line dances – like the Cha Cha Slide, Wobble, Cotton-Eyed Joe, and the Macarena – which were way harder without sturdy ground, but I was here for it. We also had a group game of Keep it Up, which was a lot of fun.
I also loved “The Challenge,” a 900-foot-long obstacle course. The more than 50 challenges included numerous climbing wall/slides, plus inflatable bars and tunnels through which to maneuver. The giant slide – complete with burlap sack – was also pretty awesome.
Sadly, my hypermobile, mildly fit, 40-year-old body prevented me from checking out the remaining bounce houses, which included a sports arena and ones with outer space and under-the-sea themes. Though my stamina ended after two hours, I’m confident I would have had plenty of time to enjoy all the inflatables within the allotted three-hour time slot if I had been able to, and the spirit was willing.
Somehow once you’re an adult, the options for joyful play begin to disappear. Carnival rides and summer camps are replaced with cocktail hours and dinner parties, and alcohol is assumed to be required to have fun, which leads to another set of problems.
Big Bounce America recognizes that need for play doesn’t disappear after 18. They design their sessions accordingly with time slots divided by age group, meaning we were not competing with children while we were there. (There was no way I would have participated otherwise.) Kids still have plenty of time for their own fun during their own age-appropriate sessions, which include options for family play that encompass a variety of ages. In fact, there’s a tool on the Big Bounce America website that allows families to enter the youngest and oldest ages of their group to help them figure out what time slot is best for them.
Those planning to go should wear comfy clothes and remember to bring socks, though branded ones are available for purchase if you forget. My fanny pack was a comfortable alternative to a purse, allowing me to carry my stuff with me securely – like my phone for photos – while keeping my hands free.
Those who want to avoid the crowds should pace themselves to maximize their bounce time toward the end of their sessions, when the inflatables emptied out considerably. (Apparently, I wasn’t the only adult with limited physical capacity.)
It’s also important to remember that bouncing around these inflatables is not without risk. I tweaked my shoulder after one particularly ungraceful fall and had to avoid breaking the falls of others at times.
But the risk was worth it. I loved acting like a kid again, and I can’t wait for Big Bounce America to come back.
