Disclosure: We were gifted entrance to Inflata Nation in return for a review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Tink loves to bounce. In fact, when I’m not calling her Tink, I call her Tigger instead. Imagine her excitement when I told her we were going to visit Inflata Nation Birmingham inflatable theme park.
“What’s Inflanatation?”
Ok, so not all that excited, as she had no concept of what it was. Then I showed her some photos…
“Oh…. WOW!!!! Can we go? Can we go to the bouncy castles? Now?!”
So, what’s Inflata Nation?
Inflata Nation is every child’s dream. And many adults’ dream too – how many times have you had a cheeky bounce on the kids’ bouncy castle at a party and wished you could really go for it? Well, at Inflata Nation, you can!
We offer kids and adults alike unrivalled bouncing fun. Inflata Nation Inflatable Theme Parks are great family days out and can be enjoyed by just about anyone, of any age, shape and physical ability. And not only do we offer sessions for all to enjoy together, we also have a variety of classes including Disability Friendly sessions, Grown-Ups only sessions, Inflata Tots sessions (just for pre-schoolers).
inflatanation.com
We were asked if we’d like to try out a session, so I booked Tink and I (it was too early for H!) onto the Inflata Nation Birmingham Disability Friendly Session that’s held every Saturday morning at our local centre. Although it says ‘Disability Friendly’, it’s really aimed at those with autism; the number of participants is low, the (usually very loud) music is off and each paying bouncer can take in a carer for free. (Please note, although the music is off, there’s no escaping the sound of the blowers keeping the whole thing inflated – you might still need ear defenders!)
What was it like?
On entering, it was really strange; our local arena is on the site of a former soft play centre that we used to go to when the kids were younger… What a difference! There’s a welcoming reception area and plenty of space to fill in your waiver forms before you bounce. I’d already completed mine by downloading it online, which meant I didn’t have to worry about trying to fill in a form with Tink being impatient to get bouncing. There are lockers to store your gear – you can’t take anything into the arena, and you need to be mindful of jewellery, glasses and anything that could either cause injury or a puncture!
There’s a cafe and party rooms, because, of course, you can have your birthday party here! There’s seating by the cafe, and also upstairs, where there’s a viewing area for those who aren’t bouncing. I was really impressed with how clean everything was – another big change from the centre’s previous incarnation!
The main arena is a huge area that is just like one absolutely giant bouncy castle! There are different areas within, such as huge slides, a ball pit, a Gladiators dual style area and even a human ‘Hungry Hippos’ area!
Tink’s favourite parts were the slides and the obstacle course, both of which she did on repeat… I’m hoping she’ll sleep tonight!
Is it safe?
Health and Safety is taken pretty seriously; there are notices EVERYWHERE with the rules displayed, so there are no excuses for not knowing. The bouncing arena is also supervised by centre staff to make sure everyone is playing nicely.
What did we think?
It’s safe to say, Tink had an absolute blast! She hardly stopped for the whole hour we were there. I was exhausted just watching her. At the end, she was making me take Boomerang videos of her on the big slide, over and over again!
Personally, I struggled. I’m not very fit, and I have trouble with my joints, so I found it hard to walk on the inflatable surface and keep my balance. I’m not sure how many physically disabled people do come to bounce, but I would imagine it would be pretty difficult. Once inside the arena, there was no flat, stable surface to stand on at all, so if your child needs someone to be with them at all times, make sure it’s someone physically able!
I did try the huge slide, which was great fun to slide down, but like climbing Everest to get up, for a cuddly mama like me! I also had a little swim in the ball pit, because… why not?! I can imagine a group of adults would have an amazing time being kids again in one of the adults-only sessions, and kids are just in their element.
Overall, we had a lot of fun, and it being a session for people with additional needs made it very comfortable. Allowing a free carer makes it more cost-effective, as £9.95 per person for an hour is quite pricey to be able to do regularly.
Inflata Nation has centres across the mid to North of the UK, with 5 of the 6 arenas currently offering Disability Friendly sessions.
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Kelly is a mother of two – her son H and daughter Tink. H is home educated, Tink is autistic. Kelly is a self-employed Virtual Assistant… Life is busy!
