Astro Jump — Simply SV

May 5

May 5 Astro Jump

On Monday, I wrote about my experience with school during the pandemic. The final day of distance learning—April 20, 2021—was a milestone I wanted to celebrate, so I surprised my children with a bounce house! It was dropped off at 10 am and picked up at 7 pm. The kids had no idea it was coming. I pried them off their computers and kicked them outside for their daily morning break, and there it was, greeting them on the lawn. As you can see in the photo, it fit surprisingly well!

My kids aren’t little anymore. I have an 8th grader, a 6th grader, and a 4th grader. One thing to know is that big kids like bounce houses too—in fact, they REALLY like them. They immediately ran back inside to send out word to their friends (“Party at my house!”) and then returned to bounce the day away (except for when they were attending their final—hallelujah—virtual classes).

The bounce house pictured is Astro Jump’s most popular and rents for $250/day. You select the theme, I chose Jungle Book. It has a large jumping area with a basketball hoop, a set of stairs and a slide. I was impressed with how many ways my kids enjoyed it! They did time trials to see how fast they could enter, navigate, and exit the bounce house. They wrestled. They ran up the slide. They played dodge ball. They flipped. It was a blast.

Two female classmates came over but stayed separate, on the driveway, a bit hidden behind my car. They were talking and eyeing the action, yet keeping their distance. My neighbor and I were observing them and remembering our middle school days of yore. The girls approached the bounce house entrance, lingered for a moment, and then retreated to their spot on the driveway. A few minutes later, all of a sudden, the girls took the plunge and entered the bounce house! They bounced once or twice, then sat down in the corner of the bounce house and continued their chat. Oh my goodness, it was straight up middle school! My neighbor and I laughed and said that would’ve been us. It was a middle school dance, I mean bounce party, and I was the chaperone.

Astro Jump is a small local business. The owner, Scott, lives in Campbell with his family. He has a wide selection of inflatables and runs a great business. Right after setting up the bounce house, they thoroughly clean it for you. Book a rental with Astro Jump before June 1 (for any date in 2021) and you’ll get 10% off with the mention of this article. The pandemic year was especially rough on event businesses, send your support Scott’s way! Their tag line says it best: “The easiest party you’ll ever have!” Very true.

The day after our back-to-school bounce party, my 6th grader thanked me and told me how much fun he had. Then an idea hit him: “Mom, could you get a bounce house for the last day of school?!” I think that’s a swell idea!