Their business is up and down

POST FALLS - A new kind of entertainment is waiting for kids at the old Hollywood Video in Post Falls.

Bounce & Party, which offers six inflatable play structures and two party areas, has opened at 1631 E. Seltice Way.

"With five boys ages 20 months to 13, I understand the need for affordable places to take your kids," said owner Jim Schulze. "When kids come here, they go home hungry and tired. It's money well spent for parents."

Cost is $3 per kid per hour.

"It's hard to find entertainment for less than $10 for three kids," Schulze said.

The party rate is $105 for up to 15 kids for two hours on the structures and an hour in one of the party areas, which includes either a private room with a refrigerator and tables or tables next to the structures. Families are welcome to bring cakes, drinks, ice cream, food and their own decorations.

Drinks will also be sold on site.

Parent Tami Siriani brought her 3-year-old son Adam from Spokane Valley on Wednesday to bounce for the second time. The business gives her and Adam a chance to meet with friends in a warm, clean and safe environment.

"We frequent places like this," Siriani said. "Kids need a place to burn off energy, especially during cold weather. We like coming here because it's a contained environment and not too crowded, especially during the day. We'll probably meet here once a week to let the kids play. (Adam) slept hard after we came here before."

Siriani said structures in some malls and fast-food places are not as likely to be as sanitary as a business whose sole focus is the play area.

"The nice thing about this is that there is someone here to make sure the kids are wearing socks and areas are kept sanitized," she said.

Adam also gives the structures, which have themes including Dora, Disney and Crayons, a thumbs up.

"I like to jump and go down the slides," he said.

There are two sofas in the middle of the 6,000-square-foot building to give parents a comfortable area to watch their kids.

"We've tried to make it as parent friendly as possible," Schulze said.

But that doesn't necessarily give parents permission to bounce around.

"Ninety percent of the accidents at businesses like this involve parents with their child, so we don't allow parents on the equipment," Schulze said. "The only exception may be in the morning when it's not busy and a parent needs to steady their toddler or introduce them to the equipment if they're scared."

The structures are open to kids 12 and younger or those 5-feet tall and under. The business can handle up to 42 kids on the structures at one time. Parents sign a waiver before kids start bouncing in case of injuries.

Schulze said he has three other play structures that he rents out and will incorporate them into a rotation at the business. He said the business has gotten interest from youth sports teams wanting to hold their end-of-the-season parties there.

Schulze said the building is ideal because of its visible location, available open floor space and 16-foot ceilings to accommodate the structures.

After he was laid off from his timber industry job, Schultze opened a home-based bounce business last spring, renting and delivering the structures to parties. That led to the new venture.

"We'll resume delivering (structures) to homes in the spring," he said.

Rentals for basic bounce houses are $80 for four hours. Larger structures with slides are $100 for four hours. A table and eight chairs are included in the rentals.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information or to reserve a party, call 777-8372.