We’re Calling It: Bubble Houses Are the New Must-Have at Kids’ Birthday Parties

It’s easy to fall down a Pinterest rabbit hole when planning a kid’s birthday. I’ll just keep it simple, you tell yourself. Then, suddenly, you’re up until 4 a.m. turning purple in the face, blowing up 300 balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade-worthy arch you totally thought you could DIY.

We all want that wow factor—something that surprises and delights, and keeps kids occupied for at least half an hour, before they get all hopped up on cake and ice cream and start planning a present-opening revolt. That’s where the latest trend comes in: Bubble Houses. Think of it like a snow globe kids can play inside. It’s a clear dome house filled with up to 200 balloons—and sometimes, character cutouts and twinkle lights—that swirl around you, courtesy of a blower. As you can see, it’s a dozen TikToks and Reels in the making:

“When party guests arrive and see the Bubble House they are often surprised and in awe, since they’ve never seen anything quite like it before,” says Heather Elliott, party president and co-founder of Bounce Bright Party in South Florida. She and her husband, Eric, went through four iterations of the Bubble House before landing on their current design, which can be made even more Instagrammable with custom balloon arches on the exterior and interior balloon color combinations to match your party’s theme.

So, what’s the going rate of a Bubble House? Bounce Bright Party charges $600 for a three-hour rental, which includes 150 to 200 balloons, delivery (free up to 20 miles), setup and breakdown, a turf entry mat, shoe organizer and an attendant to man the House (so you can hang out and enjoy the actual party). It’s a bit pricier than your average bounce house, which averages about $260 to $300, according to Thumbtack, though that varies widely by area and the rental time required.