Fun House Hazards

Fun House Machinery Can Be Dangerous to Small Children

Photograph © Andrew Dunn, 26 June 2005

Fun house accident reports from state regulatory agencies show a disturbing trend of body part entrapment involving young children. Ride manufacturers tend to set very low height limits on fun houses, yet those attractions routinely put patrons within hands-reach of machinery hazards such as rotating drums and moving stairs. While touching those devices may not result in serious injury to adults, the fingers of a toddler or preschooler are small enough to become entrapped in a very small space.

Florida's accident records include at least two cases where small children suffered the traumatic amputation of fingers in fun house machinery.

There is no reliable way for a parent to safely supervise a toddler or preschooler through machinery hazards - particularly if the parent is unaware of the hazard.

Children of that age are naturally unsteady on their feet. They fall down all the time, even when walking on stable surfaces.
While adults are generally capable of catching themselves on grab bars, young children commonly fall hands-first or head-first to the ground or whatever surface is underneath them at the time.

Child development experts advise parents to protect small children by childproofing their environment and removing things that might cause serious harm. Skip the fun house with littel ones. Exposing toddlers and preschoolers to the type of hazards routinely encountered in fun houses is not a justifiable risk.

Saferparks strongly recommends that parents keep toddlers and preschoolers out away from carnival fun house attractions.

Fun House Entrapment Accident

The following story describes a typical entrapment accident. This child was lucky enough to escape with injuries that will heal. (To view the photo at full size, click on the image; then the "back" button to return to this page.)

My wife and I went to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo last Saturday. My children, who are 5, and 6, wanted to go to the midway. We let them go on a couple of attractions that we felt were safe. My wife took my son and daughter to a fun house for children 36+ inches. My daughter took her first step onto the moving steps at the beginning of the attraction. She immediately lost her balance (which we understand is the object). She then put her right hand down to catch her balance. My wife was holding her left hand the entire time. Her hand was smashed, and her two farthest fingernails were ripped off.

I am concerned that if another child gets hurt, possibly a permanent injury, or critical injury, they will be in grave danger without emergency procedures, first aid supplies readily available (I carried her several hundred yard screaming and bleeding to first aid). No one even shut the ride down.