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Inflatable play gym bouncin' all the way to the bank

by Ted Land
Monday, April 27, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- It's fair to say Steve Simpson loves his job as owner of Bouncin' Bears, an indoor inflatable play gym that is booked up for birthday parties months in advance.

Sure clients are sometimes unhappy and the work can be exhausting, but this is so much better than what nine years of college and three degrees got him.

Simpson moved his wife and two kids to Alaska three years ago so he could work the North Slope oil fields. The money was good, but something was missing.

"When you're working three weeks at a time, you know, you miss out on a lot -- you miss a lot of birthdays and holidays," Simpson said.

"It was really depressing -- our children stayed at home the whole time, there was nothing for them to do in the Valley, and so Steven asked me to find something that would keep me busy and keep our kids entertained," said Kristy Simpson, Steve's wife.

So she started Bouncin' Bears. It turned out to be so successful Steve traded in his steel-toed boots for socks.

"It's so rewarding, everybody is so appreciative and thankful and we get a lot of good feedback," he said.

On this particular Tuesday morning the Anchorage location is near capacity with moms, a handful of dads and lots of kids.

"There's really not a lot of places for the kids to go, you know, to go inside and play and stuff, and our winter's sooo long," mom Dawn Geest said.

The play gym is fun, but also good exercise for all involved.

"Oh yeah I've lost a lot of baby weight," Tiffany Dufour said. "I have a good time (and) I've already started working up a sweat."

The Anchorage playground is the Simpson's third location. They're looking to expand and have even opened a franchise in Texas, which is where they came from.

They have what they call "open jump" during the week -- you just show up and pay about $10 for a few hours of fun.

Contact Ted Land at tland@ktuu.com