Inflatable castle
Inflatable castles (also called bounce houses, bouncing houses, jumpy house, bouncing castles, bouncy houses, jumping castles, jumpers, jolly jumps, bouncy castles, moon bounces, closed inflatable trampolines [CITs], or moonwalks) are temporary inflatable structures and buildings and similar items that are rented for backyard and block party functions, school and church festivals and village fetes and used for recreational purposes, particularly for children, but have been found recently being used for teens and adult parties. The growth in the use of such devices has led to a rental industry that includes inflatable slides, inflatable water slides, obstacle courses, and giant games, carnival games, and more. Inflatables are ideal for portable amusements because they are easy to transport and store.
Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Bouncy Castle (cryptography), the stadium Bounce House, and Bouncy house (music).
Inflatables have been marketed under several names, such as "Bounce House", "Bouncies", "Moon Bounce", "Boingalow", "Astrojump", "Moonwalk", "Jolly Jump", and "Spacewalk" "inflatable bounce house".
Inflatable castles have been suggested as having some therapeutic value for children with certain sensory impairments, similar to ball pits.[1]
History[edit]
American engineer John Scurlock is credited as inventor of the modern inflatable tent design,[2] in 1958.[3] Scurlock, a plastics specialist who taught at Tulane University and worked for NASA, later also invented the Space Walk safety air cushion used by stunt performers and fire brigades responding to high-rise fires. According to his family, he was inspired in the late 1950s while designing inflatable tent covers for tennis courts. Scurlock's original design was known as the "Space Pillow", it had very little in common with modern bounce houses. In 1958 he also founded Space Walk Inc. In the 1980s the family business operated an indoor amusement park, The Fun Factory, in Metairie, LA, (but it copied from Physical Whimsical in Englewood Colorado) transitioned to and today continues to rent heavy-duty inflatables for occasions ranging from county fairs to children's birthday parties.[3] The idea to rent inflatables for parties is attributed to Scurlock's wife[2] Frances, who was running a rental business by 1969.[4]
Bob Regehr is also credited for inventing the bouncy house in 1968, under the brand name Moon Walk.[5]
As part of the space-themed toy trend sparked by the space race, 'The Moon Walk', a closed inflatable trampoline with a plastic roof designed for children's safety, was available for mail order in the 1975 Neiman Marcus catalog.[6]
The original bouncy house was essentially an air pillow with a roof, but the hundreds of modern models include inflatable waterslides, basketball gyms, a game in which players attempt to knock each other over with a large inflatable wrecking ball, and characters licensed from multimedia franchises such as Frozen. Thousands of companies now rent inflatable castles in the United States. The market has also diversified to include lighter retail designs. By 2014, the industry was estimated to be worth $100 million.[3]
The world's largest inflatable castle, The Big Bounce America, was certified in 2018 at 1,062.252 square metres (11,433.99 sq ft). It includes multiple zones, such as ball pits, a slide, inflatable forests, a basketball court, and a DJ booth.[7][8] It was designed as an inflatable theme park for all ages, and started touring the United States in the summer of 2019 as a traveling festival.[9]
With adult play a growing trend,[9] bouncy castle rentals have also seen increased popularity at weddings.[10]
Inflatable bouncy houses, slides, pools, and other large outdoor toys for retail home use became more popular in the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a means for parents to entertain their children while maintaining social distancing.[11] With schools and daycares closed, parents bought inflatables to occupy their children while conducting remote work.[12]
Games[edit]
Some inflatables are designed to allow games such as boxing rings, water football, penalty shootouts, basketball, rumbling, tug of war, and gladiator duels. These interactive inflatable games are made out of the same material that a continuous airflow bounce house is made of. Quad tracks are also popular and provide the perimeter for quad bike racing.
