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What is inflatable bounce factory and Why Do We Use Them?

Author: Alice

Aug. 11, 2025

1 0 0

The Bounce House: A Fun History of Inflatables

Inflatable castles (closed inflatable trampolines, bouncy houses, bouncy castles, moon bounce, moonwalks, or CITs) are temporary inflatable structures and buildings and similar items that are rented for functions, school and church festivals and village fetes and used for recreational purposes, particularly for children. The growth in popularity of moonwalks has led to an inflatable rental industry which includes inflatable slides, obstacle courses, games, and more. Inflatables are ideal for portable amusements because they are easy to transport and store.

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Inflatable Castle




The name given to such structures varies. They have been marketed with such names as Bounce House, Bouncies, Moon Bounce, Astrojump, Moonwalk, Jolly Jump and Spacewalk, Brinca brinca, another name commonly used by Latinos, is Spanish for jump jump. Residents of El Paso, Texas commonly refer to it as a jumping balloon but this appears to be the only area that uses that term. The term Jolly Jumps is often used to describe the inflatable playground structure in rural areas and some areas in the Western United States, but the term is otherwise obsolete. Bouncy Castle or Inflatable Castle are used in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand and parts of Australia, Air Playground Equipment in Japan, and Jumping Castles in Australia, Canada, South Africa and Arizona in the United States.



Inflatable castles have been suggested as having some therapeutic value for children with certain sensory impairments, similar to ball pits





History



The first inflatable structure was designed in by John Scurlock in Shreveport, Louisiana who was experimenting with inflatable covers for tennis courts when he noticed his employees enjoyed jumping on the covers. He was a mechanical engineer and liked physics. Scurlock was a pioneer of inflatable domes, inflatable tents, inflatable signs and his greatest achievement was the invention of the safety air cushion that is used by fire and rescue departments to catch people jumping from buildings or heights.



The first space walk manufacturing company was in New Orleans in a leased warehouse that also sewed horse pads. His wife, Frances, started the first inflatable rental company in and in they built a custom facility for the production and rental of the products. They marketed the space walks to children's events such as birthday parties, school fairs and company picnics. These original inflatables did not have the enclosure of today's inflatables, creating a safety hazard.



Their son Frank Scurlock expanded their rental concept throughout the United States under the brand names Space Walk and Inflatable Zoo. Frank also founded the first all inflatable indoor play park called Fun Factory on Thanksgiving Day in Metairie, Louisiana. A second unit was opened in Memphis Tennessee called Fun Plex in . Both locations closed after the value of the property became too great for the operations. The first inflatable was an open top mattress with no sides, called a Space Pillow. In a pressurized inflatable top was added, it required two fans and got hot in the summer like a greenhouse. That version was called Space Walk and was adopted as the company name.



In , to solve the heat problem, a new product line called Jupiter Jump was created that has inflated columns that supported netting walls which allowed the air to pass through. Further enhancements of this style were developed such as a line of castles and animals which are referred to as the Inflatable Zoo. In the early s Frank created the first commercial inflatable water slide called the Aqua Tunnel. Space Walk was the first company to bring an inflatable to the IAAPA convention, Showmen's Club and the American Rental Association.



The Neiman Marcus catalog included a closed inflatable trampoline called ˜The Moon Walk™. It was designed to increase childrens safety.



Construction



The surfaces are typically composed of thick, strong PVC or vinyl and nylon, and the castle is inflated using an electric or petrol-powered blower. The principle is one of constant leakage, meaning small punctures are not a problem a medium-size bouncy castle requires a fan with a mechanical output of about two horsepower (consuming around 2 kW electrical power, allowing for the efficiency of the motor).



UK and Australian bouncy castles have specifications calling for fully inflated walls on three sides with an open front and foam crash mats to catch children who may jump or fall out of the structure.



Modern moonwalks in the US are typically supported by inflatable columns and enclosed with netting. The netting allows for supervision as adults can see in from all sides.



Another type of home-use inflatable has evolved, with a blower pumping in air continuously. Pores in the seams and material allow air to escape as children play, while the blower continues to inflate the unit. This category has emerged as a response to parents who wish to buy an inflatable for home use.



Standards



In the most severe standards in the construction of an inflatable amusement were adopted nationally in Australia, forming Federal Standard AS.4. This was a landmark safety standard bringing the toughest design/construction/operation standards to the inflatable industry of Australia. In the European Union (EU) followed and introduced similar standards throughout EU called EN: which was then updated in to EN:.



In the US, Pennsylvania and New Jersey require inflatables to pass engineering and safety standards before allowing the equipment to be rented out. North Carolina requires amusements rides, including inflatables, to be inspected annually by the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL). For inflatables to pass inspection, operators in North Carolina are required to have all training records, a current certificate of insurance, and device manuals. Inflatables that are damaged and not safe will not pass inspection until they are repaired.



Inflatable obstacle courses



There are also inflatable obstacle courses that allow for participants to have races and compete against one another. These are commonly rectangular in shape, but can also be square if the course is maze-like. Most obstacle courses have two lanes, but some can have three or four. They feature various such as pop-up obstacles, climbing areas, slides, and tunnels. These are the best choice for very large events since participants move through them quickly.





Games



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.





Inflatable Basketball Game





All information was copied from Wikipedia and can be found at this link:





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflatable_castle

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Inflatable castle - Wikipedia

Temporary inflatable structure for play Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Bouncy Castle (cryptography), the stadium Bounce House, and Bouncy house (music).

Inflatable castles (also called bouncy houses, bouncy castles, jumping castles, moon bounces, moonwalks, or closed inflatable trampolines) are temporary inflatable structures and buildings and similar items. They are rented for backyard and block party functions, school and church festivals and village fetes and used for recreational purposes. 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.

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 .[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 s 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 he also founded Space Walk Inc. In the s the family business operated an indoor amusement park, The Fun Factory, in Metairie, LA, 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 .[4]

Bob Regehr is also credited for inventing the bouncy house in , 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 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 , the industry was estimated to be worth $100 million.[3]

The world's largest inflatable castle, The Big Bounce America, was certified in at 1,062.252 square metres (11,433.99 sq ft). It includes multiple zones, such as ball pits, an obstacle course, a slide, 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 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 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]

Construction

[edit]

The surfaces are typically composed of thick, strong PVC or vinyl and nylon, and the castle is inflated using an electric or petrol-powered blower. The principle is one of constant leakage, meaning small punctures are not a problem – a medium-size "bouncy castle" requires a fan with a mechanical output of about two horsepower (about 1.5 kW) and consumes around 2 kW of electrical power, allowing for the efficiency of the motor.

UK and Australian bouncy castles have specifications calling for fully inflated walls on three sides with an open front and foam "crash mats" to catch children who may jump or fall out of the structure.

Modern moonwalks in the US are typically supported by inflatable columns and enclosed with netting. The netting allows for supervision as adults can see in from all sides.

Standards

[edit]

While bouncy castle manufacturers adhere to voluntary standards, no national safety standards exist in the U.S., although some states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey require that inflatables pass engineering and safety standards before allowing the equipment to be rented out.[13] In , roughly 25 U.S. states had regulations governing permits, inspections and insurance, although a private investigation by the Pew Charitable Trust has shown significant shortcomings by industry operators and regulators to do their part.[14] North Carolina requires amusements rides, including inflatables, to be inspected annually by the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL).[15][16] For inflatables to pass inspection, operators in North Carolina are required to have all training records, a current certificate of insurance, and device manuals. Inflatables that are damaged and not safe will not pass inspection until they are repaired.[17]

Inflatable obstacle courses

[edit]

There are also inflatable obstacle courses that allow for participants to have races and sword fights and compete against one another. These are commonly rectangular in shape, but they can also be square if the course is maze-like. Most obstacle courses have two lanes, but some can have three or four. They feature various such as pop-up obstacles, climbing areas, slides, and tunnels. These are the best choice for very large events since participants move through them quickly.

Inflatable park

[edit]

The phrase "inflatable park" may refer to both a collection of portable inflatables set up temporarily as one attraction,[18][19] or a permanent attraction consisting of inflatables.[20][21]

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.

Safety

[edit]

Injuries are common. According to Jim Barber, spokesman for the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, "It happens all the time. These are probably the most dangerous amusement devices they have. You see more injuries on inflatables than almost any other amusement ride you can think of – more than roller coasters."[22] In , "as many as 31 U.S. children per day were treated for injuries sustained in a bounce house, or one child every 46 minutes". An estimated 65,000 children under the age of 17 were injured from to .[23] In May , the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released a bulletin outlining the dangers and recommended safety precautions for operating an inflatable structure.[24]

Injuries caused by inflatable rides were rising in the United States, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, which found a 15-fold increase from to ,[23] a trend corroborated in the – period by a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report.[25] Frank Scurlock, son of inventor John Scurlock and manager of bouncy inflatable rental company Space Walk, ascribes the increase to rising non-commercial use of inexpensive retail "backyard" units,[2] while bounce houses have also become more common overall.[26] Although rising, the number of injuries related to inflatable amusements is small when compared to the more everyday hazards of playgrounds and skateboards, which respectively were linked to an estimated 270,000 and 114,000 injuries in .[2] In , after studying the incidence of injury the commission released a revised bulletin for the recommended safety precautions for operating an inflatable device.[27]

In a survey spanning –, the most common injuries were fractures, strains, sprains, dislocations, contusions, abrasions, and lacerations. An estimated 88% of the injured were less than 15 years old.[25] Most injuries occur due to falls or collisions with another child. Some severe fall injuries occur after wind lifts bouncy castles skyward.[2]

Incidents

[edit]

From to early , there were 64 bounce house accidents worldwide caused by wind, resulting in 271 injuries and 10 deaths.[28] Some more notable incidents have included:

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  • In South Yorkshire in England a boy died in August while using one, he had climbed onto the wall and fell out of the structure head-first.[29]
  • A boy's parents sued the hirers of a jumping castle in after he was given brain damage when another boy somersaulted onto him.[30] An appeal was lodged, and the verdict was overturned.[31]
  • An eight-year-old girl died in May after falling head first from a bouncy castle onto a concrete pavement.[32]
  • In July two children were killed and three seriously injured when a gust of wind lifted a bouncy castle over 60 feet off the ground in Tartu county, Estonia.[33]
  • A seven-year-old girl was killed in England on 27 March after a sudden gust of wind lifted an inflatable bounce house into the air and carried it nearly a mile away.[28]
  • A six-year-old boy died in in Montevideo (Uruguay) after the bouncy castle was deflated with the child still inside.[34]
  • A child died in Girona (Spain) on May 7, .[35]
  • A girl was thrown 20ft in the air from a bouncy castle on Gorleston beach, Norfolk, UK on 01 July . She died of her injuries in hospital.[36]
  • In December , six children died and three others were critically injured in a jumping castle incident at the Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia.[37][38] According to witnesses, the children fell from a height of about 10 metres (33 ft) after a large gust of wind blew the castle into the air.[39] Jumping castles were banned from use by schools in Tasmania until further notice shortly after.[40]
  • Two girls, aged four and eight, were killed after a gust of wind lifted a jumping castle into the air in Mislata, Spain on 4 January . The eight-year-old died the following day whereas the four-year-old died one week after the event.[41]

See also

[edit]
  • List of inflatable manufactured goods

References

[edit]

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