A bounce castle is an inflatable structure that is often seen at children’s birthday parties, county fairs and various festivals. These structures are very popular with children (and with some adults too), and were first developed in the late 1950s.The early inflatable playground was meant to reproduce the sense that the person using it was walking in space or on the moon. In fact, the first manufacturer, John Scurlock, called his bounce houses Space Walks.
Space Walks were popular from the get go, especially with the focus on the Space Race. The initial bouncing structure was little better than a large, high inflatable mattress. Of course if you’ve ever inflated a mattress and have children, you already know that this alone is enough to provide entertainment for hours. Walls for the Space Walk weren’t added until the latter half of the 60s.
Usually this inflatable equipment has a much tougher exterior than your average inflatable mattress for camping. It’s made of thick layers of rubber, vinyl or nylon. Since bouncing equipment can quickly deflate the attraction, you’ll find most are constantly refilled with electric fans. These may be plugged in or may be powered by portable generators depending on the location.
Most often, only children of a certain age and size use the bounce house. It’s wise to restrict the number of bouncing children to the recommended amount by the manufacturer, and remove any children seized with a Tigger-like impulse to improperly bounce into others. An overfull inflatable house can mean kids bumping into each other, which can make for unhappy times.