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.
An inflatable shaped like an elephantA "Catch A Wave" inflatable slide
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
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. 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 (11,433.99sqft). 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]
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 (about 1.5 kW) and consumes around 2kW 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.
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
A typical inflatable castle during the fair in Muurame, Finland, in 2013
In 2005, the most stringent standards in the construction of an inflatable amusement were adopted nationally in Australia, forming Federal Standard AS3533.4. This was a landmark safety standard bringing the toughest design/construction/operation standards to the inflatable industry of Australia. In 2006 the European Union (EU) followed and introduced similar standards throughout EU called EN14960:2006 which was then updated in 2013 to EN14960:2013.
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 2017, 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
A child-sized inflatable obstacle course
There are also inflatable obstacle courses that allow for participants to have races/sword fights 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.
Inflatable park
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
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
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 2010, "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 1990 to 2010.[23] In May 2001, 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 2012 study published in the journal Pediatrics, which found a 15-fold increase from 1995 to 2010,[23] a trend corroborated in the 2003–2012 period by a 2015 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 2012.[2] In 2015, 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 2003–2013, 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
From 2000 to early 2016, there were 64 bounce house accidents worldwide caused by wind, resulting in 271 injuries and 10 deaths.[28] Some more notable incidents have included:
In South Yorkshire in England a boy died in August 2003 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 2005 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 2011 after falling head first from a bouncy castle onto a concrete pavement.[32]
In July 2015 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 2016 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 2016 in Montevideo (Uruguay) after the bouncy castle was deflated with the child still inside.[34]
A child died in Girona (Spain) on May 7, 2017.[35]
A girl was thrown 20ft in the air from a bouncy castle on Gorleston beach, Norfolk, UK on 01 July 2018. She died of her injuries in hospital.[36]
In December 2021, 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 (33ft) 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 2022. The eight-year-old died the following day whereas the four-year-old died one week after the event.[41]
An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their size and shape. Function fulfillment per mass used compared with non-inflatable strategies is a key advantage. Stadium cushions, impact guards, vehicle wheel inner tubes, emergency air bags, and inflatable space habitats employ the inflatable principle. Inflation occurs through several strategies: pumps, ram-air, blowing, and suction.
Zorbing is the recreation or sport of rolling downhill inside an orb, typically made of transparent plastic. Zorbing is generally performed on a gentle slope but can also be done on a level surface, permitting more rider control. In the absence of hills, some operators have constructed inflatable, wooden, or metal ramps. Due to the buoyant nature of the orbs, Zorbing can also be carried out on water, provided the orb is inflated properly and sealed once the rider is inside. "Water walking" using such orbs has become popular in theme parks across the UK.
A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement park ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. The most widely sold drop towers have been manufactured by Intamin and S&S Sansei, however Larson International and Funtime have their own drop tower models available as well. Riders initially experience a sense of weightlessness via free fall, followed by rapid deceleration, after which a magnetic brake system brings the ride to a stop. The entire experience generally lasts less than one minute.
A ball pit is a padded box or pool filled with small colorful hollow plastic balls generally no larger than 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter. They are typically marketed as recreation and exercise for children.
Action Park was an amusement and water park located in Vernon Township, New Jersey, United States, on the grounds of the Vernon Valley/Great Gorge ski resort. The park consisted primarily of water-based attractions and originally opened to the public in 1978, under the ownership of Great American Recreation (GAR).
Linnanmäki is an amusement park in Helsinki, Finland. It was opened on 27 May 1950 and is owned by the non-profit Children's Day Foundation, which operates the park in order to raise funds for Finnish child welfare work. In 2019, the foundation donated €4.5 million, and so far has donated a total of over €120 million to this cause.
The following article is a summary of notable incidents at the amusement parks and water parks that are operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. In some cases, these incidents occurred while the park was under different management or ownership.
This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks that are currently owned or operated by Cedar Fair. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that had a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy. The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, or deaths that occur at a park. These incidents were required to be reported to regulatory authorities due to where they occurred. They usually fall into one of the following categories:
Negligence on the part of the guest, such as refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions.
A guest deliberately breaking park rules.
A guest's known, or unknown, health issues.
Negligence on the part of the park, either by a ride operator or maintenance staff.
Negligence on the part of the attraction's manufacturer
An Act of God or a generic accident that is not a direct result of an action or inaction on anybody's part.
A traveling carnival, usually simply called a carnival, travelling funfair or travelling show, is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, and animal acts. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park or funfair, but is moved from place to place. Its roots are similar to the 19th century circus with both being fitted-up in open fields near or in town and moving to a new location after a period of time. In fact, many carnivals have circuses while others have a clown aesthetic in their decor. Unlike traditional Carnival celebrations, the North American traveling carnival is not tied to a religious observance.
Coney Beach Pleasure Park is a small amusement park in Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan in Wales, in operation since 1920. Throughout its history, the park's period of operation is from end of February of each year up until 5 November. Originally built to entertain American troops returning from World War I, the park was named as a tribute to the famous New York amusement park on Coney Island.
This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various European amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park owners, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.
Cutting Edge Creations (CEC) is an Eagan, Minnesota-based inflatables company that sells inflatable structures, including bounce houses, slides, advertising inflatables, movie projection screens, obstacle courses, and interactive games.
A tagada is an amusement ride made by various manufacturers. Riders sit in a round bowl with no seatbelts or restraints. There are bars behind the riders which they hold on to. The ride starts to spin, the music starts playing and pneumatic arms bounce the riders up and down.
A water ball or water walking ball is a large inflatable sphere that allows a person inside it to walk across the surface of a body of water. The giant ball is usually two metres in diameter and has a zippered entrance to allow for easy entry and exit. The water ball is similar to the zorb but it has only one layer and is designed for water travel rather than down-hill rolling. In the United Kingdom, the balls have been used at swimming pools, marinas and lakes in an effort to keep children fit.
Bob Eugene Regehr, also known as Robert Regehr, is the inventor of the moon-walk bounce-house inflatable party attraction.
The Hillcrest Primary School Incident was a fatal accident at the Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania, in which 6 children died and 3 were injured during end-of-year celebrations on the morning of 16 December 2021. The accident occurred after a jumping castle and several zorb balls lifted into the air due to a gust of wind, resulting in the children falling from approximately 10 metres.
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