A History of Bounce Houses – 1959 to the present day.

If you’re looking for a fun way to entertain your children this summer, a bounce house party is the perfect option. In addition to keeping children occupied for hours on end, bounce house parties are also a great way to spend quality time with your friends and family. It’s also a great way for you to keep your older children (and their friends) occupied for a few hours as well. If you’re planning a backyard party this summer, make sure you contact us to arrange your inflatable. Just in case you always wanted to find out, but didn’t know who to ask - here’s everything you need to know about the history of bounce houses and other play inflatables from 1959 to the present day.

The first inflatable structure was created by John Scurlock of Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, in 1959. He was experimenting with inflatable tennis court covers when he noticed that his employees were having a lot of fun jumping on the covers and he decided that there could be a massive commercial opportunity staring at him in the face. He was a mechanical engineer by profession, and he had a keen interest in physics as well. His greatest achievement was the invention of the safety air cushion, which is still used by fire and rescue departments all over the world to catch people who are jumping from buildings or great heights. Mr. Scurlock was a pioneer in the development of inflatable structures such as inflatable domes, inflatable tents, and inflatable signs, but his greatest accomplishment was the invention of the safety air cushion.

The world's first space walk production plant was located in a leased factory in New Orleans, USA. The first inflatable rental company was formed in 1968 by John Scurlock’s wife Frances, and their custom-built facility in 1976 was utilized for both the production and the renting of the inflatables. The space walks were intended to take place at children's events such as birthday parties, school fairs, and workplace picnics, among other things, as prospective sites. These early inflatables did not have the protective “cage” that is seen on current inflatables, which might have resulted in a safety hazard in some situations at that time.

After their son, Frank Scurlock, adopted their rental concept and expanded it around the United States under the brand names Space Walk and Inflatable Zoo, the concept became very well-known. Frank created the world's first indoor play park made completely of inflatables. It opened on Thanksgiving Day 1986 in Metairie, Louisiana, to a huge fanfare of people and it was dubbed the Fun Factory. It was the world's first indoor play park made entirely of inflatables. Fun Plex opened its doors for business in 1987 in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the company's second site. Both locations were forced to close once the property's value increased to a point where it could no longer support the operations. This open-top mattress with no sides, which was the world's first inflatable mattress, was known as the Space Pillow. During the summer of 1967, a pressurised inflatable top was placed, which required the operation of two fans and grew rather hot, similar to that of a greenhouse. Space Walk was the name given to this version, and the name of the company was developed from it.

In 1974, a new product line known as Jupiter Jump was created in order to alleviate the heat issue in the workplace. Jupiter Jump is comprised of inflatable columns that hold netting walls that allow for the passage of moving air. This design has undergone certain alterations, such as the addition of a set of castle turrets and animals known as the Inflatable Zoo, which has grown steadily in popularity over the years. The Aqua Tunnel, which Frank designed in the early 1990s and made commercially available in 1992, was the world's first inflatable water slide. At the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) convention, Showmen's Club, and the American Rental Association, Space Walk was the first company to offer an inflatable ride.

Bounce houses rapidly grew in popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, and nowadays, a children's birthday party would be incomplete without a bounce house or other inflatable play structure for the kids to enjoy. It was also at this period that the word "bouncy castle" became widely known, especially in the United kingdom and their appeal has remained consistent - and does not appear to be diminishing anytime soon. This is due to the fact that all children, all over the world, just love bouncing!