Do you want to know who invented the bounce house? Are you interested in the history behind such innovation? Bounce houses are very popular nowadays. You will find them in parties and kids events all over the world. In this article, we will know the creator and history of the bounce house.

Who Created the Bounce House?

The bounce house was the invention of John Scurlock. He invented it in 1959. John was an engineer who was creating products for the oil and gas industry and NASA. He was working with plastics to create covers and signs for tennis and other enclosures. While working plastics, he was experimenting with different things to create better possibilities for a tennis court. During this time, he developed a cushion cover for the tennis court. Once he saw his friends jumping on that cushion cover. At that very time, he got an idea of creating a bounce house.

In the initial days, these were not called bounce houses. In fact, the earliest version does not justify the name since it had no walls.

History of Bounce Houses

Scurlock died in 2008 and by then he was popular for bounce houses. After his death, his son Frank took initiative to expand his parents business. He started giving the inflatables for rent and got appreciations nationwide.

The first inflatable was different from the current one. It was just like an air cushion without walls. In 1960, they added a wall. Though the upgraded version looked good and impressive with walls, still, it caused heating. In 1974, they added cushioned inflatable columns. These columns were designed to support the side walls. Side walls were made of netting and the material was responsible for generating heat. However, columns made the houses cooler and minimized the impact of the net. By the end of 1970, an enclosed and inflatable bounce house was available.

Current Bounce Houses

You will find many differences between the current and initial bounce houses. The key difference is the wall. As stated earlier, the original version did not have walls. Bounce houses became popular with a couple of years of its invention. By the 1990s, it started to become a part of kid entertainment. It was showing in parties and similar functions. The heat problem was a major concern. But once this problem was solved, bounce houses become more popular in kid parties. Parents found it more effective with added columns that prevent excess heat generation.

Seeing the popularity of bounce houses, many entrepreneurs started opening inflatable rental companies. Also, the original design has experienced many upgrades during the last five decades. Now bounce houses come with a more elaborate design. Some houses also have painted designs and combined with many innovative ideas. In fact, some new designs come with slides like tubes and tunnels, adding obstacle courses and climbing walls.

Now you know the history and creator of bounce houses. Next time, you rent a bounce house for your kids’ party; just remember the excellent talent who got this innovative idea from his friends’ activity to develop this entertaining tool for your kids.