Inflatable become a popular amusement

Inflatable castles and similar structures are temporary inflatable buildings and structures that are rented for functions, school and church festivals and village fetes and used for recreational purposes, mainly used by children. The growth in popularity of moonwalks has led to an inflatable rental industry which includes inflatable slides, obstacle courses, games, and more. Inflatable are ideal for portable amusements because they are easy to transport and store.

The name given to such structures varies. They have been marketed with such names as Bounce house, Moon Bounce, Astrojump, Moonwalk, Jolly Jump and Spacewalk. The term "Bounce House" came to popularity with the resurgence of hipster culture in New England. "Pula pula" is another name commonly used by Latinos, which literally means "jump jump". The term 'Jolly Jumps' is often used to describe the inflatable playground structure in rural areas and some areas in the Western US, but the term is otherwise obsolete.

Although they are often aimed at children, adult castles can be hired in the UK. Because of liability concerns, moonwalks are rarely rented to adults in the US.

Historically, names for inflatable structures, particularly in the United States, are composed of two, one syllable words. In the United States the terms that consist of two, one syllable words are popular. In Southern California, another popular term is Closed Inflatable Trampolines, or "CITs". Bouncy Castle or Inflatable Castle are used in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand and parts of Australia, and Jumping Castles in Arizona, Australia, Canada and South Africa. As a whole the term moon bounce has become a generic term for enclosed inflatable trampolines worldwide.