There are also several variations on sports games, which are made portable thanks to inflatable. A sports cage is an inflatable cage that holds up a backdrop that resembles a sport (e.g. baseball, American footy, soccer, golf) in which you throw, toss, hit or kick a ball at a marked spot on the backdrop. The cage not only holds the backdrop but also keeps balls from flying everywhere. Some sports cages come with a radar gun that will tell you the speed of your throw or kick.
During the 2000s, inflatable have replaced the plastic blow-molded yard decorations used as Christmas decor at plenty of U.S. homes, and are now used as Halloween decor and for other occasions as well.
The original inflatable game was the Moonwalk (bounce house). Today there is a wide variety of inflatable games that come in all shapes and sizes. Plenty of inflatable games put people in head-to-head competition with other people such as the bungee run and gladiator joust. There are also several inflatable obstacle courses obtainable. Because of their sizable size, most obstacle courses consist of three or more inflatable connected together.
These are made of a synthetic fabric, of which different colors have been sewn together in various patterns. An electric blower constantly forces air in to the figure, replacing air lost through its fabric and seams. They are internally lit by small C7 incandescent light bulbs (also used in nightlights), which are covered by translucent plastic snap-on globes that protect the fabric from the heat if they ought to rest against it.
Inflatable come in various sizes, commonly one feet or 1.2 meters tall (operated with a low-voltage DC power supply and a computer fan), and one or three feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) tall, jogging directly from AC mains electricity. Like inflatable rides, outdoor types are staked to the ground with guy wires (usually synthetic rope or flat straps) to keep them upright in the wind, though being flimsy this does not always work. Heavy snow or rainwater, which has accumulated, may also prevent proper inflation.
While these store compactly, there is disadvantages, including the sizable amount of electricity needed to constantly keep them inflated. While they can be turned, off in the daytime, this leaves the figure deflated, and subject to the rain and snow problem. Freezing rain, heavy snow, or high winds may also cause inflatable to collapse. Additionally, like a tent, they must be dry before being packed for storage, or mildew may be a problem (if kept in a basement).
Decorative inflatable are made in plenty of popular characters, including Santa Claus and snowmen for Christmas, and ghosts and jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Several trademarked characters are also produced, including Sponge Bob Square Pants, Winnie the Pooh, and Snoopy and Woodstock from Peanuts. There has also walk-though arches and “haunted houses” for children and items for other holidays like Uncle Sam for Independence Day, and palm trees for backyard summer cookouts.
Since 2006, several of these have motion, which is driven by the air itself and the Ventura effect. The original is a merry-go-round (usually surrounded by clear vinyl for support); another from 2007 is an airplane with moving propeller. Ghosts may also have streamers, which blow around where the air escapes.
Since 2005, there are also inflatable snow globes, which blow small Styrofoam beads around on the inside, the blower’s air jet picking them up and through a tube to the top, where they fall down inside the clear vinyl front. On others, mainly for Halloween, lightweight foam bats or ghosts spin around like confetti in what is called a “tornado globe”. The figures inside both types are also inflatable