Between 2002 and 2011, more than one million people got sent to the ER with trampoline-related injuries. Worse, most of those injured were under age 16.
Basic trampoline safety can mean the difference between a fun day of jumping around and a few hours spent in the hospital. Broken bones, head injuries, and cuts are all common.
Before you put a trampoline in your backyard, make sure to review some safety tips. Here are five trampoline safety rules that every family should memorize.
1. Don’t Jump Without an Adult
You may think that you can let your kids play on the trampoline without any adult supervision. But some of the worst accidents happen this way.
Without an adult around, kids are more likely to take unnecessary risks. And if they hurt themselves, they then have to call for help. If they’re too hurt to do that, then it could be a while before an adult realizes something is wrong.
On the list of trampoline rules, “No unsupervised jumping” should be at the top.
2. Watch for Slick Spots
It’s been raining for the last couple of days, but now the sun is out. Your kids are eager to get out on the trampoline.
But before they do, check the trampoline for water. Water build-up makes accidents much more likely.
When a trampoline is slick, the person jumping on it has less grip. That’s a recipe for disaster.
3. Don’t Crowd the Trampoline
Trampolines are popular at parties and get-togethers. But a trampoline is not a pool. You can’t stick a bunch of people on it and expect it to stay safe.
The more crowded a trampoline is, the more likely it is that two or more people will collide and cause an accident.
But even two people on a trampoline at a time is one person too many. All it takes is one errant bounce. A safe trampoline has just one person on it.
4. Practice on a Mini-Trampoline First
A trampoline can be big and overwhelming. It may also lead people to take unnecessary risks if they don’t have some training first.
But how can you train yourself for the jumping? One idea is to get a mini trampoline and practice jumping on it first.
Sure, it’s a much smaller space. But if you can’t control your jumps on a mini-trampoline, you have no business trying to bounce around a full-sized trampoline.
5. Aim for the Center
No, that’s not a political reference. When your kids are on the trampoline, they should always aim to land in the middle.
For one thing, kids who do that are less likely to go flying off the edge of the trampoline. The middle is the safest part. It’s much more forgiving than the outer edges.
Remind your kids that they’re not acrobats. They can jump and have fun without pretending like they’re Simone Biles at the Olympics.
Trampoline Safety Matters
The bottom line is this: There are no shortcuts to trampoline safety. The above list is only the start of a conversation. You should talk to your kids about safe trampolines multiple times before their first bounce session.
If you found this article useful, bookmark our sports section. It has more tips for active people who also want to stay safe.
