Holiday shopping season is upon us. What is on the wish list in your family? If everyone has been clamoring for an in-ground trampoline, we are here to say they are a great item and are fun for the whole family. What can you do if you're on the fence about getting an in-ground trampoline because you're not certain they're safe enough. We have five trampoline safety tips to pass along that might help you make up your mind and add a trampoline to your shopping list!
Five Trampoline Safety Tips
Fun is fun until someone gets hurt and here are five tips that parents can implement to make certain everyone -- not just the children -- are safe when rebounding on the in-ground trampoline.- When you get an in-ground trampoline you have already amped up the safety. These aren't suspended above the ground and therefore are safer, when used correctly. Make certain you invest in the accessories to cover the coils and form a protective barrier.
- Buy an in-ground trampoline that has good "shock absorbency." There are some trampolines with more "give" than others. Also, invest in an in-ground trampoline that can accommodate the approximate weight of the people who will be using it at one time.
- Be aware that the majority of trampoline injuries happen when there are two or more people using it at one time. It may not sound like much fun, but if you limit the jumpers to one at a time, you are going to be safer. If you simply want more than one person on the trampoline at a time, you need to implement certain rules -- no high jumping, no back flips, no daredevil moves. If you have young children -- under six years of age -- on the trampoline with older (likely heavier) teens or adults, be especially careful as this is when the most injuries occur -- when smaller children are on with older, larger teens or adults.
- Don't place the trampoline near low hanging tree branches or an overhang or eaves on the house. Some people can jump as high as nine feet in the air, so look at the location with a careful eye before you decide where to have it installed.
- Perform maintenance on the in-ground trampoline regularly to assure the jumping area is intact, that the springs are in working order and that the ground is still stable around and beneath the trampoline.