Anyone have an outdoor trampoline?

[NicaG]

I'm sort of considering buying an outdoor backyard trampoline for my 5 yr old (and me!). If you have one....do your kids like it? Does it get a lot of use? Any advice on brands, etc.? Anything else I should know? Thanks!

[waterproofmascara]

My children (8 & 12) have had one for years and play on it every day that the weather allows for it. And we are in the South so that means pretty much every day.

I hear lots of horror stories about how children get hurt and maimed for life (and I'm sure you will hear that too) but -hope I don't jinx myself- my girls have never gotten hurt on it.

I have tons of pictures of cheerleading routines, fashion shows and dance recitals that all took place on the trampoline. When they were little we used to lay on our backs and blow clouds out of the sky. We have a lot of fond memories on that thing!

[BellinghamCrunchie]

We have the springless kind (uses bands instead of springs) and it seems safer because its a little less bouncy than the spring kind (or so I tell myself). It gets used every day unless its pouring down rain, and even then sometimes. It was definitely worth the money. If it got broken I'd replace it immediately.

[NicaG]

Do the net enclosures make it any safer?

[LindsC]

Our neighbors have a trampoline that has the net enclosure and all the kids in the neighborhood play on it and love it. They always make sure that there is an adult outside supervising when the kids are on it, but I'm sure that accidents can/do happen, so you need to be careful.

[newbymom05]

I want one! Two of our friends have one and both say they get used daily. I know every time we visit all the kids are on it. I would definitely get a net for my own peace of mind. The friend w/ a netted one also has deck stairs leading up to it which makes getting in/off much easier and safer IMO.

[bcblondie]

We had one as kids and it was SO FUN. We were on it all the time. Even as we got older we'd sit on it with friends on sun tan. It's great. I dunno what brand but it's still standing today. Just take it in for the winters.

[Trac]

We have one with a net enclosure. DS broke his arm on it, though...he just fell and landed funny, I guess. This was a couple of years ago and he has used it since without incident. Still kind of freaks me out.

Our neighbours dug a pit and set theirs up in the hole so that the part you jump on is level with the ground.

[LuckyMommaToo]

I have heard a lot of anecdotal stories about homeowner's insurance being greatly affected by owning a trampoline. So you may want to double-check that owning a trampoline isn't excluded from your policy.
-e

[Ornery]

We have a trampoline with a net enclosure. My kids love it, even though they don't get to play on it as often as they would like due to our weather.

We have rules that no friends or neighborhood children can play on it and that only one child can be on it at a time.

I too would check your homeowner's.

[JamieCatheryn]

We have a little one outside, like 36" across. It's fun and more safe but not as fun to jump on as a big one.

[moss]

Originally Posted by Eclipse95

We have rules that no friends or neighborhood children can play on it and that only one child can be on it at a time.
.

we have a one kid at a time rule as well. ds hurt himself on the inlaw's tramp when 4 kids were all on it at the same time. i get nervous about the neighbour kids on ours, so i think we may institute the no friends rule here too.

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by Trac

Our neighbours dug a pit and set theirs up in the hole so that the part you jump on is level with the ground.

I love this idea. How do they deal with drainage, or does it end up being a splashy experience?

We moved in December and we're just waiting for the ground to solidify so we can set up our 14' trampoline. It is probably the best thing we've given to our children; it is a sanity-saver over here.

Our boys- all four- jump at the same time, and given that they all started on one at the same time, and that they are/were yet little, they learned how to use it safely together. They learned how each of them affect the movement of the others and play lots of games deliberately to see this effect. They move around one another like circus performers or dancers all tumbling and moving around one another, so that the trampoline is full of action, but nobody is knocked over.

I wouldn't allow non-siblings on with them though. Our boys have a very instinctual sense of one another that other children would not share, so it would be unsafe, imo, for all of them.

I highly recommend a trampoline though. In past threads, there have been some heated discussions about their safety, but we're pretty loosey-goosey about our children sorting things out that way for themselves, so it fits into our child-rearing and worldview just fine. It's not for everyone though; if I were nervous about it, it would be a horrid addition to my day.

[~cassie~]

we have a 15' one and love it! Can't remember the brand name though. we do have the net and so far haven't had an problems. All of the neighbor kids want to get on it and I try not to let them, but my oldest does beg for his "friend" to get on and I usually end up letting him on.

[newbymom05]

Originally Posted by PreggieUBA2C

Our boys- all four- jump at the same time, and given that they all started on one at the same time, and that they are/were yet little, they learned how to use it safely together. They learned how each of them affect the movement of the others and play lots of games deliberately to see this effect. They move around one another like circus performers or dancers all tumbling and moving around one another, so that the trampoline is full of action, but nobody is knocked over.

Yeah, both our trampoline friends let all the siblings jump at the same time w/ no problems. One has 2 kids and a toddler, AND will let other kids on at the same time and while it gives me a nervous breakdown to watch them they certainly have fun! Both of those tramps are big, though.

Not that I'm advocating crazy trampoline behavior.

[Teensy]

We also have one (with a net enclosure) and the kids do play on it pretty often. Probably once a week on average - some weeks, every day; other weeks, not at all. We didn't buy it, the previous homeowners left it for us when they moved.

[Teensy]

A website with information you might find useful:
http://www.trampolinesafety.com/Crash-Tests

[Trac]

How do they deal with drainage, or does it end up being a splashy experience?

We are in a very sandy area. Under the six inches of black dirt it's all sand, so water doesn't sit for long. They just have a layer of gravel in the bottom. It works pretty well, I think, but you're right...it might not work so well in a different area.

[UpNorthJewels]

http://www.rainbowrecreation.com/_pr...und_Trampoline

This is what we have and we love it. Going on 4 years now and it holds up great. We leave it out in the winters as well. We get some nasty winters up here.

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by Trac

We are in a very sandy area. Under the six inches of black dirt it's all sand, so water doesn't sit for long. They just have a layer of gravel in the bottom. It works pretty well, I think, but you're right...it might not work so well in a different area.

We're in a sandy spot too. I was thinking about digging ours in. There is no standing water except in lakes and a few bogs deeper in the wilderness here, so I doubt water would be a problem for us. We are just above the precipitation level of desert, though northern, and not hot. We have two inches (max) of topsoil and just below is permafrost, but with sand- a tractor works it well.