31 EXPERT Trampoline Safety Tips (to protect your child)

Every year thousands of incidents of kid injuries are reported worldwide due to improper use of trampolines. It was only recently we read about an unlucky 3-year-old boy from Florida getting into full body cast after suffering severe damage to its femur (i.e. the strongest leg bone) during his playtime in a trampoline park. This incident, alongside with the increasing number of trampoline injuries that have climbed to a decade high got the attention of ToyVeteran.com. Thus, we decided to compile the definitive list of trampoline safety tips that could be real lifesavers when it comes to kids’ bouncing.

With more and more people rushing to condemn trampolines for broken bones, concussions, sprains, as well as serious head and neck injuries, we just feel that things should be clarified a bit first before we can tackle the subject of trampoline safety. This takes us to the following question.

How do trampoline injuries occur in the first place?

The common reasons behind trampoline injuries are the following ones:

• A jumping kid collides with another jumper
• Contact with springs wounds toes and fingers
• Falling off a trampoline
• Collision with frame or poles of a trampoline
• Dangerous stunts like somersaults or backflips

The above summarizes the main culprits behind trampoline injuries. Knowing these causes allows us to move on to how to protect your kid during their trampoline bouncing.

General Trampoline Safety Tips and Guidelines

In this section, we will delve into some necessary prerequisites for trampoline safety. Consider them of utmost importance should you wish to ensure your kid has an enjoyable as well as safe playtime using his or her trampoline.

1. Children younger than 6 years old must not be allowed to use a trampoline. This might sound like a cliche, and we’re pretty sure you’ve already stumbled on this tip before. You shouldn’t ignore this warning, however, no matter how much your kid would complain. Younger children’s bones are still under development, and as such, they are very vulnerable to pressure that occurs during the bouncing. Plus, children that young cannot control their bouncing due to physical as well as mental immaturity. Remember, a kid will always try to bounce higher and higher, and this can really be catastrophic for their bones.

2. Always offer maximum supervision during your kid’s playtime on a trampoline. “Another cliche” you might be thinking, but that’s far from true. An older person or a parent can always prevent injuries just by being in the sight of the kid, let aside provide first-aid should a necessity occur.
Simply put, dish-washing or manning the Barbeque isn’t the right thing to do when your kid or kids decide to go trampolining.

3. Always adhere to weight limitations stated by the manufacturer of the trampoline. It only takes a rip on the jumping mat for an accident to be caused.

4. Do not allow simultaneous bouncing. Please, let us repeat this! DO NOT ALLOW SIMULTANEOUS BOUNCING.

Yes! Yes! We do know that the manufacturer says that their toy is safe and large enough to accommodate more than one child. Well, if that’s true, how can the majority of trampoline injuries occur in cases when two or more children play together?

Enforcing a one-jumper-at-a-time unbreakable law could save you and your kid from lots of trouble. Please do not ignore this one either!

5. Dangerous maneuvers, such as stunts somersaults, and backflips are out of the question.Talk to your kids. Explain them, even if you have to use medical terms or facts, that trampolining can become a dangerous activity should someone play carelessly.

That being said, your kids must understand themselves that performing aggressive moves is not permitted.
Do not back down on this mom or dad. We know that your kid might complain and might even be tempted to disobey you.

Do not back down, no matter what. Such moves are to be performed only by professional athletes. Otherwise, your kid might be in great peril of having a serious or even fatal head or neck injury.

6. Pay utmost attention to how your kid leaves his or her trampoline. Never allow them to bounce or jump off it.

Investing in a trampoline ladder and insisting on them using it is a sure way to avoid any leg and bone breaking injuries.

You should also instruct your little one or ones how exactly they must leave their trampoline. “First, we finish our bouncing. Next, we approach the edge of the jumping surface. Last, we slide or climb off our trampoline using the installed ladder.”

7, Speaking of ladders and step stools, you should make sure you take them away from the trampoline as soon as your kid’s jumping time is over. This will leave little or no room at all for unsupervised play for the younger children.

8. No jewelry! No Glasses! No any other sharp objects on the trampoline. You should always make sure your child removes them before climbing on the trampoline.

9. Noone should go or hide under the trampoline when someone is bouncing on it. Otherwise, the jumper might hit them or even get injured. The same applies to toys or any other sharp objects. Make sure that nothing is hidden below the jumping surface.
To ensure you always have a clear view of what’s under the trampoline, don’t let any existing enclosure net hide the lower parts of the trampoline.

10. Never allow your kids to play on a wet trampoline. Slipping could cause injuries even if you own a trampoline with an enclosure net. In other words, a slippery trampoline might cause a collision with a pole or frame.

Now that you’ve got a grasp of some general trampoline safety tips it’s time to examine another important issue; trampoline placement.

Where to put together your trampoline for maximum safety?

There are a variety of things a parent can do to ensure the highest security of their kid or kids trampoline. Many of them are relevant to its proper placement. Without further ado, let’s see what the location and space prerequisites for a safe trampoline are.

11. When choosing the perfect spot for the family trampoline, make sure you pick a place that has no obstacles, equipment, poles, fences, debris, or even cloth lines near it. Think of the trampoline area as a sacred ground dedicated solely to your kid’s trampoline. This eliminates any risk of accidental collision or strain during your kids bouncing time.

12. Placing your trampoline on flat (i.e. even) ground guarantees that the trampoline stays where it should be. “Tip-overs for my child’s trampoline? No, thanks! I’ll pass!”

13. If you reside in a windy area, you might consider anchoring your trampoline to the ground. Many manufacturers include anchors in their trampoline package. If it’s not the case with your preferred manufacturer, you can purchase anchors online or at a local hardware store.

14. Placing your trampoline on soft, shock-absorbing (a.k.a energy-absorbing) ground is vital if you wish to maximize safety. You can use sand or soft grass for this purpose or purchase and install a set of energy-absorbing rubber tiles around the trampoline.

15. At least 2.5 meters (i.e. 8.2 feet) of free space should exist around the trampoline. This will ensure that even in a case of a hard collision on the trampoline enclosure net nothing will be there to cause an injury to your child.

16. If your trampoline doesn’t include a safety net, invest in buying one, especially if inexperienced, young children will use the trampoline. Otherwise, make sure you don’t place the trampoline on concrete, hardwood, or any other hard surface. You can also examine the possibility of buying absorbing mat as stated above.

17. Try to place the trampoline far from any garden and lawn watering equipment. We’ve already examined the risks of a wet jumping surface, so make sure your kid’s trampoline is always dry.

Knowing where to install your child’s trampoline is vital, but there is more. Let’s see what else you can do to promote a safe bouncing experience for your loved ones.

Additional Trampoline Safety Tips for Parents

Let’s delve into what further maintenance actions you can perform to make sure your kid bounces safely.

18. You should always check if the jumping area is clean. Toys, clothes, even leaves and small branches can cause serious problems.

19. Perform regular inspection on the trampoline springs, enclosure, and jumping surface for flaws, rips or tears. Try to maintain the trampoline in a proper condition (as if it was brand new). To do this, you might need to buy replacement parts to substitute any torn or worn out ones.

20. Always install safety pads over the springs and check if they’re covered completely. A significant percentage of injuries are caused when little toes or fingers get caught in trampoline springs.

21. Proper clothing is a MUST for a safe jumping experience. Allow us to elaborate a bit on this.
No drawstrings are allowed on trampolines! Be careful, especially if your boy or girl wears clothes with drawstrings as they might get caught in the enclosure or springs.
Also, make sure your child always bounces barefoot or wearing protective socks. Shoes and trainers might harm or tear the trampoline surface as well as lead to a lack of balance for the jumper.

22. Before buying a new trampoline or a piece of equipment, check for any product recalls visiting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website (www.cpsc.gov).

Let’s now complete our list of trampoline safety tips with some hints on how to choose a suitable trampoline for your child.

What to check when selecting a trampoline for my kid?

Investing in a quality trampoline is inevitable if you wish to guarantee your child plays safely. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it will cost you a fortune, as many top-quality, yet inexpensive trampolines exist. Choose the one that fits your needs and pocket best, but no matter which one you pick, please make sure it meets the following criteria:

23. The trampoline must have a layer of padding around its poles and over its springs. Your kid must never come in contact with any metal parts of the toy during his or her jumping time.

24. Investing in a trampoline with a safety net enclosure is vital, especially when younger children are involved.

25. Many trampolines use arched poles instead of straight ones. Such poles make the enclosure net safer as well as the whole jumping process. Their shape allows them to be further from the netting. Thus, even in a case of a hard collision with the net, the jumper won’t risk crashing into a pole. Perhaps you should consider this option.

26. Buying a round trampoline could be a lot safer than purchasing a rectangular or a square one. Generally speaking, round trampolines provide less (lower) bounce than the rectangular-shaped ones. What this means for your child is that he or she has more control over their bounce without risking jumping too high. Less bounce equals less space for aggressive maneuvers and somersaults. This consequently equals safer bouncing for your little one.

27. If you want to further control how high your kid bounces, you can purchase a tent, roof, or canopy for your trampoline. This will significantly decrease the available vertical bouncing space as well as provide sun protection for your kid and the trampoline itself.

28. If your kid is younger than 6 years old, that doesn’t mean that the world of trampoline bouncing is out of reach for them. Instead of buying a trampoline, you can pick a rebounder (a.k.a. mini-rebounder or exercise trampoline) to initiate them to the beautiful world of jumping before moving on to a larger full-sized trampoline.

29. If you live in a rainy or hot area, make sure your trampoline is sun and rain resistant. Choose one that contains galvanized steel frame, galvanized steel springs, and a UV-Resistant mat.

30. Make sure you buy a certified trampoline for your kid. The safest trampolines have at least one of the following certifications:

• TUV ( a strict German Equipment and Product Safety Certification)
• ASTM (which stands for American Society for Testing and Materials)
• CE (which stands for Conformité Européene. For European Citizens)
• AS4989 (for Australian Citizens)

All the above certifications guarantee that your kid’s trampoline is as safe as possible. Choose wisely!

31. Last but not least, choose a trampoline manufacturer that provides only the best after sales service. Make sure they sell all the replacement parts separately and that they can assist you with any possible problem that might occur during the trampoline assembly and maintenance.

Trampoline parks – Our View

Nowadays trampoline parks multiply day by day, and they are undoubtedly your kid’s favorite places. In our opinion, however, a great majority of the trampolines in such parks are poorly maintained, and the necessary security precautions aren’t always followed.

So, if you can’t purchase a backyard trampoline at the moment, make sure you choose only the best trampoline park available. Pick one that offers the highest amount of supervision, security, and equipment. An inspection of the trampolines is always required before letting your child play in such a park.

Lastly, the moment you notice incidents of double bouncing (i.e. simultaneous bouncing), unsupervised play, or find torn enclosure nets or missing springs, it’s time to leave that trampoline park once and for good.

Trampoline Safety Tips – Conclusion

This concludes our list of trampoline safety tips. We admit that we might have gone down the exaggeration road a bit, but when it comes to children’s safety, there’s no such thing as an exaggeration.

Trampolining is an entertaining and health-promoting activity. If the above tips are followed, it will also become a safe one.

We hope we’ve covered everything there is to know about how to make your kid’s trampolining safe.

Please share this with all your friends who also want their kids to have a safe trampolining experience.

Additional Resources

A great Article from Huffington Post – explaining the percentages of trampoline accidents.

A study about the increasing number of trampoline injuries

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website. Visit to find if your trampoline is recalled

A valuable website dedicated to Children Health and Safety.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Trampolines-What-You-Need-to-Know.aspx

Trampoline Safety Tips Youtube Video

Our Safe Trampoline Recommendations (more to come)

Zupapa TUV Certified Trampoline Review

My first trampoline with enclosure – 84″ Review

Stay tuned at ToyVeteran.com for more tips and trampoline reviews