Trampoline Recommendations

5 Good Reasons To Get A Trampoline

A Trampoline - Fun For The Whole Family

If you are considering purchasing a trampoline, I have five great reasons you should stop debating and order one today. My family has had a trampoline for a number of years now and I can honestly say that it has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. My kids, wife, nieces and nephews, and friends all enjoy it, and some have even decided to purchase their own after spending time in our backyard.

When I mentioned to my co-workers that I was thinking about purchasing a trampoline, They would tell me that it was not a good idea and I would hear things like:

"Your kids will play with it for two days and then it will be a gigantic eye sore in your yard."

"Trampolines are expensive!"

"I guarantee that one of your kids breaks an arm within a week of getting a trampoline."

All of these gave me pause when I was debating the purchase of a trampoline. Then one day I was over an old college buddy's house and she had recently purchased a trampoline for her family. She could not stop raving about it. She told me that she should have done it years ago when her kids were younger. When I told her I was thinking of purchasing one, she told me I would be crazy not to.

I took a leap of faith and purchased a trampoline the next day. It took a few days to be delivered, but as soon as it was, we set it up and I did not see my kids for almost two straight days. They took a break from jumping for a day, but then went right back to the trampoline and have been interested in it ever since.

To me, the top five reasons to have a trampoline are as follows:

• Fun for Everyone
• A Unique Form of Exercise
• Low Cost Family Fun
• A Great Means For Socializing
• Year-Round Entertainment

Having A Trampoline Is Fun For Everyone

First and foremost, almost everyone can have fun on a trampoline. You do not need to be an expert gymnast to get pleasure out of jumping on a trampoline. I am a middle-aged man who would be classified as 'not the picture of fitness' and I can do things on the trampoline that did not seem possible. Granted, my kids and their friends are much more likely to do flips and daring stunts, but even just jumping up and down is extremely fun.

What I did not expect when I purchased the trampoline was the fun I and others would have just watching other people in the trampoline. Sometimes it was watching the kids flip over each other and eventually barreling into one another. Other times it was observing grown up adults experiencing the trampoline for the first, and sometimes last, time and the laughs that come along with that.

A Unique Form Of Exercise

Again, not being in the best shape, jumping on the trampoline really gives me a good cardio workout while at the same time entertaining my wife and children. My daughters make up entire gymnastic routines that take them hours to perfect, which provides them more exercise than riding a bike or going for a run. After a few hours on the trampoline, the kids typically down a glass or two of water and head straight for the shower, having felt like they put a full day in the gym working out.

Lately my children have come up with work out routines that they need to do on the trampoline a few days each week. They have a friendly competition that keeps them all on their toes, trying to out jump each other. I guarantee that there is no way I would be able to get them to the gym or exercise half as much if it were not for the trampoline.

A Low Cost And Low Maintenance Family Fun

Unlike a pool, a trampoline has a relatively low purchase price and took only an hour or so to setup in the backyard. After setup, there is virtually no cost to maintain the trampoline year after year. We power wash the outside of the trampoline once a year. In addition, it takes about twenty minutes to check the springs and tighten as needed, which is typically three times a year.

My friends are always complaining about the time they spend maintaining their pools. They tell me that it is expensive to buy the proper chemicals and they must constantly fill the pool with more and more water. While their kids anxiously wait for the pool to be cleaned and water properly tested, my kids are jumping and flipping around in the trampoline, enjoying the day.

An Entertaining Way To Socialize

It never fails that when the kids have friends over, they spend anywhere from one to five hours playing on the trampoline. Not all kids can ride a bike or swim in a pool, but almost every kid can jump around and bounce in a trampoline. We have hosted dozens and dozens of play dates that focused solely around playing in the trampoline. Adding a Bluetooth speaker makes the jumping and dancing in the trampoline just that much more fun for everyone involved.

My wife and I like to invite other couples over for a relaxing evening outside on the patio, sitting by the fire. With the trampoline, it is no problem to invite their kids over as well. All of the kids keep themselves entertained with the trampoline while the adults can converse and not worry about getting a babysitter or picking the kids up at the end of the night.

Year-Round Entertainment

Typically, a pool, whether in ground or above ground, has a defined season of late spring to early fall. With a trampoline, you and your family can use it year-round, as long as you do not mind the weather. Unlike a pool, there is no need to cover the trampoline at the end of the summer. Access to the trampoline is three hundred and sixty-five days a year.

My girls have had some of their favorite trampoline experiences in the rain and snow. It makes for a unique and somewhat slippery outing, but they always come back in the house tired and laughing. Aside from lightening, there is not any weather that would stop my kids from playing on the trampoline.

In addition to these great reasons to buy a trampoline, one of the most interesting things I found out was something that I did not realize until after I took the plunge and made this purchase. I found that my three daughters actually got along much better when they were jumping in the trampoline. All it took was for one of the girls to suggest that they jump, and five minutes later you heard giggles and screams of delight for hours.

I mentioned previously that the purchase of a trampoline was a low-cost option for year-round entertainment. While this is true, you can always upgrade your trampoline with accessories to either enhance the fun or refresh your family's interest if after a few years the novelty of having a trampoline has worn off. A few of my favorite accessories for trampolines are:

• A Waterpark Sprinkler Attachment
• An Attachable Slide
• A Basketball Hoop and Foam Ball
• Water Balloons

All of these low-cost items have been a hit with my family. A word of caution. I strongly suggest you think twice before challenging someone thirty years younger than you to a one-on-one basketball game on a trampoline. Not only did I lose (badly) but I found out that I am not in as nearly as good of shape as I thought I was. I probably should do one of the routines my kids came up with.

A few words of caution. It is extremely important that you purchase a trampoline net for your trampoline. At first your kids might think that it is not needed, but I can tell you it has probably saved my kids on a number of occasions. Not only does it add a layer of protection, but it gives the jumpers a sense of security when attempting flips and rolls.

Also, I strongly encourage you to limit the number of people you let jump at one time. Bodies are flying around and there have been some banging of heads and people landing on each others arms and legs. Luckily there have been no major injuries in my house, but I can just imagine there would be if I let them have the ten or twenty people at a time that they want.

I absolutely do not regret purchasing a trampoline for my family. It is a fun and inexpensive product that they whole family takes advantage of all the time.