Trampoline Safety Devices – Rules Are Still Necessary
Whether you have one kid making use of the trampoline or have several making the rounds of the trampolines in the neighborhood, it's important to establish - and enforce - some basic safety rules.
Take turns - While jumping in tandem is fun, it's not always the safest way to enjoy trampolines. If the jumpers are old enough to jump very high, having one person on the trampoline at a time is probably the safest idea.
Watch the edges - Especially with very young children who can't jump very high, having them sit in a circle on the edges of the trampoline until it's their turn to jump might be a good idea. Not only do you encourage them to take turns, the children around the edges also provide something of a barrier that might keep the jumper away from the springs - one of the most common points of injury for trampolines. This isn't a good idea if the youngsters jumping can jump high enough to create a force that will cause those sitting on the mat to bounce out of place.
Limit the tricks - Trampolines are a natural place for youngsters to try their skills at somersaults, flips and other tricks. While it may seem like the safest place to try this, you should note that the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission lists somersaults on trampolines as a potential for serious injury. Falling on the neck, shoulders or head can cause damage with long-term effects, even paralysis. There are some tricks that are fairly safe and a little research can teach you which of those is the best to allow on your trampoline.
Nothing on the trampolines except the jumpers - A real potential for injury and damage to the trampoline mat is allowing anything on the trampolines. For example, it may seem like a great place to try jumping over a broom handle, but that broom handle can case serious injury if the jumper misses. Remember that the children are typically jumping higher and landing with much more force than they would be on solid ground.
Proper mounting and dismounting - Never allow children to jump onto the trampoline from something else, or jump from the trampoline to land on something else. Dismounting into a swimming pool may seem like a good idea to the kid who's jumping, but the adults should know better.
Supervise - Trampolines can be excellent babysitters, but adult supervision may very well be required. This is more likely to be true if there are multiple jumpers, if the jumpers are young or if the jumpers aren't accustomed to the trampoline. Grab a lawn chair and a camera. This could be an opportunity to add some great shots to the family scrapbook.