Trampolines are a very fun pastime; until an accident of course. Trampolines can be a very good exercising prop, but they are also responsible for a great many injuries. Statistically, 75% of trampoline injuries are found in children of 14 years of age or younger. But all said and done we as parents would still like our kids to have a good time on best trampolines. This is why we have brought you this article regarding the trampoline safety for kids.
1. Find the best spot to set up your trampoline
The first thing to consider while installing a trampoline is to maintain a safety perimeter of 3 meters or more around the trampoline. This is done to ensure that there are no trees, poles or fences nearby. They can add to the severity of the injuries if a jumper (in this case your kid) falls off the trampoline and lands on them.
Another thing to consider is to install the trampoline on soft ground. Say your kid accidentally falls off the trampoline. Now if it is installed on soft ground like sand or bark, the injury sustained would be very less. On the other hand, if the trampoline is installed on a hard ground say concreter or asphalt, you can guess how severe the injury might become.
2. Make sure to conduct safety checks daily
You should conduct a safety check of the trampoline daily. This is because you don’t know when your kids might feel like playing on the trampoline. A few checkpoints for you to clear are:
- Make sure that the springs are all attached securely and are not loose.
- Check the trampoline mat for any tears or holes and make sure there are none. Otherwise, there is a chance of injury as the landing becomes harder with torn trampoline mats.
- Check and make sure that the trampoline is installed on level ground, or else there is a bi chance of a fatal injury.
- Keep the trampoline free from any kind of accessories like toys or sticks, etc. so that your kids don’t slip on them and injure themselves.
- Make sure that the trampoline is not wet before your kids use it. In case they jump on a wet trampoline they are bound to slip at one point.
As a parent, you need to make the trampoline experience a fun one and not a painful one for your kids.
3. Make sure your kids don’t jump too high
Kids always get over-enthusiastic on a trampoline. However, this can more often than not make them lose control and land badly to injure themselves. That does not sound fun now does it? This is why you must always ensure and supervise so that your kid doesn’t jump too high on the trampoline.
You can teach and train your kids not to jump too high. They need to keep it low especially when they are beginners. Also, teach them to rest up a little if you see them getting tired.
4. Do not let your kids do any kind of stunts on the trampoline
Your kids might enjoy watching the cool YouTube videos on trampoline tricks. But never ever let them do it for themselves. Most of the head and neck injuries associated with trampolines are a result of inexperienced stunts that kids perform on the trampoline. This is why you must always discourage them from doing any kind of stunts or somersaults on the trampoline.
You need to teach them that these stunts are done by experienced professionals after hours of practice. They are not at the age to do all that. There is a time for everything. What you can do as a parent other than educating your kids about the injuries they can sustain, is to get them enrolled in one of the various local trampoline classes so that they can learn a few skills and get awareness about what could go wrong.
5. Teach your kids to land safely on the center of the trampoline
Explain your kid about the importance of landing safely and that too at the center of the trampoline. By creating a habit of landing on the center, they can land safely and reduce the risk of falling off the trampoline as well as injuring their feet from landing on the steel frames at the edges.
So keep these safety tips on your mind and teach your kids to be responsible for themselves while they are on the trampoline.
