Keep Kids Flippin Safe - Learn the 5 Main Trampoline Jumper Rules

Guest Blog by Dr Andrew Rochford (Emergency Doctor)

Trampolining has changed a lot since I was a kid. I still remember the trepidation I would feel when my siblings and I would venture out to the ‘side-yard” to play on the trampoline. I say ‘side-yard’ because it was at the side of the house. We had no real front yard and the backyard comprised of a steep escarpment covered in rocks, trees and lantana. Don’t get me wrong, I was very lucky to have a childhood where I did, it was sheer, rugged and brilliant for adventures and exploring. But a parcel of flat, solid ground for a trampoline was hard to find. In the end, the only place left was the side yard.

I grew up trampolining during the ‘pre- springfree’ era. Ours was a small, black rectangle mat suspended in the middle of a weathered aluminium frame by rusty, gnarly industrial springs. My parents, god-bless them were safety conscious and had purchased the vinyl covered foam spring covers, in an attempt to prevent our soft childhood skin from being torn off by unforgiving coiled metal. Needless to say the foam covers lasted about 3 months before they were torn and hurled around the ‘side-yard’ during a big storm. Multiple shin de-barking incidents would follow.

The other added element of ‘excitement’ (I use the term very loosely) of trampolining at the Rochford house was that the northern edge of the side-yard the land dropped away steeply – very steeply. I wouldn’t call it a cliff, but it definitely wasn’t a nice friendly slope to land on should you time your jump badly and be flung into the air northward. There was no net to catch you, no modern safety measures to prevent your fall. There was just the futile hope of a small child that you would land on the softest bit, not the rocks.

Times have changed a lot. The introduction of Springfree Trampoline’s innovative design saw trampolines changed forever, presenting a safe option that eliminated all the impact points that cause 90% of product-related trampoline injuries. And believe me when I say as a child I hit every single one of those ‘impact points’

It’s not about wrapping our kids in cotton wool and not letting them experience life, including the immense fun of a trampoline. It’s about being smart, and doing everything you can as a parent to reduce the risk of injury. I have seen more than my fair share of trampoline related injuries working in Emergency Departments all over Australia. But that doesn’t mean risks can’t be reduced without losing any of the fun.

The Springfree Trampoline is the only trampoline recommended by an independent consumer group. The Springfree Trampoline Medium Round was tested among 8 trampoline brands against the Australian Standards (AS 4989:2015), and was the only trampoline of all 8 brands to pass the safety tests. And that matters, but it also matters to follow some simple steps to keep your Kid’s Flippin Safe.

5 Main Trampoline Safety Jumper Rules – Just remember the FLOSS:

Happy Jumping!!

View our 'Keep Kids Flippin Safe' video here.