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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Trampoline etiquette - one bouncer or more?

27 replies

BlueCornflower · 05/04/2009 21:45

I know you are only supposed to let one child bounce at a time on a trampoline but I just wondered how many people enforce this. We've just bought one for our DD (age 5). When her friends come round, I am not sure whether I should let them bounce together or not. Although obviously much safer, it is also rather boring to bounce alone and watch your friend bouncing. What do people think?

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FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 05/04/2009 21:46

I'd say 1 at a time. I've seen alot of trampoline accidents.

blametheparents · 05/04/2009 21:48

We allow 2 bouncers at a time, we have not had any injuries yet, but that may just be luck of course.
I also try to make sure that bigger children (my DS is 7) are careful when they are boucing with younger children (DD is 3). DS is generally pretty good about this, and saves the manic bouncing for when he is on there on his own.

ChasingSquirrels · 05/04/2009 21:49

we got ours when ds1 was 3, at that time I used to let them all on it - they didn't bounce as such, just ran round it.

Now I only let the older ones (6yo) on together and if they want to do proper bouncing then the non-bouncers have to sit on the spring pads and they take it in turns.
Mostly they play monsters and football on it though, and just run around - so it isn't a problem.

Younger (2/3) ones can still go on together - if only ones want to go on with them then they have to stay on all fours!

not sure I would recommend my approach.

ChasingSquirrels · 05/04/2009 21:50

du - that should be if OLDER ones want to go on they have to stay on all fours.

Original poster

BlueCornflower · 05/04/2009 21:53

My DD was actually kicked accidently by a visiting 3 year old this afternoon and has a big bruise on her cheek, so that was a 3yo hurting a 5yo, and they weren't really bouncing much anyway. Hmm - still can't decide...

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Jajas · 05/04/2009 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

katiek123 · 06/04/2009 08:29

our two (7 and 5) have many hours of fun on there together - there is no way i could have enforced the 'one at a time' rule and didn't even try - when other kids come round they tend to pile in together but play with balls etc and so far we've been lucky too

eastereggfeaster · 06/04/2009 10:05

This is the very reason I'm holding off buying a trampoline as I really would only want one child on at a time but can't see how on earth I'd manage to enforce it when ds's friends come round.

Really tricky but I have heard dreadful stories via an A&E doc.

notsoteenagemum · 06/04/2009 10:22

I let two at a time or two big ones with a little one (dd is 8 and ds is 4 and the trampoline is 10ft) but if dd and friend bounce too much then ds can't bounce iyswim so you have to keep an eye.

ICANDOTHAT · 06/04/2009 10:27

Oh, blimey .... we have 4 at a time on ours (14ft with net) So far, so good ( she says driving frantically to A&E )

Most of the accidents I hear about are falling off (no safety net) and neck injuries.

ABetaDad · 06/04/2009 10:37

Two equal sized seems just about OK but a big one and a small one is dangerous as the little one gets bounced around, falls over and cannot stand up.

Certainly needs supervision to stop to stop silly boisterous behaviour though as the danger of banged heads is real.

TheButterflyOeuffect · 06/04/2009 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Beetroot · 06/04/2009 10:45

Mine are older and we have a few at a time. Kids love it.

Karam · 07/04/2009 17:31

With our trampoline I am strict on enforcing one bouncing on it at a time rule. I do let the others sit round the edge, but only one child can bounce at a time. Thankfully, I have two very bossy DDs (5 and 2) who both know and understand the rule and who are quite good at enforcing it on others. I just tell guests when they come round and then leave it to my DDs to enforce. They generally do twenty bounces and then its the next turn. Its not difficult to enforce - took about a week of booting the kids off the trampoline before they got it, but we have no trouble now - I don't even need to watch over them to enforce it, as they know I look in and if I see two bouncing, they get kicked off immediately and banned from the rest of the day (I'm a bit kinder if friends are round!!!) but after doing that a few times, they just do it naturally now and happily tell their friends that that's teh rule. Better to be safe than sorry I'd say!

Picante · 07/04/2009 17:33

My dentist keeps going on about the huge increase in number of children she sees with broken teeth or worse from bouncing with other children on trampolines.

Having said that, it's much more fun with two!

Milliways · 07/04/2009 17:35

We allow 2 older or more tinies if plenty of adults around. Ours is 14' though, would not allow 2 or more on a smaller one.

Also, no flips etc allowed if more than 1 on.

If you have groups, play games like "scrambled eggs" where only 1 is bouncing.

madairyMilkEggday · 07/04/2009 17:39

We have a two at a time rule.
My 2 have such fun on there together, not just bouncing but playing ball, tag, etc etc. I really couldn't enforce the one at a time rule tho prob am a baad mum for not doing so. I think 2 is reasonable tho, and enforce it with their friends too.

madwomanintheattic · 07/04/2009 17:41

my 3 are on it together all the time (9,7,5)
we have a no flips rule and try and minimise games that look like they are getting out of control, lol, but so far (touch wood) no a& e trips.
dd2 has cp and extremely poor balance, so they can't go too mad anyway.

oh, and ds1's fave game is when i get on there with him and double-bounce so he fires up in the air like a rocket

madwomanintheattic · 07/04/2009 17:41

ours is 14 ft too though - not sure i would be quite so lax relaxed with a smaller one. and it has a net, natch.

pranma · 07/04/2009 17:53

I recently broke my knee bouncing on a trampoline and the fracture clinic said it was one of the most frequent causes of injury in young people[noy my age though!]

ilovesprouts · 07/04/2009 18:21

id say two little ones max iused to have a 14ft one and the first time i got it out all the kids on our estate came round to jump on it one day they must of been 10 kids and if i dint let em go on it my life was hell
and it kert getting vandelized so i got rid of it in the end

Blottedcopybook · 07/04/2009 18:44

I'm a British Gymnastics-qualified trampoline coach and absolutely neurotic about safety on trampolines - personally I would prefer one at a time but certainly no more than two, and I'd have them under constant supervision. What you need to remember is that your average backyard trampoline is less bouncy than one you'd find in a gym but they're also less likely to be maintained. I saw 5 kids on a 14ft trampoline with no safety net and loads of missing springs recently which just looked like a recipe for broken arms to me!

Also - not sure who mentioned letting kids sit on the pads over the springs, try not to encourage that too much. It puts added strain onto those springs and can make them liable to snap.

UnrealisticExpectations · 07/04/2009 19:07

I'd say, if you can enforce the one at a time rule, so much the better. Maybe that's easier with slightly bigger kids. Mine are 2 and 4 and no sooner have I zipped them in than they want to be out if they're alone.

I do let them go on together because ours is a biggy, with nets, but I make DD bounce very gently, never with her back to DS. Mostly they just roll, chase and cuddle. I used to be okay with this but I can't say I'm comfortable with it now because, recently, 2yo DS got his tummy bounced on, full bore, by a 6' dad who got on the bouncy castle when DS was on, and I couldn't get him off in time. His bounce 'pulled' DS into the hole he made IYSWIM and then he landed on him - full foot, right across his tummy. It probably doesn't sound so bad unless you saw it, but seeing it made me feel sick and I took DS to A&E to have him checked out.

If you can't stick to one at a time, I'd stick to 2 evenly sized ones, sticking to bouncing, with no fancy moves, and make sure they've got strict rules and you're keeping an eye on things.

I'd agree with ABetaDad re size. If DH or I go on with kids we go on all fours as ChasingSquirrells says. It's more a case of a roll about and a cuddle etc.

Eastereggfeaster, we got ours last year and its one of the new Jumpking Ovalpods. As its name suggests, it's oval and it's supposed to have 2 bounce zones, one at each end, (or maybe 3 if this article is to be believed ezinearticles.com/?Jumpking-Ovalpod----Why-Oval-Is-Better-Than-Round-Trampolines&id=1184132) so it's supposed to be safer for 2 kids - if you can get them to bounce at each end!

IotasCat · 07/04/2009 19:12

We are strictly one at a time here. Too risky otherwise according to rospa 70% of accidents are caused by more than one child on the trampoline

Gillyan · 07/04/2009 19:26

Hiya

I am a trampolining coach. You should stick to one at a time as if they land at exactly the same time one can 'ping' the other. I have seen and had myself so many accidents, trampolining can be really dangerous. When you do doubles it's generally two people boucning really high so no chance of pinging.

My friend has a trampoline in her garden with a net round it and she lets about 5 kids on at once although under 5's aren't very heavy so maybe not too much of a risk.
I'd say defo stick to one at a time.

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