Please come and talk to me about 10ft trampolines

[Yurtgirl]

We have decided to invest in a 10ft trampoline and would really appreciate a few answers to some questions!!

a- enclosure or no enclosure
b- cheap from argos or more expensive
c- what do you do about mowing the grass underneath are they easyish to move?
d- How do you put up with such a huge ugly thing in your garden forevermore?

Although our garden is nearly 20ft wide the grass bit is only 10 so that dictates the size!

TIA

I found the legs made big holes in the ground rather than the grass going brown. But definatly use an enclosure. Ds had a broken arm falling off his!

hmm...ours has bars connecting the legs, right at the bottom, and therefore better weight distribution, I suppose...oh and no yellow/brown grass, just very long grass because not mowed as often...

just got to choose between - Jumpking, Mad Dash and Springtime one

FairLady - do you do it barefoot? read somewhere that you really should as socks & shoes can build up static.

the tent sounds fun but i don't think i'd go for it.
will look on eBay thanks for the tip

I have tried with shoes, sockfooted and barefooted and nothing makes a difference...but I am one of those people who seem to build up static...when I was still nursing I would always get static shocks when making patients beds...I hated that sooooooooooo much...

We have a 10ft one that came with an enclosure, a ladder and a big dome tent that can be fitted to it. I think it was about £140. I will go and find a link.........

Atlantic Trampolines

I bought mine via ebay and collected as it was fairly close by. They have a huge warehouse full of ready-assembled trampolines and the tents were huge!! We haven't put our tent up yet because ds only had it in August so am hoping the weather is better this year so we can use it!!!

Also, the grass under ours seems to grow faster and greener than the rest of the garden! It's easy enough to move our 10ft-er to different spots in the garden.

mogs- I like those but they are out of stock of 10ft enclosures which is what we need!

Ninja - have you chosen yet???

a friend who is an A&E consultant has told me too much about trampolining injuries they see. We've decided not to get one.

Hi Crumpet- What have you got as an alternative?

What I like about trampolines is the instant and long lasting fun they provide, albeit with a risk factor.

I saw one on a property program the other day and it was sunk into the ground. Just another idea!

Hiya we too have been looking at trampolines, so the info on here is fabulous, just wanted to add tho' a friend of mine has an 18mnth old who walked straight under their trampoline while the older children were bouncing.

Fortunatly they realised and stopped straight away but she could potentially have broken her neck.

If you have the risk of a smaller child going underneath buy some fruit netting from a garden centre to go around the legs, this will also stop the cat poo issue and if you bark chip undereath you wont have to worry about the grass going horrible or having to move it to mow.

hope this helps!!

I always wanted one for my girls as they got older, and wanted one sunk into the ground, however after talking to a friend who is a PE teacher, I will never get thegirls one, far too dangerous

Yurtgirl I think the Supertramp maybe - although DD1 wants a tent now!

Have you decided?

found the B&Q link

No of course I havent!!!

I cant decide whether to go for an Argos does the job, or one from another site (dont know which!) or scrap the whole idea owing to trampolines being dangerous!!!!

For those of you who wont get one because of the risks involved what will you get instead??? I am genuinely interested - I cant imagine my kids would get nearly so much fun out of a swing/slide combo for example

A wooden play hut/hideout is an option but doesnt offer aerobic activity does it

Bikes etc do obviously but not so practical for us atm

Thanks for that Navyeyelash - that didnt seem to be viewable yesterday!

Pity they dont seem to do a 10ft one - 12ft would be too wide I think

Good value for given that you get the enclosure too and it folds - £200 for the 12ft

We have a 10ft Jumpking Jumppod, it's been in the garden since last summer. The grass has died underneath it, and our lawn is so small that even if we move it around a certain bit is ALWAYS underneath. But where we've exposed the grass again it's growing back, slowly. Anyway, grass is just grass, a trampoline is much more fun.

The folding one looks interesting ... five minues set-up my ARSE though, there's a lot of steps shown in that video. Plus part of the joy of ours is that DD can just go out for five minutes, and come back in, it's not an activity we need to go and set up. Trampoline has had plenty of use over the winter (and looked quite pretty in the snow!)

Surround - absolutely, even if you dig it in to the ground (trampoline teacher's advice).

The only thing I would change about ours is the entrance to the surround - it's a zipped 'door', whereas a friend of DD's has one where the mesh overlaps, and they have to squeeze themselves between the two layers, and onto the trampoline. Unlike ours, it CAN'T be left open, because it's permanently closed, which I think is genius.

I don't know Yurtgirl, I loved trampolining by the beach when I was a kid and thats why I desperately wanted one for my LO, however I have now been out off, just not willing to take that risk

I'm still planning to get one - I loved trampolines as a kid., and I think that supervised they're safe fun.

There's also been a lot written recently about how we wrap our kids up in cotton wool and should expose them to more risks.

I phoned up the alfresco fun oplace and they recommended the Supertramp Springtime one - said it was the best deal atm.

I'm going to order it before I change my mind

Right I've done it - no more being indecisive!!

Ninja

I am about to buy the newer one from plum products - from Argos with the enclosure....

I've done it too!

From AlFresco Fun - a SuperTramp 10ft one with net, ladder, cover + bought a tent as only £50 with the trampoline - DH saw it and wanted it!!
Total - 290.

Should arrive next week, just showed DS1 the picture and he got really excited

I agree we do wrap our kids up with cottojn wool, however I know that I will not be able to supervise a trampoline 100% and I'm notprepared to take that risk. I would teach my kids how to use it but I couldn;t guaratnee another childs safety or that they wouldn't misuse it together.

Anyway, maybe I am being a fuddy duddy mum, but after hearing some stories I won't be getting one

I think we will have rules about it, esp when friends are round.

• no-one gets on without permission
• the zip must always be shut (did try to find on with the flaps but didn't in the end)
• any others anyone can think of?