Indoor Trampoline Park

As parents, keeping our kids healthy is a priority. One of the best ways to do that is through exercise, and you can’t do much better than bouncing around in a trampoline place. But the fact is, we’re in the middle of an obesity epidemic that affects kids and adults alike, and regular exercise won’t completely do the trick. Sure, regular movement and cardio is excellent for building muscle and dropping the pounds. But eating healthy is the key.

It’s tough enough to eat healthily, but things can get even more difficult when you’re meal planning for kids. Along with that, the majority of our junk food consumption happens when we snack. Don’t get us wrong, there’s a place for sweets and chips, but those should be consumed in extreme moderation. Keep reading, and we’ll share a few tips to help your kids, and you, eat healthier.

  • First, keep junk food out of the house. If it’s not there, it won’t be a temptation for anyone in the family. While snacks are a normal part of the day’s food consumption, try setting a good example for your kids and snack healthy yourself. As far as treats are concerned, save them for special occasions. Not only will fewer sweets be better for your body, you’ll appreciate them more by having them less.
  • Protein is a great dietary staple, because it will help your child feel fuller faster, and for a longer period of time. If you’re okay with eating meats, deli meats and cooked chicken tenders can be a good choice, along with hard boiled eggs. If you’re leaning more vegetarian, nuts and nut butters are bursting with protein, as are noodles. Beans are another great choice, and a bean burrito with salsa and a little cheese will do the trick.
  • Remember a while ago when people were encouraged to cut carbs out completely and eat meats? It turns out that carbs can be okay, particularly if you focus on whole-grain foods. Making a sandwich with whole-grain bread, or a wrap using a whole-grain tortilla can be satisfying. For breakfast, try whole grain and high fiber cereals for a tasty and filling meal.
  • Fruits and vegetables are the name of the game. For younger kids, their variety of bright colors can make them appealing for snacks and main meals. Pineapples, watermelons, mangoes, avocados, red and green peppers are all a good option, along with the traditional standbys of apples, bananas, and grapes. A yogurt dip for fruit is yummy and nutritious, as is peanut butter on celery, bananas, or apples.
  • Don’t feel like breakfast foods need to be stuck in the AM. Using them as afternoon snacks can keep things spontaneous and interesting. A little dried cereal mixed up with nuts and fruits is healthy and filling. You can also microwave oatmeal with a little low-fat milk, then mix it with some unsweetened applesauce and a pinch of cinnamon.

Ultimately, eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or unpleasant. All you need to do is replace bad habits with good habits, and the process can be simpler and less expensive. Come back tomorrow, and we’ll share a few more tips with you!

As a kid, there’s something magical about jumping on a trampoline. You probably remember it, the feeling of gravity loosening its hold on you, just for a second. Very briefly, you feel like flying. For many of us, back in the day, the only way to enjoy the trampoline experience was if we owned or knew someone with one in their backyard. Too often, old school trampolines were rickety death traps. But with the rise of the indoor trampoline park, things are a lot different.

Trampoline parks have become wildly popular in the last few years. They are a great place for a birthday party for the kids, or simply as a fun place for your kids to go and blow off some steam. But if you’re looking to get the maximum amount of fun from the experience, keep reading. Yesterday, we shared a few tips to keep in mind when planning your trampoline park excursion, and today, we’ve got a few more.

  • Not all trampoline parks have the same rules, and one of the biggest things to keep in mind is whether or not socks are required. Some places don’t require socks, while others do, and still others require everyone to wear socks with grip bottoms (which they helpfully sell). Make sure to find out the rules ahead of time, and beware the foam pits, which have a way of stealing socks from unwary feet.
  • As an adult, there’s one thing many of us have forgotten from childhood, and that is the fact that jumping on a trampoline is a tough workout. Like any other extended exercise, you’ll burn a lot of calories and become dehydrated. Dehydration can sneak up on you faster than you think, so make sure to take frequent water breaks. Better yet, bring a big water bottle with you so you don’t need to embark on a water fountain hunt.
  • For most trampoline parks, you pay for a set period of jumping time, usually an hour or two. That amount of time will exhaust nearly anyone, but here’s how to get a little extra jump time. Arrive and buy your tickets a few minutes after the hour or half-hour. If you arrive at 1:10 and you pay for an hour of jumping, you’ll likely be called to leave closer to 2:30 instead of 2:00.
  • The vast majority of folks who opt to bounce at trampoline parks are adults. Once in awhile though, some brave or foolhardy parents decide to join in the fun. That’s okay, and keep in mind adults are allowed to jump. Don’t worry about looking goofy, just enjoy yourself. Maybe have some ibuprofen ready for later, though.
  • Just about every trampoline place has a separated area for smaller kids. These are a great idea, and make sure to take advantage of them if you’ve got tinier tykes. Older kids can get crazy and accidentally slam into a small child if you’re in the main area.
  • If you’re taking the kids, or showing up for a birthday party, what if you’re unwilling or physically unable to jump? No problem! Most indoor trampoline parks have somewhat comfortable seating, so if you’re bringing older kids, you can relax while they run…er…bounce wild.

Take a moment and picture it. It’s a rainy Sunday morning, and it looks like the rotten weather will continue all day. Your family is going through a serious case of cabin fever. The kids are bouncing off the walls, and you’re thiiis close to losing it. Then, like a bolt from the blue, it hits you. “If they want to bounce around so badly,” you think, “let’s make that happen!” You announce to them that you’re taking them to a trampoline place, and there are squeals of transcendent joy.

A couple of hours spent at an indoor trampoline park is a couple of hours well spent. Considering that over the last few years, these attractions have been opening up virtually everywhere, we’re not the only ones who feel that way. But if you want to get the most out of your visit, keep reading, because we’ve got a couple of tips to share with you.

  • You may be less than thrilled about this, but trampoline parks are totally unregulated. As a result, everybody needs to sign a waiver before they can get to jumping. Many trampoline parks give you the option to either fill out the form online or print it out & sign it ahead of time. Take a close look at it before you sign, and remember that everybody who is jumping needs a separate waiver.
  • Lots of trampoline places offer specials and have different prices at different times. As you can probably imagine, prices are highest on weekends. Consider going on weekdays, and you’ll likely pay less. Also, check the company’s website for military, family, and other discounts.
  • Along with prices being higher on weekends, trampoline places tend to be jam-packed with people on weekends. That’s a problem for two reasons. First, trampolines should only be used by one person at a time & safety can be an issue. Second, a good chunk of time can be spent waiting to jump or use the foam pit. On weekday afternoons, there will be far fewer people & far more time to have fun!
  • If everybody in the family is planning to jump, make sure to dress the part. Skinny jeans aren’t a smart fashion choice. Instead, wear clothing that makes it easy for you to move and work up a sweat. Athletic shorts, yoga pants, and t-shirts will do the trick nicely.
  • Before you leave, make sure to leave jewelry and watches at home. Necklaces and bracelets can easily get snagged, and rings can slip off of sweaty fingers very easily. Trust us, you don’t want to be digging around the bottom of a foam pit for your wedding ring.
  • Along similar lines, if you’re going to jump, make sure all of your pockets are emptied. You don’t want to lose a smartphone, wallet, purse, or camera as you’re bounding around. While many trampoline parks have storage areas, they don’t always have locks. Call ahead of time to check, and if they don’t have locks, bring a padlock from home or leave belongings in the car.

One of the most popular options for your kid’s party, or simply a way to burn off some excess energy for a few hours is the indoor trampoline park. It’s not surprising that this industry has been exploding over the last few years, considering that the pairing of a bouncy trampoline and a kid exploding with energy is a natural combination.

However, like any other activity, there are risks. According to a study performed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were nearly 105,000 injuries related to the use of a trampoline in 2014. 22 trampoline-related deaths occurred between 2000-2009. The main reasons injuries took place were:

  • People slamming into each other while jumping
  • Landing incorrectly after a jump or while attempting a flip or another trick
  • Jumping or falling off the trampoline onto the ground, floor, or another hard surface
  • Landing on the trampoline frame or springs

So does all of this data mean that trampolines are a menace to public health, and for the safety of your children, you should never allow them to bounce? No, not at all. For example, 60,000 people are injured every year while skiing and snowboarding and 41.5 people die yearly on average. Nobody is seriously suggesting that skiing is too dangerous for kids, it just means that there’s an inherent risk to the activity, but when proper safety precautions are taken, skiing can be an activity that parents don’t need to worry about.

The same logic applies to bouncing on a trampoline. You can take your kids to a trampoline park, and by following a few commonsense safety tips, thy will have a good time and be free from injury.

  • Ideally, there should only be one person using a trampoline at a time. However, we know that some trampoline parks offer rows of trampolines that kids can bounce between. Take a moment and make sure nobody is making their way towards the trampoline your child is using. When the coast is clear, they can jump to their heart’s content.
  • A fast query on your favorite search engine will pull up lots of videos showing people doing amazing trampoline tricks and gymnastics. They make it look so easy, anybody can do it, right? Nope. Most of those people have had intensive training, and they know one inescapable fact. A flip that goes wrong can lead to back and neck injuries, paralysis, and even death. Don’t let your kids try doing flips or tricks.
  • Before your kids get on the trampoline and go nuts, make sure you eyeball the sides. Specifically, you want to look to make sure the shock-absorbing pad is completely covering the springs, metal hooks, and frames. Landing on uncovered metal can cause serious injuries, and be seriously painful.
  • We’ve seen it before where a parent is supposed to be watching the kids, but they’re focused on the smartphone or chatting away with someone else. Kids need adult supervision, and by “kids”, we mean children that are 6 years old or younger. Coordination and balance are the name of the game when using a trampoline, and younger kids don’t have that mastered. Watch them like their life depends on it. It just might.