NWMR: Trampolines

jlaOK

What's the minimum age you would let your child jump on a trampoline?  Supervised, at your house, with enclosure.  DH wants to get one for DS's 5th birthday.  DD will be 2 the month after but I'm not sure if she's old enough to use it.  I don't want to buy one if she can't use it too.  That doesn't seem fair.

Edit:  We are thinking a 12' to 15' trampoline

DiveFrog

DD is 2 and jumps on a trampoline at her gymnastics class with no problems. I would definitely buy one if we had the space for one in our yard. 

The best safety advice for any trampoline is to only allow one person to jump at a time. It is pretty rare to see any injury to a single jumper. It is when multiple people are jumping that injuries occur.

jlaOK

Thanks for the responses!

Mustardseed2007

K3am said:

My BIL owns a bounce house company, so DD has spent a ton of time in bounce houses alone and with other kids ranging 5-15, starting at about a year and a half. Now at almost two, she's a pro.

Our neighbors got a big trampoline for Christmas last year - DD spent a lot of time sitting on it while the kids (8, 11, 14) bounced, and is now finally starting to bounce with them.

As long as you're supervising and DS is able to be cognizant of DD while they're bouncing together, I don't see it as a huge problem.

Seriously?!? That is so interesting!

I feel like they are dangerous unless you do it right (supervised, 1 kid at a time), so I won't ever get one for our home b/c it seems like too much hassle to make sure your kids follow the rules to really be safe. However, as far as just using one, I would think that 2 is a fine age if they are jumping one at a time and are being supervised.

I feel the same way about pools. I don't want one b/c I'm worried about what happens when I'm not looking, but I certainly don't mind my kid swimming at young age under the right circumstances.

WBMom

Make sure you check with your homeowners insurance about trampolines.  We have an umbrella policy that would cover any injuries on a trampoline.

eyenigh

Not to be a total Debbie Downer, but check with your home insurance to be sure you'll be covered if you own one. We had one at our old house (pre-kid, actually) and when our new insurance company found out we had it on the home check, they were going to deny us. We wound up moving it into our neighbor's yard when they came to do the return home check and moving it back. As a secondary downer, it's a pain to deal with when mowing the lawn. We wound up giving it away.

All the bummer stuff aside, my son has been great on trampolines and bounce houses since he was 2, no problem. Wuth supervision, your 2 year old would probably have a blast.

2chatter

I'd limit the jumpers to one - if multiple kids jump and they land it's like landing on concrete.  Injuries are highest with multiple jumpers - they accidentally bounce into each other and alternate their bounces leading to spinal cord, head and leg injuries.  Trampolines scare me and whenever we go to an air park I am the parent banging on the glass to make my kids move if some other kid jumps on their individual trampoline with them.  DD (7, weighs 40 pounds) body checked a much larger boy who bounced onto her trampoline and refused to get off - I didn't approve of the move and she could have been really injured.  He landed face first and got a bloody nose.

DiveFrog

eyenigh said:

Not to be a total Debbie Downer, but check with your home insurance to be sure you'll be covered if you own one. We had one at our old house (pre-kid, actually) and when our new insurance company found out we had it on the home check, they were going to deny us. We wound up moving it into our neighbor's yard when they came to do the return home check and moving it back. As a secondary downer, it's a pain to deal with when mowing the lawn. We wound up giving it away.

All the bummer stuff aside, my son has been great on trampolines and bounce houses since he was 2, no problem. Wuth supervision, your 2 year old would probably have a blast.

I second this recommendation. DH & I bought one for our niece and nephew at SIL's suggestion. Then she found out it was going to be an insurance issue. Thank goodness she checked before we gave it to the kids at Christmas. Ended up having to return it to the store.

jlaOK

DiveFrog said:

eyenigh said:

Not to be a total Debbie Downer, but check with your home insurance to be sure you'll be covered if you own one. We had one at our old house (pre-kid, actually) and when our new insurance company found out we had it on the home check, they were going to deny us. We wound up moving it into our neighbor's yard when they came to do the return home check and moving it back. As a secondary downer, it's a pain to deal with when mowing the lawn. We wound up giving it away.

All the bummer stuff aside, my son has been great on trampolines and bounce houses since he was 2, no problem. Wuth supervision, your 2 year old would probably have a blast.

I second this recommendation. DH & I bought one for our niece and nephew at SIL's suggestion. Then she found out it was going to be an insurance issue. Thank goodness she checked before we gave it to the kids at Christmas. Ended up having to return it to the store.

Didn't know this.  I'll be sure to check with our insurance.

fitmom82

DD got one for her 4th birthday last March, DS turned 2 that May, they both love it.  The three of us have a blast jumping together, I also let the 2 of them in it. 

Mustardseed2007

You know I just remembered that my cousin bought a small sized bounce house with an air compressor. They have used it for his birthdays and also just play dates. A benefit of it is you can pull it out and inflate it out, then put it away. Of course the downside is you have to pull it out but it takes very little time and effort to set up.