Before you bounce...

In many American backyards, trampolines have challenged swing sets, monkey bars, and treehouses for primacy as kids’ favorite piece of playtime equipment. It’s easy to see why. It’s as close to feeling weightless as you can get while earthbound.

However, parents should be aware of the downside of this uplifting activity.

On a trampoline that’s not equipped with some basic safety equipment, it’s all too easy for a slip or a badly timed bounce to end on the hard ground. It’s also important to have a few rules made clear before you can add the trampoline to the list of safe ways your kids can burn off some energy.

Net benefits

No one should be allowed to use the trampoline unless it’s equipped with a safety net and padding. There are good reasons for this requirement. Recent research indicates that each year around 100,000 kids between the ages of 5 and 14 end up in the emergency room with injuries such as fractures, sprains, and head or neck trauma, suffered on a trampoline.

A sturdy, properly fitted safety net can mitigate this danger by erecting a protective barrier all around the jumping surface. The net’s mesh should be weather-resistant as well as having a weave that’s tight enough to keep jumpers in, but loose enough to prevent the net from catching the wind and turning the apparatus into an unintentional sailing ship.

Padding the hard surfaces of the frame and support poles significantly reduces the chance that jumpers will slam into components that could injure them, as well as ensuring that they don’t slip between the springs.

Soften the landings

Even having made all the right moves with net and padding, you can’t fight gravity. If the worst should happen and your jumper suffers a fall from the trampoline despite all your care, you can reduce the fall’s effects by placing soft mats or foam tiles around the equipment.

Conduct a pre-flight inspection

If you keep your trampoline outside as most owners do, it will be subject to mud, dust, rain, and sun.
Before every jumping session you should assess the trampoline’s condition.

Some pads come with waterproof covers to extend their life outdoors, but even if your trampoline has one, you should inspect the poles, springs, and other hardware for rust and replace worn or broken parts as soon as you identify them. Springs can corrode and mats — even those made from sturdy fabric — can become worn and weakened by exposure to the weather. Check these components regularly to be sure there are no holes or tears in the netting, and that the padding hasn’t lost integrity.

Finally, wash the trampoline periodically to keep it clean, and let it dry fully before its next use.

Make sure you’re watching

As with so many other activities, your offspring are most likely to find a way to get hurt when you’re not enforcing the safety rules in person. That means Rule No. 1 should be “No jumping without a trusted grownup keeping an eye on things.” That will enable you to nip that double flip or airborne wrestling match in the bud.

Jump solo

Rule No. 2 should be “No groups.” Falling off the trampoline is the leading cause of injuries, but a fair number of bruises, broken bones, and concussions also result from jumpers colliding with each other when aloft. Adding this house rule will have the added benefit of teaching young jumpers to take turns.

Stay legal

Standards promulgated by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International specify that every trampoline must meet rigorous standards for enclosure nets, frame strength, padding, and user weight limits, as well as requiring the posting of safety warnings where they will be visible to users. Failure to equip a trampoline with the proper safety equipment and to observe legally mandated safety rules may result in the homeowner being liable for damages and subject to fines or even prosecution.

Sources: healthychildren.org; medicdrug.org

The information included here was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, SI, and its employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with any training, materials, suggestions, or information provided. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state, or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, SI, should not be used as the basis for legal advice and should be confirmed with alternative sources.

9/2026