Safety tips when using a 7ft trampoline
7ft trampolines are great for young kids, but they can only safely bounce one child at a time and adults are completely out of the picture. As this size trampoline is the perfect starter trampoline, teaching your little ones how to use it properly is key to preventing injuries and negative experiences. Here are some safety tips you should follow:
- Children should always be supervised when using a trampoline and resting is encouraged during long bouncing sessions.
- Trampolines aren’t suitable for toddlers or young children under the age of 6 — children this age haven’t developed the physical skills required to fully control their bouncing.
- Always have a compatible safety enclosure attached to the trampoline to prevent falls and injuries.
- Only allow one child to bounce on a 7ft trampoline at a time. Depending on the weight capacity of the trampoline, this can be increased to two children for less physical games (such as drawing and throwing games).
- Encourage children to bounce in the centre of the trampoline to reduce the risks of falling off the edge and catching themselves on the springs.
- For additional protection from the springs, hooks and frames can be used to prevent injuries.
- Don’t allow children to go underneath the trampoline. This is especially important if the trampoline is in use and has a low frame.
- Even if the trampoline has a low frame or is in-ground, children should never jump off the trampoline and should be encouraged to step off or use a ladder instead.
- Avoid putting the trampoline on hard surfaces without absorbent safety matting. Hard ground includes tarmac, concrete, slate tiles, and hard-packed mud.
- Ideally, the trampoline should be installed on soft ground that absorbs energy. The best cushioning materials are sand, bark woodchip, luscious lawns, etc.
- Domestic trampolines, especially ones that are only 7ft, are not suitable or designed for doing flips or somersaults, so these tricks should be avoided.