Trampoline parks?

[winterbaby]

I just found out that DD11's day camp has a field trip to a trampoline park next week. Would you allow this? (I don't work so this would be a matter of just staying home, not having to go and being left out or anything like that.) I don't want to be a spoilsport - or disappoint a child on the spectrum who copes poorly with disappointment - but articles like http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/01/487940627/as-trampoline-parks-jump-in-popularity-so-do-injuries give me pause. It states 6,932 ER visits out of 50 million visits to the parks. That means about a one in seven thousand chance of ending up in the ER. Nine percent of those injuries require admission to the hospital. So about a one in 80,000 chance of hospital admission. BUT I'm not sure I believe there are fifty million visits to trampoline parks every year, which would change the risk analysis. That number is from their trade association. I will be discussing this with my husband later on but I'd like to know what you guys think.

[JudoMom]

I would, but we've had a trampoline for nearly 15 years and my boys did recreational tumbling/trampoline gymnastics for several years, with one being competitive.  Subtracting that out, though, I still would, after reminding them that they're only allowed one person/trampoline and if anyone tries to double jump, they're to get off the trampoline.

[Ali in OR]

I was nervous about it but my dd really wanted to go to one of these so we did. I would say it depends on your child. If he mostly wants to jump up and down--no problem. If you think he's likely to try to teach himself to flip after seeing someone else do it, I would be a little more nervous. The place is pretty fun and most kids I saw were not doing anything that would worry me.

[scbusf]

Personally, I don't allow my kids on trampolines very often. Everyone has their own "thing" and this is mine. 

 

I do know that kids can get hurt doing anything - my friend's daughter broke her arm last week by tripping on something in their house and falling on her arm. I fell on our driveway yesterday and tore up my leg and foot.

[historically accurate]

We visit the local trampoline park in the winter, and I have one who had knee surgery due to a bouncy house collision. We have never had a problem despite having children who have low muscle tone. Most of the kids are pretty safe there - no flips allowed during open jump. 

 

ETA: my main beef with the place is it smells like kid feet LOL.

Edited June 28, 2017 by beckyjo

[maize]

Well, I have three trampolines in my back yard, so...

 

If the child has no experience (as in tumbling classes etc.) with doing flips I might tell them they can go but just jump and not try flips or fancy tricks. Flips were off limits on our home trampoline until after the children learned how in tumbling. I still require them to ask permission before going out to do flips, mostly so that I am aware and can check in on them.

 

When I was researching trampoline safety what I found was that, while the injury rate is high, most injuries are relatively minor and many can be prevented by following a few safety precautions (safety net, one jumper at a time...). Any activity involving physical movement includes a risk of injury, and I decided that for my family the hours of exercise and fun afforded by the trampolines outweighed the risk of serious harm. The most injury-safe thing you could do would be to sit in your couch all day and we all know that isn't good for us!

 

We've done trampoline parks a few times and had a great time. If you are worried could you go with her?

Edited June 28, 2017 by maize

[Doodlebug]

It isn't my favorite activity for many reasons.  One being the waiver a parent must sign.  Second, the risk of injury.

 

After looking into risk, we realized that most of the risk lies with high volume of jumpers.  So, if my kid wants to jump, we invite a few friends and go early.  That seems like a happy compromise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rachel]

We have been to the trampoline parks. In general they have a lot of rules in place to keep kids safe. For example they only allow one kid per trampoline. They keep the younger kids away from the older ones. If they play dodgeball they have separate games for bigger and littler kids. In the foam pit they have a system in place to keep it from being a free for all.

[SJ.]

I would allow it but I would stress safety rules and maybe go to supervise. The biggest rule I would stress is one person per trampoline where possible. In any areas where the trampolines are large and multiple people are on them I would be sure your daughter is with people around her size. Also, jump in the middle not the edge of the trampoline and no flips.

 

 

 

Generally, trampoline parks have strict rules to follow but in my experience sometimes they aren't enforced when it is very busy.

Edited June 28, 2017 by SJ.

[winterbaby]

Well, it is a field trip for the day camp so there's going to be a pretty large group of kids there. It's a city rec center camp so I'm thinking the chance of them letting me tag along is close to nil. That's also kind of the opposite of what I'm trying to do in terms of social skills development by sending her to camp in the first place. She is large for her age and very unathletic so I can't really see her doing flips. The health vs. risk argument doesn't make a lot of sense to me because I don't think there are really health benefits from a one time thing. To me there's no such thing as a small enough chance of quadriplegia, but I'm not trying to hold her back in life or be overprotective. I'll see what my husband thinks.

[38carrots]

Of course! She'll have a blast. It is a great physical activity for someone who is not athletic and jumping on a trampoline is great for one's body (and mind.)

 

If we start checking out stats for every activity, might as well stop driving and bubble wrap yourself.

 

FWIW, I do believe that looking at child activities through the lens of the statistical possibility of becoming quadriplegic, is paranoid and over protective.

[EMS83]

I'd ask to go as chaperone, or if that wasn't allowed, offer to take the child just the two of us soon after the camp ended.  My 11 year old is NT, and I'd trust her not not do anything too risky, and to ignore pressure from others.  My middle I would be concerned about and would be more likely to say no or insist I go along.  So far none of my kids have even been to day camp, so it's a moot point for us.  We have a trampoline in our yard, and I've gone to a trampoline park with them,and jumped too.  So for me it would be the question of whether the counselors can keep up with everyone and how my individual child responds to peer pressure.  Just me, though!

[Bluegoat]

Yeah, I'm fine with it.

 

Risk is in everything.  My kids rode horses, that's a risky sport too.  The common serious injuries from trampoline parks seem to be broken legs and arms.  I am ok with that.  Assuming the place is well run.

 

I tend to worry more about activities where the injuries come from normal, repetitive things, like football or gymnastrics.

[scrapbookbuzz]

I would. I grew up with an in-ground trampoline. We had it for over 18 years, replacing and repairing the mat as needed.

Neighborhood kids would come over all the time to jump on it. We rarely sustained any injuries. There are three different 

trampoline parks near us now, all three of which I've visited with my kids. All are very clear on the rules and expectations.

 

That said, prepare for your dd to be "spent" when she gets home as those places CAN get noisy. But I would definitely 

let her go and experience it. Maybe give her an "out" before she goes, though. Something like, "I'm so excited for you that

you get to go have this new experience. Just know that it can be very noisy and overwhelming. So if at any time, you feel

like you can't handle it anymore, give me a call and I'll come get you." That way she knows what to expect there AND she

will feel safe knowing you are available to 'rescue' her, if needed.

[QueenCat]

I'd allow it.

[Elizabeth86]

Think er visits. My son got hurt in a bounce house and there was an er visit just to be sure. So er visit doesnt mean broken bone or head injury.

[City Mouse]

I don't think it is any more dangerous than roller skating or riding a bike, (and we have had several bloody bike accidents)so yes I would let my kid go.

[catz]

I actually think tramp parks are generally safer than stuff kids can get into on their own on back yard tramps, on their bikes, climbing trees, etc.  They are designed and have rules for safety.  We've gone many times and have had no problems. 

[NorthwestMom]

Go with your gut.

[Loowit]

Our troop had their Christmas party last year at a trampoline park.  They had a great time.  I felt that the staff did a good job of supervising and making sure safety rules were followed.

[Scarlett]

My son has been once and sprained his ankle.  It happens.  I would still let my kids go.  I think it is great fun. 

[Heatherwith4]

Yes, I have and will continue to let my kids go. They have tons of fun and sleep really well that night, too.

[wintermom]

Has your dd ever been to a trampoline center when there are a lot of children? Does she enjoy this activity and does she know how to jump safely with control? Can she change direction, avoid collisions with other jumpers and get off the trampoline safely? Does she or will she try "tricks" on the trampolines, such as seat drops, turn-table and/or flips? 

 

I think you need to have a good idea about your own child's experience level, their knowledge of safe bouncing, and their tendency to try risky actions. It's a lot like swimming in a crowded pool, ime. If you are confident in your child's capabilities and know they won't do any silly stunts, then it can be a fun activity. I wouldn't send my child to a trampoline park with a large group if this was their first time ever jumping on a large tramp. 

 

My dc have all had some gymnastics training where they learned how to jump safely and with control. When I take them to a trampoline park, I bring them when it's not crowded, and I can keep an eye on them to ensure they are bouncing safely and with control. They do not take silly risks.

[Guest]

They're fun! I'd totally let them.

 

Adults seem to come away with more injuries from those places than kids, maybe due to higher body weight and being more out of shape? I've seen a lot of broken arms and wrists from adult attendees and very few injuries with children. It's kind of an interesting contrast!

[bettyandbob]

Local trampoline place does not allow flips. And only one person per trampoline.

 

I would allow the activity.

[Garga]

Local trampoline place does not allow flips. And only one person per trampoline.

I would allow the activity.

 

If it was like this sure. But otherwise, we don't go to them. A friend got a blowup bouncy house for a major summer party she throws every year and one of the kids got a concussion in it. I'd been reading articles about trampolines, and after that I decided I just don't want to deal with the dangers.

 

I try not to be overly cautious, but I suppose I am. I'd say no to the trampoline park. My son was invited to one for a birthday a few years ago and I told them he couldn't make it to the party. Then again, my guy is smaller than all his friends, but quite a bit. If they crashed into each other, he'd be the one to get hurt.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Garga

[JumpyTheFrog]

We've been to two different chains near me. The first one didn't have or enforce rules about one person per trampoline and there would be kids running around and jumping on trampolines adults were already on. The second chain had people going around trying to enforce the rules. After going to the second, we won't go back to the first (which we had been to three times or so).

[winterbaby]

Has your dd ever been to a trampoline center when there are a lot of children? Does she enjoy this activity and does she know how to jump safely with control? Can she change direction, avoid collisions with other jumpers and get off the trampoline safely? Does she or will she try "tricks" on the trampolines, such as seat drops, turn-table and/or flips? 

 

I think you need to have a good idea about your own child's experience level, their knowledge of safe bouncing, and their tendency to try risky actions. It's a lot like swimming in a crowded pool, ime. If you are confident in your child's capabilities and know they won't do any silly stunts, then it can be a fun activity. I wouldn't send my child to a trampoline park with a large group if this was their first time ever jumping on a large tramp. 

 

My dc have all had some gymnastics training where they learned how to jump safely and with control. When I take them to a trampoline park, I bring them when it's not crowded, and I can keep an eye on them to ensure they are bouncing safely and with control. They do not take silly risks.

 

She has no experience with this kind of thing. On the other hand, I'm fairly confident that she won't try any tricks or stunts. Like I said she is very unathletic - and I don't mean sedentary (we walk everywhere, and our town is all steep hills), but uncoordinated. She doesn't really know how to run with a proper gait, nor has she figured out skipping or jumping rope.

 

I mentioned it to my husband earlier and he is equally uncertain. He suggested that we take her there ourselves this weekend to try it out, though we both have physical issues (his permanent, mine temporary) that prevent us from doing it ourselves.

[Butter]

I'd absolutely allow her to go.  We've gone to trampoline parks many times.  They are fun!

[Annie G]

We took the grands to one this spring and we had one adult per two kids and it was exhausting. So anyway I was supervising and was talking to one of the employees as he was monitoring one area. An adult and a kid nearly collided and the mom asked if anyone ever gets hurt there. The guy laughed and said dozens of times a day and pointed to their special first aid room.  

 

It seemed about as safe as stuff I did as a kid- tree climbing, roller skating on sidewalks, jumping into the pool, stuff like that.  I got dinged up but nothing serious. 

 

Three of our four grands are super adventurous and not afraid of anything. They were cautious there.  

[wintermom]

She has no experience with this kind of thing. On the other hand, I'm fairly confident that she won't try any tricks or stunts. Like I said she is very unathletic - and I don't mean sedentary (we walk everywhere, and our town is all steep hills), but uncoordinated. She doesn't really know how to run with a proper gait, nor has she figured out skipping or jumping rope.

 

I mentioned it to my husband earlier and he is equally uncertain. He suggested that we take her there ourselves this weekend to try it out, though we both have physical issues (his permanent, mine temporary) that prevent us from doing it ourselves.

 

In this case, I'd definitely bring her yourselves and just watch from the side. See how she can navigate the various bounciness of the tramps, along with the hard frames, and different level platforms. 

[kroe1]

DD is at one at least weekly. She has greater risk of injury driving over there.

[....]

You probably don't want to hear this, but one of my daughters is recovering from knee surgery after going to a trampoline park.   :o   I don't even know what she could've done differently to avoid that injury.  (She tore her ACL and meniscus). Those things just happen, I guess.  She wasn't goofing off or doing back flips...it wasn't crowded...  She's older, too, she's almost 16, so it's not like she was running everywhere like a maniac. Lol.  *shrug*

[zoobie]

The risk of orthopedic injury makes me very nervous. My kids have gone to a couple, but I worried a bunch. FWIW, my daughter who has sensory issues (not sure if that's part of your DD's spectrum concerns) **hates** trampoline places. They are very noisy with weird lighting. I hate them too for that reason. It feels like a sensory assault. I've sent DH when they've gone to parties. 

[SJ.]

I like your idea of going there before the field trip to check it out. Check Groupon for your area and maybe you will find a deal.

[thessa516]

I would absolutely let my children go to a trampoline park, but I'm also a big believer in letting kids do dangerous things, Gever Tulley-style. I think it's great for (most) kids to test their bodies and balance and coordination in a relatively safe place like a trampoline park. 

 

However, you do you! If you're that uncomfortable about it (or even just have a bad gut feeling), then chose something else for your family. 

 

[sassenach]

I would without a second thought.

 

[sassenach]

DD is at one at least weekly. She has greater risk of injury driving over there.

 

Yep. https://www.thrillist.com/cars/nation/how-likely-you-are-to-die-in-a-car-accident-in-every-us-state-the-most-dangerous-roads-in-america

[winterbaby]

DD is at one at least weekly. She has greater risk of injury driving over there.

 

Apart from whether I should send my kid on the field trip or not, I must say I'm not a fan of the way the danger of driving is used to discount people's concerns about other risks, as always happens sooner or later in a discussion like this. Driving, for better or worse, is a baseline risk of living in our society; the downsides of avoiding it are so great that for most people it can't really be called a choice. (Besides, the risk of dying in a car accident - somewhere in the vicinity of 1/10,000 - is per year, not per trip, so it's not true that you incur the same risk in a single trip.) It's immaterial to the question of whether one should add another, different risk which can be easily avoided.

[shawthorne44]

I read the freerangekids blog to keep me keep my sanity.  In a recent post she sited a stat of around 2000 'zipper related injuries' every year.   That stat had been for the total # across a number of years, but the per year number is easier to grasp.  That stats on trampoline injuries are surprisingly low in comparison.  

[cjzimmer1]

There are plenty of activities I would hesitate to send my kids on without me,  a trampoline park isn't one of them.  My eldest has been to one several times and has always had a blast.  My others haven't been to one since we didn't have one near us until recently and we haven't had time since they opened but we are looking forward to going.

[73349]

I'd at least call the place to learn about their safety policies, and visit first if possible. Saturdays are a good day to see what happens when it's crowded.

[JumpyTheFrog]

I think the rules and enforcement of them vary greatly by location. The first place we went (maybe three times) few rules. The only rules they seemed to enforce were one person at a time into the foam block pit. They paid no attention to kids doing flips or multiple people (of very different sizes) on one trampoline. I was concerned a teenager might run across the trampoline my 4-5 year old was on and bounce him off without noticing.

[winterbaby]

I read the freerangekids blog to keep me keep my sanity.  In a recent post she sited a stat of around 2000 'zipper related injuries' every year.   That stat had been for the total # across a number of years, but the per year number is easier to grasp.  That stats on trampoline injuries are surprisingly low in comparison.  

 

That's true, but the thing about the trampoline stats is that I'm seriously side-eyeing that 50 million denominator. I'm pretty sure it's exaggerated (meaning the ratio of injuries to visits would be higher), but by how much?

 

[Insertcreativenamehere]

I was just at one a few days ago. They had pretty strict rules in place to prevent injuries. I even got called out for being on the same trampoline as my developmentally-delayed 5 yo because I was trying to help him bounce. 

[Joyofsixreboot]

Mine would ho. YMMV

 

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[Bluegoat]

They're fun! I'd totally let them.

 

Adults seem to come away with more injuries from those places than kids, maybe due to higher body weight and being more out of shape? I've seen a lot of broken arms and wrists from adult attendees and very few injuries with children. It's kind of an interesting contrast!

 

I tried trampolining at our park.  It was really hard - I can easily see adults having more injuries.

[courtney.byrum]

My experience is it depends on the individual location. We had a fantastic one near us when we lived in CA and a not so great one now. The one in CA was very on top of improper or unsafe behavior. The one near us now is very much not on top of it. Kids would throw the ball at other kids faces in dodgeball and if anything the victim was the one who had to sit out while they kept playing. In CA, they would eject the offender and they would have to sit out an entire round, if they repeated they weren't allowed to play again that visit. Here they don't even stop them from being unsafe, just let them keep playing.

My kids do not like the environment of the one here and choose not to go - they've been 2 times in the 4 years we've been here whereas we went to the one in CA weekly.

[Farrar]

I've let my kids go several times. I would be more iffy on them going with a giant group during a crowded time, but honestly, I'd still let them. If my kids were especially gung ho to do risky things, it might be something we'd need to avoid, but they're not - they've always been very deliberate with their bodies (even when they're not coordinated, but I think that means knowing to step back, which they do sometimes). 

 

I get that adding a risk factor to life isn't always a good idea. But I think the whole driving thing also puts many of our risks in perspective.

[magnificent_baby]

My answer last Friday: sure, my kids love those places!

 

My answer on Saturday after an ambulance ride, ER visit and now a cast for the next 4 weeks with a small chance of ankle surgery in the future for Dd from a trampoline injury: no way

 

Also my niece had to have finger surgery for a fracture from a trampoline park

 

(that being said, I'm more comfortable with the park type than one in someone's backyard!)