Trampoline parks seem to be everywhere these days, and my kids love them. These springy playgrounds are a great way for families to have fun and burn calories, regardless of the weather outside.
Our family visited Get Air in Kaysville, Utah. Here's what you need to know before you visit a trampoline park.
Fill out the waiver in advance
Safety is an important issue at trampoline parks. One bad bounce or flip can result in serious and permanent injury.
Completing the liability waiver in advance gives you time to review it carefully, along with safety information on the park's website. Every person in your party needs a separate waiver. We took two of my kids' friends to Get Air and the online form made it easy for their parents to complete the waiver before our arrival. Nobody jumps without one.
You'll likely be required to view a safety video before you can jump.
Don't pay full price
Get Air in Kaysville costs $10 per hour for everyone over 46 inches and $5 per hour for everyone under 46 inches on weekdays. Prices are higher on weekends.
Check your trampoline park's website for family, group, military, Tuesday and other discounts. Groupon frequently offers trampoline park deals in our neighborhood.
Avoid peak hours
Beware of weekends, school holidays and other peak times. Trampoline parks are big, but only one person can use each foam pit at a time. It's harder than it looks to climb out of a foam pit – a few minutes per jumper. If three or four people are in line in front of you, 25% of your hour could be used waiting for a single turn. That's lame.
Uncrowded trampolines are safer, so there's another good reason to avoid peak hours. We visited on a Monday afternoon, and didn't spend much time waiting. We had plenty of time in the foam pits, the dodge ball court was wide open, and my son and his friend had “Little Air” to themselves much of the time.
Wear comfortable clothing
Skinny jeans are not good attire for jumping into a foam pit – at least on me. Wear clothing that lets you move and sweat a little. Athletic shorts, yoga pants and t-shirts are good choices.
Totally not necessary, but check out these fun trampoline tees on Amazon! These would be fun for a birthday party or family reunion.
Related: What to Expect at Kangaroo Zoo in Utah
Leave jewelry at home
Jewelry could be easily lost or snagged at a trampoline park. Necklaces, bracelets and dangly earrings should be left at home. We even left our wedding rings home, just to be safe. That's the last thing I want lost in the bottom of a foam pit.
Leave valuables at home or in the car
My purse, phone and camera were a problem at Get Air. I wanted to take photos and keep my phone handy, but I couldn't safely keep anything in my pockets. I set my purse to the side and carried it from place to place, but bringing personal items past the front desk is discouraged and not a secure option when jumping.
At Get Air in Kaysville, there are lockers near the front desk that are monitored by camera, but they have no locks. You can bring your own padlock.
Find out about socks
Socks are forbidden at some trampoline parks and required at others. On our first visit, we quickly lost a sock in one of the foam pits and decided to go barefoot.
We were required to purchase special grip socks for $2 from the trampoline park on a subsequent visit. They are washable and reusable, so they only need to be purchased once as long as we remember to take them next time.
Bring a water bottle
Trampoline jumping is a fun workout. Everyone in our group made at least one trip to the drinking fountains, which were away from the trampolines.
Arrive a few minutes after the hour or half-hour
At Get Air in Kaysville, the entrance fee buys you one hour in the trampoline park. That's enough to wear out almost anyone, but here's a tip to get a few extra minutes. Get Air uses color-coded wristbands to keep track of time. We arrived at 4:10 pm and were given green wristbands. At 4:30, everyone with pink wristbands was asked to leave. At 5:00 pm, everyone with blue wristbands was asked to leave. Our green wristbands were called in at 5:30. So, we actually jumped for nearly an hour-and-a-half by arriving just AFTER 4:00.
Adults can jump too
Sure, my husband and I were the only jumpers over the age of 25. Sure, I looked like a bouncing hippo. I also had fun and I got a good workout. Nobody laughed, pointed or seemed to care how unimpressive my trampoline skills are. My daughter even applauded when I managed a simple flip into the foam pit.
Keep little kids in their own area
At Get Air, children under 46 inches have their own jumping area. Bigger kids will be asked to leave and little kids are discouraged from jumping anywhere else, though they may not be stopped if they do.
My son's friend hurt his knee in the dodge ball court when an older jumper accidentally bounced him onto the pads. My son and his friend were happy to stay in the young jumpers zone after the accident.
Non-jumpers have space too
Not everyone who comes to a trampoline park wants, or is able to jump. Parents of preschoolers may need to supervise their children full time rather than purchasing their own admission. For these folks, comfy couches are available at Get Air in Kaysville, and probably at most trampoline parks.
Our family loved Get Air! Next time we see a good deal on Groupon, watch for the return of the bouncing hippo. I'm sure it will be a good show.
Michele @ Malaysian Meanders
We made sure to visit at trampoline park, Sky Zone in Houston, when we were doing our home visit to the United States. This place had special jumping shoes we were required to wear. I will agree that it is definitely a workout. We only paid for one hour, and I was ready to go when time was up. Also, dodgeball on a trampoline is much more difficult than in a regular gymnasium. Sky Zone was very well managed with lots of employees around to keep people behaving safely. I had considered going to another place, but the Yelp reviews gave it a big thumbs down for employees letting the craziness escalate until it was unsafe for anyone under 10 years.
William Sutton
All tips are excellent and pretty effective. I never knew how unsafe a trampoline can be until I started to do research for my kids. Think about it, you’re jumping a few feet into the air and really not having much control of where you land. I don’t think they had safety features back in the day but most trampolines today have a safety enclosure. So there really is no excuse why you shouldn’t have an enclosure net and protected padded springs when looking for the best trampoline.
William Sutton
I look forward to find out best mini trampoline for my daughter. I need idea.
Wilton Sanders
And never go to a trampoline park with cargo shorts as I did once!
Cater Velvet
Wow! Such a lovely place. Wanna go with my friends.
Emily
Allison very nice writen about place like this. I wish that I have that place near me.
Kimberly Gemmill
The tips mentioned are incredible and entirely compelling indeed altogether. Never ever came to know how dangerous a trampoline is able to be until the point that I began to dig into with regards to my children. Consider this fact, you’re hopping a couple of feet in the air and truly not needing a great deal of control of where you come to ground.
I don’t imagine the fact that they possessed protective aspects some time ago however majority of the trampolines at present own a protective envelopment. Hence, as a result, there truly isn’t any reason why you ought not own an enveloped net and shielded, cushioned springs whenever the best trampoline is being looked for.
I hope to discover the best outdoor trampoline with regards to my children. And for that, I’d really appreciate if you could kindly please share your thoughts. 🙂
Allison
Thanks for your comment, Kimberly. I’m sorry that I cannot recommend a home trampoline. We do not own one ourselves. Good luck!
Casdale
Avoiding peak hours is a very important tip. Anything unwanted van happen in a crowded trampoline park.
Jamie@trampoline reviews
When I first went to a trampoline park, it was an inspiring experience for my children.
trampolinejumpers
Thanks for sharing tips for trampoline parks with us.its very informative blog.
Ellie Davis
I really like that you point out that you should make sure and wear comfortable clothing to the trampoline park. My kids have been begging to go to one and I need to find the best one in my area. Hopefully, I can do some research and find the best trampoline park.
Amy Winters
I’m glad you pointed out that we should make sure to take off any jewelry before jumping to make sure it doesn’t get snagged or lost. My son’s birthday is coming up soon, and I think he’d have a lot of fun doing his party at a trampoline park. I could’ve easily forgotten to take off my wedding ring before jumping, so I appreciate the tip!
Penelope Smith
This is some really good information about going to trampoline parks. It is good to know that it would be smart to take off your jewelry before you leave. That is good to know that if you don’t want to lose special things.
Adrian Jones
What I like about the article is that when you go out to a trampoline park, you should be wearing really comfortable clothing since you’re going to be jumping around a lot and that’s a lot of physical activity that’s going to be going on there. Another important thing to do is leave your jewelry at home because that’s one very easy thing to get lost when you go to a trampoline park and bounce around. While I haven’t been to a trampoline park yet, what I can say is that they look like fun… maybe I’ll try going to one in a few days or so.
Emily Cotten
How long do you recommend purchasing tickets for? There’s options for 1,2 or 3 hours.
Allison
Hi Emily! It depends on your energy, budget and crowds. One hour can go really fast, but if you’re jumping for the entire hour, you might be exhausted in that time. On the other hand, if you’re standing in line for foam pits most of the time, 2-3 hours might feel right. 1-2 hours was plenty for my family, with younger elementary kids.
Barbara Jenkins
Great info. Just what I was looking for. Now ready to go for a fun weekend with family!