Trampoline Park Safety: A Mom and Park Owner’s Perspective

Brought to you by Rebounderz Of Jacksonville

“What’s a trampoline park?” Those were the exact words that came out of my mouth five years ago as I stood in my sister-in-law’s kitchen and listened to my niece and nephew go on and on about how much fun they had just had at their local trampoline park in Tampa. After uttering those words, my husband David and I opened the doors of our own trampoline park, Rebounderz Of Jacksonville and four years later, while certainly no expert on trampoline parks, I do know an awful lot about them.

As a mom of three kids, ranging in ages (at the time) from eight, six and two, I struggled to find a place locally where all three kids could have a good time, and where I wasn’t miserable! While my middle and youngest children still loved bounce houses (Pump It Up being our favorite place to frequent), our oldest child was getting bored of them. After learning what a trampoline park was while visiting my sister-in-law, it occurred to me, it might just be the family entertainment solution I had been wishing for. And so, my husband and I set off to open Rebounderz with the nostalgia of our personal family entertainment experiences.

And boy, were we right, the trampolines were a hit! In fact, so much so, that Jacksonville now has multiple new parks popping up around town. The concept has become so popular, that in four short years, the number of parks in the US has increased from less than 50 parks in 2011 to more than 500 parks today.

Along with the rise in number of trampoline parks has come a rise in the number of injuries. A recent report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics provided findings of a study of injuries resulting from trampoline parks. The number one cause of injury on a trampoline is more than one person jumping on the same trampoline bed at the same time. This can result in injuries from people colliding with each other, or double bouncing another person, which can lead to lower extremity sprains, dislocations, and even fractures. In rare cases, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and death have even occurred.

Here’s the one thing I know for sure after operating Rebounderz – and I say this not only as an operator, but as a mom of three children: Not all parks are created equal. And by equal, I’m not referring to additional attractions, or places to eat, I’m talking about SAFETY.

Here’s a little history lesson–trampoline parks originated in the 1950s and surprisingly, Jacksonville had many of them. Back then, a trampoline park consisted of home trampolines, which were installed in the ground side by side. They didn’t last long and by the early 1960s, parks around the country closed due to injuries and the lack of safety.

Learning from the failure of the earlier trampoline parks, the concept reemerged a few years ago with trampolines that were designed specifically with safety in mind. Unfortunately, with the rapid growth of trampoline parks, and people getting creative with their trampoline design and components, safety once again fell by the wayside.

At Rebounderz, nothing is more important to us than providing the safest possible environment for you and your children. While injuries are always a possibility, many can be avoided and if you choose to jump at another local park, here are a few things you should look for as far as safety:

1. Does the park only allow one jumper per trampoline bed at all times? Because the number one cause of trampoline injuries is more than one person jumping on a bed at the same time, Rebounderz only allows one jumper per square. By having smaller individual squares for people to jump in, it minimizes the risk of another person jumping into that square.

2. Do they have rules? And I don’t mean “Rules” signage that is posted throughout the facility. Does the park review the rules with kids, and even more importantly, does the park enforce their rules?

3. Does the park have adequate supervision? As with most kids’ activities, supervision is key! During peak times at Rebounderz, we staff one court referee per eight trampoline beds. Our refs are there to enforce the rules and encourage kids to have fun. They are also there, so when an incident occurs, we can attend to it immediately.

4. Do they offer platforms, obstacles or other apparatuses as part of their trampolines that could jeopardize the safety of the jumpers? These bells and whistles may look like fun, but I assure you, they don’t make for a safe jumping experiences, which is why you’ll never find any of these at Rebounderz.

5. Do the pads on their trampolines fully cover the springs so there is no risk of falling between the trampolines? Is the structure secure? Does it move when the kids are jumping on it? Do they properly maintain and clean the trampolines? Every inch of our trampolines are sanitized every week, and we have a full-time maintenance person who oversees our trampoline maintenance, from checking the bolts in the floor, the equipment, and all the springs and beds.

6. Is the park operator involved in the trampoline industry, or have they just opened their doors to make money? David, my husband and business partner, has been involved with the International Association of Trampoline Parks since it’s inception and is an active member in their organization sitting on numerous committees.

As a mom and knowing what I know now after being in this industry for four years, I wouldn’t let my kids jump anywhere else.

Rebounderz has grown from a 24,000sf trampoline park to a 40,000sf full-service entertainment venue with attractions appealing to customers of all ages: laser tag, laser maze, mini bowling, a ninja course, 3 rock walls, a leap of faith tower, snookball, a restaurant, and we’re not done yet….there’s still more to come! Wherever you choose to jump, at our facility or elsewhere, please be sure to jump safely!

-Laura Zorn

Co-owner of Rebounderz Jacksonville