5 Important Tips for Taking Your Kids to a Trampoline Park
A friend of mine recently invited me to join her family at Altitude Trampoline Park in Sanford. She has a membership for her two kids and they go every Friday afternoon after school. She says it gives her kids an incentive to have a great week. I took my two kids and about 30 minutes in, my 7 year old loudly proclaimed, “MOM, THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.” So I guess it’s safe to say, we’ll be back. As a first timer at a trampoline park, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but came away with a few tips to make it the best experience possible.
- Get there early to avoid the older kid crowd. If you have little ones that you’re worried might get trampled by older kids, I recommend arriving earlier in the day – before 6pm on the weekdays and before lunch time on the weekends. We arrived at 5pm on a Friday and the amount of kids there was very manageable and the crowd appeared to be primarily 10 and under. Once we started to hit the end of our 2-hour window, I noticed a lot more teens and preteens arriving and the atmosphere became a bit more chaotic. I imagine a lot of those kids were dropped off by parents so there was minimal supervision. Some of the local trampoline parks, like Rebounderz for example, have special programs or hours that are reserved for smaller children so they can play at a slower pace. If possible, it’s best to avoid the parks on holidays and weekends during the summer.
- Talk to your kids about safety. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt! It’s important that you closely supervise your children while they’re jumping, but you may want to have a little safety prep talk before arrival. Discuss the importance of landing on both feet, why they should keep a safe distance from other kids and avoid overcrowded trampolines and pace themselves so they don’t get too tired and potentially injured as a result.
- Pack extra light. Some trampoline parks have storage lockers, but they don’t always lock, so it’s best to limit the amount of items you bring in. Make sure your pockets are emptied and consider leaving home any valuable jewelry. One essential item that can’t be left behind is a water bottle for everyone in your group. Bouncing is an intense workout and you want to keep your little ones hydrated. If you’re worried about the munchies, most trampoline parks have concessions with a large menu of food and beverages.
- Invest in a few pairs of safety socks. Every trampoline park requires jumpers to wear safety socks with grips on the bottom. Unfortunately, each park has their own branded socks that you need to purchase. Typically these are under $5, but it’s best to get a few pairs if you plan to attend regularly. When I went with my friend, I didn’t have any of Altitude’s socks, but she had plenty of spares for me to borrow so I didn’t need to spend money on that for a one-time visit.
- Consider the membership if you plan to go a few times a year. Much like the major theme parks, if you plan to go more than once, you get more bang for your buck when you buy a pass. For example, a 2-hour jump time at Altitude costs $30 plus an additional $3 for a spectator ticket, which is pretty steep to pay multiple times. If you think you’ll go to the same park at least once a month, you might want to consider a membership. The cost of these vary by location, but the monthly pass for most is less than the cost of one visit. In fact, it’s as low as $10 a month at Altitude and $11 at Rebounderz. These are not annual passes; you’re charged per month and can cancel at any time. Some memberships come with additional perks like snacks, discounts on birthday parties or buddy passes. When we went to Altitude with my friend, we only had to pay $10 per child because she has a membership.
Looking for some of the best trampoline parks in the area? Check out Top 5 Trampoline Parks in Orlando
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