Was Getting Our Three Year Old a Trampoline a Good Idea?

Happy Hump Day! I hope you’re having a great week so far. It seems to be flying by around here as we gear up for family to arrive in town Saturday, Hadley’s birthday and party also on Saturday, and then of course Thanksgiving activities next week (we’re hosting!) I really like when the holidays are full in a controlled, planned out way (if that makes sense), so I’m excited about the next few weeks and all of the fun (and chaos) they will bring.

In today’s post, I’m answering a FAQ: “Do you still love your trampoline?” and/or “Are you still glad you got a trampoline for Hadley when she was so young?”

Yes and yes!

I suggested a trampoline for Hadley’s 3rd birthday, and Jamie thought I had completely lost my marbles. I’d seen how much she enjoyed playing on them at other peoples’ homes though, so I thought it was a good option since a nice swing set didn’t seem like the easiest thing to move around in the military (we weren’t sure at the time if we were staying in or getting out).

Long story short, I convinced him, and then my in-laws purchased it for her birthday.

And for the last two years, we’ve all been enjoying the heck out of it!

Reasons why we love it:

1. They don’t fight on it because there’s plenty of room for both of them to have fun.
2. They’re safe within the net.
3. It absolutely wears them out.
4. Their imaginations let them enjoy playing in countless ways.
5. They do not need Jamie or me to help them play or have fun. They create their own fun.

“But aren’t you worried they’re going to get hurt?”

Of course! Trampolines often go hand-in-hand with broken bones, so I know it’s a possibility that one of them will get hurt one day. Obviously I hope this doesn’t happen, but they’re kids, and I know it could happen, just like it could happen riding a bike, playing at a playground, etc.

With that being said though, I do my absolute very best to watch them like a hawk and minimize the risk of them getting hurt. I never let them jump without supervision, and they know it’s a hard and fast rule that the trampoline is zipped 100% of the time they are on it. I very, very rarely have to ask them to zip it because they just know by now it has to be zipped.

The only issue that has made me a tad uncomfortable when it comes to the trampoline is having to tell grown men that I love that they’ve gotta take it easy and stop actually jumping with the girls (I’m such a buzz kill, I know). It embarrasses the heck out of me and likely them (it’s happened with my dad, my father-in-law, and my brother) when I have to say “Hey, you really can’t jump or they’ll go flying. Not even baby jumps.” (Of course I try to be tactful and kind, but it’s still awkward correcting people when they’re just trying to love on and have fun with my kids.)

But I’m Mama Bear, and I know what the girls can handle, and they can’t handle an adult jumping while they’re jumping.

So that’s the low down! Trampolines are awesome for little ones in my opinion. 🙂 The girls’ friends come over and jump all the time, and it’s an absolute ball! We parents sit outside, enjoy conversation, and can easily watch them have fun while being zipped and locked in. It’s wonderful!

We have with purchased separately. You will find the best prices at Walmart. Ours was ordered online, so not having to haul it from the store was pretty great!

For a first-timer, it takes about two hours to put together, but once you’ve done it before, it can be taken down and put back up in an hour.

Let’s chat!

What are your hesitations (if any) about getting a trampoline? Would you ever buy one for your children? If so, what age would you want to wait until?