Everybody loves trampolining — especially kids! There is so much more to it than just kids jumping up and down, squealing with delight with huge smiles spreading across their faces as they enjoy flying. You’d be surprised to learn that there are an astonishing number of amazing physical and mental benefits to owning a trampoline, especially for growing children!
Here are the top trampoline benefits you can count on for your kids:
How do trampolines aid a child’s development?
A Healthy Heart
Jumping on a trampoline improves cardiovascular health and blood flow. It stimulates and increases a child’s heart rate, which strengthens the muscles for a healthier cardiovascular system. Just 10 minutes of fun bouncing a day does the trick! Your kids won’t even realise the good they're doing to their little hearts because of how much fun it is to bounce around their trampoline.
Top-Notch Energy Level
Get your kids bouncing to kick-start their day with energy! More oxygen is carried around your kids' bodies as they bounce. This instantly increases their energy levels and makes them feel more alert.
Flexibility and Muscle Control
Jumping on a trampoline is known to strengthen and lengthen the muscles and bones while reinforcing the joints. This teaches your kids muscle control and coordination, which opens pathways to learning new motor skills & movements. This also improves flexibility!
Coordination, Balance & Motor Skills
If you do not know yet, jumping on a trampoline requires a certain level of coordination. Trampolining creates a constantly shifting centre of gravity, which your kids must swiftly respond to by adjusting their bilateral movements or controlling different limbs and muscles of their body. This means the combined action of bouncing, maintaining balance and concentration to adjust their position improves their motor skills, balance, and coordination simultaneously. Overall, this leads to better dexterity, muscle control and kinaesthetic awareness. One of the many physical benefits of a trampoline for a child’s development!
Improved Posture
Along with improving a kid's coordination, balance and motor skills, jumping on a trampoline can improve their posture too! The trampoline floor is constantly moving and kids must be aware of their centre of gravity at all times. When they learn balance, via jumping on a trampoline, it helps improve balance in other activities too. Bouncing also requires stronger muscles. So, as kids learn how to properly and safely bounce on a trampoline, their muscles, spine, and joints become stronger. This increases their core strength and balance. As a result of these things combined, their posture improves.
Spatial and Aerial Awareness
Each time they jump onto a trampoline, a child must adjust their balance and be aware of their centre of gravity at all times. This helps improve their spatial awareness or knowing where their body is during movement and when in the air.
Stronger Bones
By playing on an outdoor trampoline, your kids can absorb vitamin D which promotes healthy bone growth. This also strengthens the musculoskeletal system of the child, which increases their bone density. So overall, bouncing up and down on a trampoline makes kids’ bones stronger and helps prevent serious bone issues such as osteoporosis.
Concealed Exercise
If your kids don't like taking part in sports lessons or activities, then trampolining might just be the perfect thing for them, since this is exercise in disguise. A trampoline offers fun physical fitness for kids, as it gives them a chance to move their body and exercise for a few minutes or more a day without them even realising, since they're having so much fun! When kids jump on a trampoline, both sides of their brain and both sides of their body must work together to maintain coordination and balance, which in turn helps increase their motor skills. Some studies say ten minutes of bouncing on a trampoline is almost equal to thirty minutes of running. So, for kids and kids at heart, a trampoline is a means of fun and play and is a good way of keeping fit and healthy.
Better and Stronger Immune System
Trampolining is also a great way to detoxify the body and strengthen the immune system, as it stimulates internal organs and promotes lymphatic circulation. It pushes toxins out of cells and allows nutrients in.
Fun and Happiness
If we're being 100% honest, everybody loves that feeling of freedom and giddiness one gets from jumping up and down a trampoline. But did you know there’s a reason jumping makes everybody feel happy? This is because that feeling comes from the increased oxygen circulation, which releases those endorphins that are naturally mood-enhancing. This is also a great way for our kids to wind down after a big day so if they’re feeling a little blue, get them jumping on that trampoline!
Boost of Confidence
If your kids are a little shy or are wary of new things and physical activities, then fret not because trampolines are truly a great way of building their confidence, which in turn translates into a better self-image. When you bounce on a trampoline, there is no right or wrong way to move, which leads to experiencing success that increases courage and self-confidence.
Faster Learning
As kids learn to control the movement of their body, it can help them to learn other things too. By calming kids down and improving their concentration, trampolining can improve kids’ engagement in learning. Counting, jumping onto coloured shapes and following directions are just some of the ways that kids can learn through play. There’s also been increasing research that shows physical activity can help kids to learn, as it helps with cognitive function.
Safe trampoline use for kids
If you're now set on buying and letting your kids use a trampoline, it's important to take appropriate precautions. A few simple rules can reduce the risks of a trampoline greatly. The top three trampoline safety tips for parents are the following:
- Only allow one person on the trampoline at a time.
- Buy the right safety equipment.
- Do your research.
If you want to know more, check out this blog that talks about everything you need to know about trampoline safety: How to Choose a Safe Trampoline for Your Kids
