Friday, December 19, 2008

Accessories That Make Trampolines Safe For Your Children

By Ned Dagostino

The trampoline is an excellent activity equipment to let your child, hyperactive or otherwise, release the pent up energy of childhood. Parents know that almost every activity involving children is beset with risks. When the activity involves the child shooting up from a rubber mat to a dizzying height and then come flying down, again and again, the parent knows that an accident is just bound to happen!

Responsible parents should consider the many safety accessories available in the market that make this activity safe enough for children.

A safety net is a must. The safety net extends from the edges of the trampoline mat and goes upwards to a height of 10 or 12 feet. This prevents the most common accident of the child falling out of the mat area onto the hard floor. The surrounding net may be free standing or it may be attached to the trampoline mat.

The trampoline net is the first and foremost safety accessory that a worried parent should get. There are other accessories which also work to make the trampoline a safe form of exercise and play for children.

Equal in importance to the safety net is the padding on the frame of the trampoline. If Junior can fall out of the mat area, he might just as easily fall directly onto the hard steel frame that supports the trampoline mat. The impact of that collision is absorbed by the frame padding that comes with every trampoline. Time and use can damage the padding so that its cushioning effect is ineffective. If this is the case with the frame padding on your trampoline, then you should replace it at the earliest and avert a visit to the nearest emergency clinic!

Practical sense tells us that a wet trampoline mat is a slippery mat. If your child slips on the mat in the course of play, he can easily fall off the trampoline mat and hurt himself. Use a trampoline cover to keep the trampoline dry and safe.

There is no need to worry yourself sick every time your child goes out to play on trampoline. Just get these essential safety accessories and let the children enjoy themselves safely!

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