Everyone can agree that trampolines are a lot of fun and a great way to get some exercise and fresh air. They are so popular now that trampoline parks are springing up all over the place. The International Association of Trampoline Parks estimates that there are 300 trampoline parks worldwide – up 700% from 2012!

Trampoline Parks Pose Unique Dangers

Along with the rise in trampoline parks is an increase in the number of trampoline-related injuries. A recent study estimates the number of injuries from indoor trampoline parks rose from fewer than 600 in 2010 to 6,932 in 2014.

Trampoline parks are a series of connected trampolines in a room surrounded by padded or trampoline walls. This may lead you to thinking they are a safer option than backyard trampolines. Katherine Leaming-Van Zandt, an emergency medicine physician at Texas Children’s Hospital, doesn’t agree. She believes that parents may be lulled into a false peace of mind – thinking that supervision by park employees will keep kids safe.

“Don’t be lulled into a sense of complacency or a feeling of safety because there are extra people around watching the children,” Leaming-Van Zandt said. “It’s important that parents keep a close eye on their children.”

The majority of trampoline park injuries are sustained to the lower extremities, with 59 percent of emergency room admissions being leg fractures.

“Trampoline parks’ ability to reach higher heights is certainly a contributor to more lower extremity injuries because the impact as they’re landing can be much greater,” Leaming-Van Zandt said.

More Isn’t Always Merrier

One of the major problems with trampoline parks is that more than one jumper is allowed on a trampoline. But multiple jumpers increase the risk of injuries and collisions. Studies have shown that it’s the smaller or lighter of the two jumpers that almost always gets hurt.

Kathryn Kasmire, a pediatric emergency medicine fellow at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and the University of Connecticut says, “Our concern is that there are more serious trampoline injuries [at parks] than on home trampolines.” Almost 9% of trampoline park injuries require hospital admission compared to 5.2% of injuries from backyard trampolines.

Springfree Is Made For Safety

Multiple jumper injuries is one reason why Springfree Trampolines has always advocated for one jumper at a time rules. Three-quarters of trampoline injuries happen as more than one person jumps. In most cases, smaller children bear the greatest likelihood of injury when multiple people jump at the same time. And about a fifth of trampoline spinal-cord injuries happen as multiple jumpers collide as they attempt stunts or fall from the trampoline.

The introduction of Springfree’s new tgoma outdoor game system takes safety to the next level for backyard trampolines. How? tgoma only works with one jumper at a time, eliminating the risk of injuries from multiple jumpers entirely. In fact, if more than one jumper is on the mat the sensors won’t register jumps and games can’t be played.

One Jumper, A Team Of Players

If you’re worried this means multiple kids can’t still play together on a Springfree Trampoline, don’t. tgoma encourages kids and families to play together. You can compete against each other for the highest score, shout out tips and tricks, and participate in competitions with jumpers on the other side of the world.

At Springfree, jumper safety is at the core of everything they do. So the next time you think about having a party at a trampoline park consider throwing a tgoma party right in your own backyard instead.