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Why We’ll Always Have a Trampoline
If you’ve followed along for a while, you know a trampoline is basically a permanent fixture in our family. Our moody modern traditional home is the third house we’ve owned with an in-ground trampoline, and my girls are on it almost every single day. It’s so funny, because when people come over, it doesn’t matter if they’re 3 or 23, they all end up jumping. (The 20-somethings usually attempting a backflip they used to do, the little kids taking turns.)
So I wanted to share our long history with trampolines and a few honest things to think about — safety, insurance, and in-ground vs. above-ground — if you’ve ever considered adding one to your own yard.
And if you’re already sold: our reader codes are further down, right after the in-ground vs. above-ground section.
Can you see it? Tucked into the back there?
Where Our Trampoline Story Started
Growing up, my sisters and I had one of those classic above-ground trampolines. We would lay out on it and tan between jumping. Back then, things were just different. I remember it was in a very dangerous spot — like on top of a steep hill in our backyard?! So trampolines have been part of my life for a long time.
Some years after Chris and I were married, our daughter Greta came along. That girl was a jumper: as soon as she would wake up, she would stand and start jumping in her crib. So when we lived in our house in Idaho, we actually put a trampoline in the basement. This was before we added the built-ins or did any renovation. It had a net around it and was maybe an 8-foot round. We got it when it was just Greta, and Faye came along and enjoyed it too as she got older.
In 2017, when I was about to have Polly, we decided we needed to redo our yard so the older girls could have fun and stay busy not just inside but outside, too. I wasn’t going to be able to take them to the park all the time with a newborn. Our whole backyard was pretty much a deck, but we did have a side yard, so we wanted to put in a playset and a trampoline (full demo story here). As we were researching, we came across Trampolines Down Under, which sends an entire in-ground trampoline kit for you to install. A family friend, who’s a landscape designer, came over to help us out by bulldozing the ground, installed the kit, and planting grass around it. It was a really fun setup for the girls while I was taking care of a newborn.
Save 10% on trampoline accessories like the lighting kit we love and replacement parts here.
Our second home in Idaho Falls
Then we moved into our second house in Idaho, the one before this one, and it actually came with an in-ground trampoline in the yard, which was so perfect because our girls were so used to it. Everyone jumped on it. Including me.
How We Decided on Our Current Backyard Layout
So when it came time to design our backyard in our current house, we were originally going to copy and paste the last setup. We kind of just felt like, oh — play set, trampoline. But then we stopped for a second, because we were already putting in a pool. It felt like the pool was obviously going to be the main attraction, and our girls were quickly outgrowing the play set, even at our last house. So we decided, let’s not get a play set, and to keep the backyard looking streamlined, let’s do the in-ground trampoline instead. And it was the best decision.
What Are Some Considerations Before Getting a Trampoline?
I know trampolines come with a lot of fear attached, and I don’t think that fear is unfounded. I’ve heard from people who work in medicine that they’d never have one in their yard, and I take that seriously.
I’ll be honest about our own experience: we’ve had two broken arms in this family. Greta broke hers years ago, back in our smaller Idaho house, on the trampoline. Polly broke hers more recently — not from jumping, exactly, but she was on the trampoline when it happened. Both healed fine. Both of them still jump. It’s one of those things where kids are going to be kids, and I say that knowing full well that not every family is going to land in the same place on it. The day after Polly’s break, she was parked on the trampoline, watching Faye bounce, absolutely furious that she couldn’t join in. (And I probably shouldn’t admit how much they both enjoyed having a cast.)
If you’re considering one, two things I’d actually recommend looking into rather than taking my word for: call your homeowner’s insurance before you buy, because coverage and reporting requirements vary a lot by carrier and by state, and read the manufacturer’s safety guidance on things like weight limits and how many kids at a time.
Deciding on In-Ground vs. Above-Ground Trampoline
While an above-ground trampoline net is great as it keeps kids contained, taking care of the yard underneath it is so tricky. The grass is always going to look weird or dead, or have dents in it. With in-ground, you can go right up to it with a lawnmower and take care of the lawn. And it’s kind of invisible — ours especially, because it’s over more in a corner, so it just makes the whole yard look a little better. Our installation was part of our entire backyard renovation, so it wasn’t as disruptive.
Our Trampolines Down Under Reader Codes
We’ve bought from Trampolines Down Under twice now, and they’ve given us two codes to share that can stack on other sales:
$150 off trampoline systems, round trampolines, and rectangle trampolines Code: CLJ150 — shop trampolines here
10% off accessories and replacement parts (including the lighting kit we love) Code: CLJ10 — shop accessories here
Both links apply the discount automatically.
Would I put a trampoline in every yard we ever have? Honestly, probably yes. Our girls love it. Their cousins love it. Their friends love it.
Some evenings I’ll look out the living room window, and there are three girls out there who have been jumping for 45 minutes with no toys, no screens, and no supervision required beyond me glancing up occasionally. That’s the whole case for it, really. It blends right in with the yard — that was a design decision — and it helps our family play outside in all seasons — that was a family decision.
If you’ve got an in-ground trampoline, or you’ve been going back and forth on one, tell me in the comments. I’m always curious where people land.
