Jumping down memory lane…

This is a sponsored post for Springfree Trampoline.

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For Christmas Lacey received a trampoline {thank you Santa/Springfree Trampoline}, which started lots of conversations between us all on Christmas Day. Conversations and trips down memory lane.

I was about 8 when we got a trampoline for Christmas. Dad stayed up late putting it together while we all slept through it. He couldn’t give the credit to Santa, so he told us what he’d been doing. “Santa gave it to me and I had to put it all together. I was up all night!”

I remember thinking about him in the dark, putting that together for us. Now I realise it’s a rite of passage many parents go through. Just before Christmas I saw on Facebook that many of my friends were doing the same. Funny.

Shane put ours together before Christmas, and there were was a lot of sweat, huffing and puffing.

When Dad put ours together in the dark, he put the mat on upside down. So on Christmas Day he took it off before lunch {leaving just the frame and springs} and said that he’d put it back on after lunch. Impatient I stood on the frame while my cousin watched on. And I fell, winding myself. Having never been winded before I remember looking at my cousin, mouthing the words “GET HELP!” He just looked at me, no idea what to do. I just lay there, freaking out, waiting for the wind to fill my lungs again.

So as we sat around the table at Christmas last year, there were stories about trampolines, tricks, being winded and childhood.

I turned to Hubby and asked, “Did you ever have a trampoline?”

He laughed, “Did you forget I lived in the City all my life?”

Oh.

Trampolines were an essential part of childhood where we were from. I practiced my tricks almost every day; spins, bumsies, high jumps… and there were days in summer that we’d put the sprinkler underneath to keep us cool. The kids down the road had the best trampoline of all. It was at least twice as big as ours, like a professional gymnasts trampoline. I came to the conclusion that they must have been rich to afford such a thing. Not jealous at all.

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Lacey’s first experience with a trampoline was a small one we bought when we lived in the City. We ran out of room so we had to take it to my Ma’s house and then my sister’s dog ate it. Meeeemmmmooorrries. See, we’re creating trampoline memories without even realising it.

After that they had a big trampoline at Lacey’s daycare. “She never gets off that thing,” her teacher told us. We didn’t mind. As long as it was wearing her out. Oh, and making her happy.

And now she has her new trampoline. She jumps while Bronte patiently waits on the cool grass next to her. The neighbourhood children have come for a jump. Perhaps they know we have the best trampoline in the street?

I’m a worry-wart parent. I want her to have her independence but I worry. A lot. We positioned the trampoline just outside my office window so I can watch as she jumps, knowing that she’s safe. There will be no getting winded on my watch!

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About Springfree™ Trampoline: Trampolines have definitely changed since I was a kid, and even since that cheap one we bought for Lacey that the dog ate. I’m amazed at how different Springfree Trampoline is. Springfree Trampoline  was designed by a Dad trying to make trampolines safer. Not a corporate company trying to get rich, but a Dad wanting a safe trampoline for his children and he did good! Springfree Trampoline ‘the world’s safest trampoline’ is the only trampoline design to get rid of the springs, rigid enclosure poles, the hard frame at the jumping surface, and to include the flexible enclosure net that catches any crazy jumpers.

Springfree™ Trampoline R54 Compact Round was also the only trampoline to be recommended by the guys over at CHOICE and to pass their major safety tests. Having visited CHOICE and experienced their testing, I’m imagining them having a good old jump. There’s peace of mind right there. You can like Springfree on Facebook, Twitter, or head over to their site to figure out which trampoline suits your family best.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Did you have a trampoline when you were a kid? What tricks could you do? What stories do you have to tell?

22 thoughts on “Jumping down memory lane…”

  1. Years back when spring free trampolines didn’t exist we bought a huge trampoline for my boys. Can remember putting it up Xmas Eve,after the boys were asleep, and used the rubber headed mallet to smack the poles into their connections so we wouldn’t wake them. Took ages to put together…thanks Dad! Hours of fun for everyone though, and the two year old confused us with his name for it …bobinya. Took us a while and many tears until we worked out he wanted to go outside and jump 🙂

  2. Ours was the old rectangular version – we used to stand it on it’s side then run at it, flipping it and landing in the middle.
    I lost count of how many school mates had trampoline-broken-arms – my kids have a tramp with a net!

  3. YES!! we now have one in our backyard courtesy of Santa – this house has the perfect patch for it 🙂 The kids love it, I have always loved jumping and tumbling – nothing like freaking out your parents with new tricks learnt at gym that week (and no nets!) 🙂 the quintessential aussie-kid-experience 🙂 our sprinkler has been under ours a lot lately. I’m very jealous of your springfree – they are trampoline porn for jumping-lovers!!!

  4. Our trampoline was used constantly when we we’re kids. My brother and I used to peek into the neighbours yard as we bounced! My mother, the serial sunbaker, also used the trampoline to sunbake on. She’d lather herself up with oil and lay on the trampoline for hours. Unfortunately it seems that suntan oil weakens the mat and my poor brother was jumping happily one day and then suddenly fell straight through! I can still see it happen it my head and makes me laugh to this day!

  5. Haha! You made me laugh! I didn’t have a trampoline…wait a minute, I did- it was actually my nana’s, for exercising, I think. It was probably the smallest trampoline I had ever seen, and it was only about a foot high… [still trying to remember…]

  6. Its interesting how trampolines have changed. My sister and I had one in the 80s, a large rectangular thing with springs running around the side, you had to watch how you got on and off lest the springs pinch.

    Fast forward to my nephew who acquired his thanks to Santa in the noughties (2002/03), same sized mat, this time with pads over the springs. He loved it as much as we did. Now I see the new circular tramps and I often wonder if they are as much fun as our old rectangles. Can you still do the sit, flip, knees, tummy routine? Or do you bump into the side netting?

    We had strict rules about our tramp, no more than two kids and you had to stay on your side of the cross we spray painted to indicate the middle. After thirty years of combined use we remained accident free.

    • I don’t think it would hinder the ‘tricks’ you can do cos the net is flexible and doesn’t stop the tricks from happening.

      But this morning I realised one this I’d really miss {but kinda glad Lacey can’t do it}. Hope it makes sense when I explain it: We used to flip ours up on the side and then all 4 kids would hold onto the top and try and tip it back with our weight. We loved that.

  7. My first Trampoline memory is breaking my arm on the neighbors one…I knew at the time we were sort of breaking the no more than 2 on the ‘tramp’ at the one time rule. While I was waiting I was standing on one corner. There were 3 of us on the corners while 2 were jumping. When it came to my turn I slipped and landed on my arm wrong.

    We told the parents I fell getting off after my turn….

    My kids have always had a trampoline. My youngest daughter is 14 and I am sad to say that our last trampoline is going to the tip this weekend. The stitching has failed and all the springs are falling out. Miss 14 would keep using it if we let her. She has loved playing on the trampoline since she could sit up and be bounced around like a ball by her sisters.

  8. We gave our 2 year old son a Sprignfree trampoline for Christmas as well. The putting together was interesting to say the least. However the joy of seeing Harry using his ‘jump, jump’ as he term!s it, makes it all worthwhile. As kids we never had a tramp, but the kids up the road did and I remember the hours of fun we had and even better no broken bones

  9. I think trampolines are a must for kids, the are so much fun. We got our springfree trampoline when Jesse was 6 months old he has just turned 8…. It is still in fantastic condition and still gets used on a daily basis by kids and adults… Totally still able to do tricks and flips even with the net but the bit I love is on a hot day when we put the sprinkler underneath, add abit of liquid soap for abit more fun! My hubby however doesn’t like it when it has to be pulled down when we have moved, a lot of hard work and numerous swear words!!!! Lacey is one lucky girl, I’m sure she’ll be still having fun on it years from now. x

  10. I don’t think trampolines are such a big thing over here. Of course kids always love them, but they’re not so common.. I was never allowed on them (nor bouncy castles) as my mom thought they were way too dangerous.. reading this post and the comments, I think of all those fun moments I missed as a kid (altho I do have my share of other fun childhood memories!)

  11. This was us on Christmas Eve constructing our trampoline with our neighbours at midnight! we really wanted a springfree for our children as they spend everyday on it. I wish you could hire one for a trial before buying so I could see the value. It was hard to get the cost across the line (with my Husband)when the one I purchased was $200…

  12. I was talking about this today with other mums, specifically whats the best age for a trampoline. Not should you have one, but when… I have vivid memories of my brother winding himself and knocking his front teeth out on the bar as he crashed down. Oh the blood! I will never forget that, nor the crap I gave him for months about having no front teeth! as you say, meeeemmmorrieesssss!!! It’s an Australian right of passage to have a trampoline and I’m just glad they’re finally alot safer, yay for companies like Springfree

  13. I was actually talking to a friend recently about how much tramps have changed! I can’t count the amount of times my friends & I fell through the springs!

    You know what though….even though I’m in my mid twenties, I STILL wish I had a tramp! x

  14. I didn’t have a trampoline as a child but we lived across the road from a caravan park which had one and many an afternoon was spent with the visiting and local kids jumping and falling on and off that trampoline…such memories. My children didn’t have a trampoline either but the day care centre that they attended had one and as we were both full time working parents it was used by them a lot. I was really impressed with the day care one as it was put in a hole so it was at ground level…no heights to fall from. I bought my grandson one for his 3rd Christmas (with all the netting and safety stuff), he just loves it…I’ve even had a jump or two on it with him as have his aunty and uncle.

  15. How I loved my trampoline. Standard rectangular thing which we placed near the swingset. We removed the swings so we could jump from the trampoline onto the bar and swing around as if we were gymnasts.
    At least, we did that until my brother broke his arm and chipped his front tooth. After that the swing-less swingset disappeared. Not sure why…

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