Finding ways to keep children occupied during the long days of summer can be a challenge! There is so much daylight and only so many activities you can come up with when your children need some outdoor play encouragement. But, if you have a trampoline (or know someone who does) your options for outdoor family fun are almost endless! Meghan Garriott, Illinois mom of 2 (almost 3) recently discovered the endless joys of trampoline play and shares 30+ trampoline games and activities kids (and adults) will love to play!
Trampoline newbies
Our family got our first trampoline this summer. I was a little nervous about it but I soon realized there is SO much fun be had and so many new trampoline games to play. My boys have already spent many hours on the trampoline this summer. Now that we have it I can’t imagine our yard or a summer evening without it. The trampolines of today, with their padded spring covers and fall-proof nets, are so much safer than the trampolines I grew up on. It’s a lot more fun for us parents knowing the kiddos are safe.
Trampoline safety tips
Even though trampolines are designed to be safer than they used to be doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t take some precautions. Here are a few trampoline safety tips for kids. Go over these rules with your little ones before they play and remind them of the importance of being safe on the trampoline.
- Adult supervision on a trampoline is always required.
- Always use a safety net around your trampoline.
- No gymnastic exercises or stunts, such as somersaults or flips.
- Never allow children to bounce off the trampoline.
- To prevent young children from getting on without supervision, do not leave a ladder or chair near the trampoline.
- Make sure your trampoline is on a clear, flat area free from potential hazards, such as fences, hedges, trees, washing lines or other equipment.
- Always carefully review the safety materials included with your trampoline.
Benefits of trampoline play
Jumping and playing on the trampoline have so many physical benefits and healthy benefits for kids.
- Jumping up and down and running around with the resistance of the mat and springs is great exercise and helps to increase circulation and cardiovascular health by increasing the heart rate.
- The uneven and constantly moving surface of the mat helps to increase balance and coordination and improve core strength.
- Little bones are built under the pressure of and stress of contracting muscles. With all the jumping and balancing needed to play on the trampoline, it is great for helping bones grow and increasing bone density.
- The most important physical and mental benefit is all the fun and laughs to be had!!
Trampoline fun
While my boys are perfectly content just jumping and chasing each other for hours on the trampoline, it is also fun to see their imagination and creativity when it comes to playing trampoline games and making up new challenges. The best part of watching them is seeing their imagination come to life when they create new games or new ways to play classic games. Today, I’m sharing a few of our family’s favorite games on the trampoline. Some of these are classic games and some are new to us.
The fun doesn’t stop on the trampoline, nor does it have to be just for kids. There are a lot of fun games that kids can plan and the parents can join in on from outside the trampoline. Or, if you really want to make your kids’ day, get on there and play with them! I hope you and the whole family have fun enjoying all these trampoline games and activities.
Trampoline ball games
1. Monkey in the middle
2+ players on the edges of the trampoline throw a ball over the “monkey” in the middle of the trampoline while the “monkey” tries to jump and catch the ball in the air. If the “monkey” catches the ball, whoever threw it becomes the new “monkey.”
2. Lava balls
Get as many balls as you can, all different sizes, and put them on the trampoline. The kids will run around trying to avoid the balls touching them. If a ball touches you, you have to get off the trampoline until only one player is left. This also works with a bunch of water balloons! I’ve also heard this trampoline game called “poison ball.” My kids think this is one of the best trampoline games there is!
3. Bombs away!
2+ players on the trampoline and one player outside the trampoline enclosure. The player on the outside will have some soft balls and yell “bombs away” while throwing the “bombs” inside the net and trying to hit those on the trampoline surface. If you get hit, you’re out! This is also called “cherry bomb” when the ball is thrown by one of the players on the trampoline, as opposed to one of the outside players.
4. Mid-air catch
A player on the outside of the trampoline throws a tennis ball to the first player in the center of the trampoline. The catcher jumps on the trampoline and tries to meet and catch the ball in mid-air. This is a great game to practice timing and coordination!
5. Dodge ball
Playing dodge ball on a trampoline is a fun way to spice up this classic game and is a great game for older kids. On the trampoline, it’s more fun with higher jumps! Use chalk or painters tape to mark off the centerline. Divide the players up into two teams and have them throw soft balls at the other team. If you get hit by a ball (below the neck), you’re out. But if you catch or dodge the ball, you stay in. First team to lose all their players loses.
6. Keepy-uppy
This is a simple game to see how long you can keep a soft ball up in the air while jumping on a trampoline. Mix it up and try to keep the ball in the air with your feet, head or elbows. You could also use a pool noodle to keep the ball in flight. Balloons and beach balls make good balls to use for this game.
7. Hot potato
One person stands on the outside of the trampoline and either sings a song or counts out-loud while the jumpers bounce around the trampoline passing a ball back and forth, from one person to the next person, in a circle. When the person on the ground stops singing or counting, the last person to touch the hot potato is out. This can be played with anything – a water balloon, ball, bean bags or even a stuffed animal!
Water games on the trampoline
8. Water balloon dodge
Fill up a bunch of water balloons and load them up on the trampoline. The name of the game is for the players to bounce them and start throwing! It’s so much fun to dodge the balloons when you can jump high, or throw them mid-jump.
9. Sprinkler jump
Running through the sprinkler during a hot summer day is a must, but putting that sprinkler underneath the trampoline just makes things that much more fun! Check out your local sports store or online for sprinklers made specifically for the trampoline.
Balance games on the trampoline
10. Single leg stand
How long can you stand on one leg? It seems like an easy game, but on a trampoline, it’s much harder to stand on one leg. Get a timer and each take turns. To take this game up a notch, have others bounce around the stander to see how long they can last.
11. Bird dog
Bird dog is a yoga pose where you are on your hands and knees you lift one arm and try to lift the opposite leg without falling. On the trampoline, this is even more challenging, but it makes for some good laughs when you fall over. This is also a great core workout!
12. Twister
Grab some sidewalk chalk, painters tape or go ahead and pull out that twister mat and tape it onto the trampoline and spin the wheel! Twister is hard on steady ground, but it’s extra hard on the trampoline. It becomes exponentially harder when everyone’s laughs are rocking the trampoline mat.
Single-player trampoline games
13. Bubble pop
Have your child blow bubbles, or a parent can blow bubbles from outside of the trampoline, then the child’s goal is to pop all of the bubbles before they get away!
14. Hopscotch
Using sidewalk chalk or painter’s tape, make the classic hopscotch on the trampoline. Then your child can enjoy the game on a much more bouncier surface.
Multiplayer challenges for the trampoline
15. Telephone
This classic game starts with the first person jumping and doing a pose and then the next child does the first pose and adds their own after it. The next player does the first two poses then adds on again. The game goes on and on until you can’t remember all of the poses.
16. Crack the egg
This classic trampoline game is one of the most popular games for kids of all ages. It begins with one child sitting on the trampoline, bringing their knees to their chest, and then wrapping their arms around their legs. This child is the “egg.” The egg tries to hold their arms and legs together tightly while the other kids jump around them trying to break their arms free. Whoever can hold their egg pose the longest without cracking wins.
17. Marco polo
This game is not just for the pool, it’s just as much fun on the trampoline. One child closes their eyes and yells out “marco” while trying to find and tag the other players. The other players with their eyes open, yell “polo” while trying to avoid being tagged. If you need some fun games for the pool too we have you covered there too!
18. 4 corners
Using sidewalk chalk or painter’s tape, draw a big cross in the middle of the trampoline. The edges of the cross go from one side of the trampoline to the other. One player sits in the middle of the cross and counts to 10, while the other players pick a corner. When the sitting player gets done counting they will point to one corner making sure to keep their eyes closed. Everyone in that corner has to get off the trampoline, and the game continues until there’s only one person left.
19. Bum wars
Bum wars is one of those classic trampoline games I remember playing as a kid. As all the players bounce on the trampoline, one person calls out “1, 2, 3, 4. I declare a bum war!” and all the players must land in a seated position on their bum, immediately take one bounce and get right back to their feet. If anyone bounces on their feet or on their bottoms more than once, that person is out. As a variation, players can add additional moves like “1, 2, 3, 4. I declare a knee war,” upon which everyone lands on their knees before bouncing back to their feet.
20. Rock paper scissors
The classic game can also be played on the trampoline between 2 players. To play rock-paper-scissors, start with the players chanting “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.”On “shoot,” each person jumps on the trampoline and lands in one of the positions: (1) curled up for a rock, (2) stretched out for paper, or (3) in a sitting position for scissors. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock.
21. Sword fights
Cut a pool noodle into thirds and wrap one end with silver duct tape to make a light saber handle. Use your pool noodles to have an epic sword fight or light sable battle on the trampoline!
Dancing trampoline games
22. Dance battle
This game is great fun for your musical and dancy kids! Turn up some upbeat music and give each child 15 seconds to jump, dance, and flip to the beat of the music. The best dance wins!! Or have the kids come up with a dance or routine together and have them perform it for the rest of the family.
23. Strike a pose
Taking turns ask the kids to jump as high as they can to the beat of the song, and do a funny or cool pose while mid-air. There’s no end to the fun trampoline tricks your kids will come up with. There’s also usually no winner to this game. It can go on for a long time and it’s always funny to see what kids will come up with.
Sports on the trampoline
Playing classic sports like baseball and basketball on the trampoline not only makes them more fun, but it can help improve skills for when kids go back to playing those games in school, or competitively. Trying to pass a volleyball back and forth on uneven surfaces can help increase coordination. Trying to hit a baseball in the air can help improve timing and teach kids how to better keep their eye on the ball when playing on the real baseball diamond. Here are some fun ways to shake up these classic games, but can also really improve skills and boost confidence.
24. Volleyball
Pass a volleyball back-and-forth while on the trampoline. Toss the volleyball up and try to jump and spike it over the side of the trampoline net (if you have one). This would be a good game to play if you have some players who are not jumping (outside the net of the trampoline) and want to participate too.
25. Basketball
Set up a basketball hoop inside the trampoline net and practice jumping and shooting the ball into the hoop.
26. Baseball
Have a parent or another kid toss the ball from outside of the trampoline. Have a hitter on the trampoline jump and try to hit the ball mid-air over the trampoline net.
27. Football
Jump and catch, then jump and throw the football.
28. Soccer
Practice dribbling footwork around the edge of the trampoline. It’s a lot harder to control the soccer ball on such a bouncy surface, but practicing this way can really improve ball control once back on the field.
29. Karate/Taekwondo
Take all your punches and kicks to the next level with jumps before and after. Just make sure we’re doing air punches not punching each other!
Best trampoline games for little kids
30. Ring-around-the-rosy
This classic sing-along game is tons of fun on the trampoline, especially for younger children. All the little kids hold hands and spin in a circle singing the chant, “Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” Then, they all fall down and laugh hysterically.
31. Freeze bounce
Everyone bounces around the trampoline at the same time and then a designated referee will yell “freeze!!” Everyone has to stop bouncing and the last person to have their feet hit the trampoline or the last person to stop moving loses.
32. Simon says
One player (or a parent) play the role of “Simon” and issues orders to the rest of the players on the trampoline, prefaced with the words “Simon Says.” These can be things such as jump as high as you can, touch your toes, sit down, etc. Every now and then, Simon should give an order that doesn’t start with the magic words (“Simon Says”) to see if someone will perform. If they do, they’re out!
Get creative with your trampoline games
The most important thing when it comes to trampoline games is to have fun! Don’t be afraid to get creative and make up new games and new rules as you go. Children are often incredibly inventive, so make sure to play along to their games, even if the rules don’t make much sense. Trampolines are a great way to be physically active and to get outside this summer without going too far from home. We hope you and your kids enjoy these fun trampoline activities this summer.
If you take photos of your kids on the trampoline, tag us on Instagram! Use the hashtag #runwildmychild for a chance to be featured on our account.
What are your kids’ favorite trampoline games?
About the author
Meghan is a country living, mom of 2 boys in rural central Illinois (with a baby girl on the way). She is a Physical Therapist Assistant by trade but spends most of her time outside with her family. At home, she has large flower, herb, and vegetable gardens to tend to and 3 large dogs to play with. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and helping her in-laws show and raise livestock. Photography became a hobby while in isolation after her oldest son’s bone marrow transplant. It has since become a passion to capture her family’s daily life. Throughout her family’s journey with rare disease and transplant, the outdoors have been a safe space for the whole family to grow, learn, and thrive.
You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
Instagram: @meghangarriott
RWMC posts: Meghan Garriott