Trampoline accessories can be one of the most effective ways to ensure the safety of your children while optimizing their enjoyment. These accessories allow parents to customize trampolines for the intended users and provide constructive game elements that promote healthy habits in children. One section of this article will discuss the accessories that directly affect the performance of the trampoline. The second section will discuss those products that provide a level of entertainment and enjoyment for the users. The third and final section will discuss accessories that affect the accessibility and wear of the trampoline.

     The ability to control the bounce on a trampoline is a noteworthy feature that can allow the trampoline to grow with the jumpers and adapt to their individual needs. One company, Jumpsport and AlleyOop Sports, offers an accessory (the “Power Bounce”) that allows for the attachment of additional springs in order to increase the bounce performance. This unique device is recommended for larger and more active users.

     The addition of entertainment devices will likely increase the enjoyment any user while providing an exciting and safe environment for those watching. The basketball hoop is an excellent accessory that can provide hours of safe activity. A basketball hoop that attaches to the safety enclosure is ideal as it keeps jumpers on the mat. Jumpsport and AlleyOop Sports offer a basketball hoop that attaches to their safety enclosure. This product has an ingenious safety precaution - a movable hoop that will give if a jumper impacts the hoop from the bottom. Slamma Jamma offers an inflatable basketball hoop that remains outside the trampoline but is designed to accommodate a safety enclosure, thus the hoop and the backboard are within the designated jumping area. This is the softest basketball hoop design we have come across. We have received reports of customers finding that it deflates and needs to be pumped up every few days. Although we have not tested this product firsthand, we will review it in the near future. The Slamma Jamma basketball hoop can be found at Buy.com. A secondary accessory to the basketball hoop is a basketball landing pad. This pad covers the springs in the immediate area underneath the basketball hoop. The pad protects individuals from injuring themselves while dunking or completing other intricate maneuvers close to the hoop (found at Jumpsport.com). For the users who are active snowboarders, wakeboarders, or skateboarders, there is a device called a Bounce Board that provides the sturdy surface of a board surrounded by foam thus preventing injuries or damage to the mat, netting, and pad. This device has straps that will secure an individual’s feet in order to increase its likeness to a snowboard or wakeboard. This product can be found at 1800Trampoline.com, Jumpsport or AlleyOop Sports, ExtexToys.com, or Swing Sets and More. These accessories make excellent additions to any trampoline setting.

     We recently saw a new educational product enter the market place. It is a called a gamemat and is geared towards younger children. Designed in concentric circles with a combination of color, shapes, and numbers, the gamemat provides learning environment that is both fun and active. Another unique feature is the mathimatical devices that can be used in conjuction with the numbers (multiplication, division, addition, subtraction). This product can be found at Jumpsport.com.
New challenges and games can be created using a variety of balls. These balls can range from 40in Swiss balls to small, non-descript inflatable rubber balls. Chalk is another readily available accessory that can be great fun for kids. The hoppy ball, a gigantic fun ball with handles, allows the individual an added element of fun as they bounce around on the ball in a seated position. These accessories can be found on 1800Trampoline.com, Amazon.com, Jumpsport.com, a local game store, or other retail sites. Jumpsport or AlleyOop Sports offer an assortment of balls, chalk, bungees, and a game book in all inclusive kit (the “GamePak”) at Jumpsport.com. Tents are a feature that allows for slumber parties and gives children an opportunity to use their imaginations. There are several different styles currently available and can be found at the following locations: Jumpsport.com, 1800Trampoline.com, Amazon.com, Swing Sets and More, and additional sites. During the warm summer months, it is great to be able to stay cool. One way to do that is with The SplashCourt, a Jumpsport product, which is small inflatable pool designed for use on a trampoline (found at Jumpsport.com).
Many products currently in the marketplace are designed to keep people safe during use or while watching. Ladders create a stable platform that allows jumpers to effectively enter and exit the bouncing area. A ladder can be a beneficial method to prevent injuries from exiting the trampoline in an uncontrolled fashion. According to the ASTM guidelines, a ladder cannot be packaged with any resale trampoline and must be sold separately as an accessory. This is due to the ASTM condition that a child under the age of six should not use a trampoline, and assumes that a ladder could potentially provide access for that child. The ASTM recommends removing the ladder when the trampoline is not in use. The design of most trampolines accepts a removable stepladder. The Kid Nett (purchased at Trampolinesales.com) is another form of protection and safety for children. The net suspends from the railing of the trampoline to the ground preventing young children, pets, and toys from getting under the jumping mat especially when in use. Designed to fit most round trampolines, the Snag Bag allows users a convenient location to store shoes, extra clothing, and anything else that may hinder their activity. This storage rack can prevent the area immediate to entrance from becoming cluttered and unsafe for those exiting the bounce area (found at Trampolinesales.com, Fun Spot, and 1800Trampoline).

      Several accessories can prolong the life of a trampoline. Weather covers keep rain, leaves, and sun off the trampoline while it is not in use and extends the life of the trampoline mat, springs, and pad. Weather covers are made by several manufactures and can be found at the following locations: 1800Trampolines, Swing Sets and More, and Jumpsport.com, Fun Spot, and more. An anchor designed to secure the trampoline can be beneficial in windy locations. Although it is not a guaranteed measure to keep the trampoline on the ground during a hurricane, it can provide security during normal wind conditions. Anchor kits can be found at the following locations: 1800Trampolines, Jumpsport or AlleyOop Sports, TrampolineAndMore, Fun Spot, Amazon, and more.