Opinions on allowing a 3 year old to jump on an outdoor trampoline?

Question

What is your opinion on allowing a 3 year old to jump on one of those large, circular outdoor trampolines unattended? There was no safety net on it. I've seen the ones that have a safety net around the outside perimeter of them and this didn't have that on it.
Also, are they against the law in any states?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I believe they are too dangerous under all circumstances. I don't care about age, supervision or safety net. And they might actually be more dangerous for older kids. The inherent danger of these things cannot be sufficiently minimized.

Buy them a baseball, basketball or golf club instead.

Answer 2

The safety net will keep your child from falling off the edge of the trampoline, but not necessarily from being hurt. Adult supervision is necessary at all times! I have a niece who broke an ankle jumping on a trampoline at age 4 - she was with her mom at the time, and she is still having trouble with the same ankle almost a decade later. Check with the company that carries your homeowner's insurance... some won't provide coverage for accidents, and they would also know if it is illegal in your state.

Answer 3

We have a big 8 footer with a net around it... I have four kids the three oldest go out on it all the time they were 7, 5, and 3 when we got it... Now they are all a year older and I never had any problems with them jumping! With no net I would probably want to be out there just in case, but with the net I was sure they were ok! (Of course I am a mom so the very frequent "look outs" are typical)

Answer 4

Hey we actually live in North Dakota, and the law is here, if you own a large trampoline, and it has to be reported and you must carry insurance on it. Which i find odd. So another words, if its in our yard and we arent home and a neighbor kid decides to come down and jump on it, and something happens. We are still responsible for it. We have a 14 foot one in our yard, our now 4 year old has jumped on it many of times, alone and also with his 3 brothers lol. We have a safety net around it, and we replace it whenever it needs to be replaced as they dont last long. I wouldnt however allow any of my children to jump on one without the net around it. My neice went to a friends and was jumping on their 14 foot one and the little girl fell off and broke her arm and she was 9. No way would i let a 3 year old jump without a net.

Answer 5

Even with the safety net, a small child shouldn't be allowed on a trampoline unsupervised.

My 2 year old loves my friends trampoline -- but the rule is that she has to be out there with him.

Answer 6

I think thats pretty dangerous.

These are just 2 cases I found............ They need adult suppervision.......

Plaintiff was 16 years old at the time. Plaintiff was bouncing on a backyard trampoline. Due to the defective design of the trampoline, Plaintiff lost his balance and went off the trampoline and came down on his head hitting the ground. As a result, Plaintiff was a C-4 quadriplegic. Although the product itself was destroyed, Plaintiff was able to trace the manufacturer of the product through the purchase at the retail outlet which sold the Defendant's trampolines exclusively. A lawsuit was brought in Federal District Court in South Carolina. A seven-figure settlement was made on behalf of Plaintiff by Attorney Ronald R. Gilbert. A special needs trust was set up to provide Plaintiff adequate medical care for the rest of his life.

Plaintiff was 17 years old, and on the day before his first day of his senior year at high school started, he was bouncing on a backyard trampoline which had a "Safety Enclosure" around it. Because the product had an enclosure around it which was named by the manufacturer as a "Safety Enclosure," both Plaintiff and his parents felt that the trampoline was "safe." Unfortunately, due to the defective design of the trampoline, as well as the misleading information that the trampoline had a "Safety Enclosure," Plaintiff believed that it was safe to do flips and somersaults on the trampoline. This was a backyard 14 foot round trampoline. Hundreds of thousands of these products are sold each year. Unfortunately, Plaintiff came down on his head when he tried to execute a back flip which he had executed hundreds of times before. As a result, he was a C-4 quadriplegic. A middle six-figure settlement was obtained by Ronald R. Gilbert on behalf of Plaintiff against the manufacturer of the trampoline and the manufacturer of the "Safety Enclosure." The case was litigated in State Court in the State of Maryland

Answer 7

You would have to contact Child Services and ask them if it is child endangerment or something like that. It is not wise to let a 3 year old jump on a trampoline alone, especially if it has no safety net.

Trampolines are allowed in every state.

Answer 8

We have a trampoline also.. But we have the safety net also and my kids are always supervised on it also...
I would NOT let my 3 year old on it unsupervised at all and especially with not net. That would be asking for trouble...

Answer 9

considering the research 'tammer197' put into this, I wouldn't let my child jump on one unless there was a safety net AND adult
supervision. My hubby & I talked about getting one in the next yr, my oldest is 4, but my mind had suddenly been changed. I think
I'll wait 'til they're a little older and then I will make sure we have
rules & safety guidelines to go by. I'm glad I read this. Thanks, tammer!

Answer 10

It's okay if the cild is being supervised. When we allow my niece on th etrampoline... there is always at least one person out there with her. Often two or three of us surround the trampoline (acting like a safety net).