When Kids Jump Together: Safer Habits for Real World Play

When Kids Jump Together: Safer Habits for Real World Play

A Durable Products Australia guide

The Australian trampoline safety standard recommends one jumper at a time. This is the safest option, although a study by The Royal Children’s Hospital found that 81 percent of parents allow multiple jumpers. This reflects how families actually use trampolines, and we understand why. Children enjoy jumping together, and it is part of normal backyard play. This guide is part of Durable Products Australia’s Jump Smart Guides, a collection designed to help build safe, confident and enjoyable jumping habits.

Most trampolines have a single centre of gravity. This design pulls jumpers toward the middle and increases the chance of collisions, which is one of the most common injury mechanisms reported in Australian data. Durable Products Australia's trampolines are engineered differently. Our dual bounce zone design distributes bounce forces more evenly, which reduces inward pull and helps stabilise the jumping surface when more than one child is on the mat. This does not remove the risk, but it supports safer and more predictable movement.

Good equipment design is only one part of safer trampolining. The way children use the trampoline matters just as much.

Safe jumping habits

A few simple habits help children jump with more control and reduce the chance of injury:

  • Stay in the centre of the mat where the bounce is most predictable
  • Land with soft knees to reduce impact on joints
  • Climb on and off using the frame legs or a trampoline ladder rather than jumping off
  • Keep the area underneath completely clear
  • Do not allow children or pets to sit or play under the trampoline while someone is jumping
  • Avoid flips and somersaults unless supervised by a trained professional
  • Supervise children and new jumpers while they are using the trampoline
  • Regularly complete the trampoline maintenance checklist available on our Trampoline Resources Hub, and replace mats, springs or safety pads if showing signs of deterioration.

Safer habits for two jumpers

If two children are jumping together, these habits help keep play safe and enjoyable:

  • Stay at opposite ends of the trampoline
  • Avoid reaching arms or legs toward each other
  • Older or heavier children should bounce gently with younger or smaller jumpers
  • Keep flips and advanced skills for single jumpers only
  • Maintain active supervision while two children are jumping

These simple steps help keep shared play enjoyable and safe.

Further reading

You can learn more about safer trampolining and confident backyard play in our Jump Smart guides:

Our Trampoline Resources Hub contains a range of helpful information, including:

References

Eager, D., Zhou, S., Barker, R., Catchpoole, J., & Sharwood, L. (2023).  A Public Health Review into Two Decades of Domestic Trampoline Injuries in Children within Queensland, Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1742. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031742

Rhodes, A. (2016). Australian Child Health Poll: Summer Safety. Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. https://rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Australian-Child-Health-Poll-5_Detailed-Report.pdf

Ready, J. (2025). Hopping Hazards: Trampoline Safety Tips from a Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon. Yale School of Medicine. Yale School of Medicine. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/hopping-hazards-trampoline-safety-tips-from-a-pediatric-orthopaedic-surgeon

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