10 At-Home Trampoline Alternatives to Help Kids Blow Off All That Energy

Trampolines are backyard staples across America, and they've become even more popular during the coronavirus pandemic. Some parents love that trampolines help kids blow off excess energy. Others appreciate the physical and mental health benefits of jumping.

"Particularly during the pandemic, when many team sports are closed, the mental health benefits of providing activities that get your child's heart rate up are important to foster and hard to find," explains Wendy Hunter, M.D., board-certified pediatrician at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and assistant clinical professor of pediatric emergency medicine in the UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics. "There are only so many minutes a day that parents can play tag with their kids, and kids certainly can't go for a jog alone or use a treadmill."

But despite the benefits of backyard trampolines, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons strongly discourage using them. More than 1 million emergency room visits were attributed to trampoline injuries between 2002 and 2011, according to a report from the AAP, and most patients were younger than 17 years old. The most common injuries were fractures, sprains, head injuries, dislocations, and broken bones—but paralysis, brain damage, and even death have also been reported.

So how can kids get the mental and physical benefits of trampolines without the risks? Keep reading to learn about 10 safer alternatives.