Friday, February 27, 2009

Fun With Rebounding Trampolines

By Jane Bracken

A rebounding trampoline, also known as miniature-trampoline, is a great way for adults and children to have fun and get in shape. Rebounding trampolines are much easier to fit into a home or budget than a traditional outdoor trampoline. There are many ways to play on a miniature trampoline.

In the game of Snake, two children stand on opposite sides of the trampoline and wiggle a jump rope over the surface of the trampoline, like a snake. A third child then tries to jump on to the trampoline without getting abita by the snake. The object of the game is to jump as many times as possible without touching the jump rope. If the child touches the jump rope, he then changes places with one of the other children. The child who makes the most jumps before being 'bitten' by the snake wins!

Follow the Leader combines jumping on a trampoline with the traditional Follow the Leader game. The 'leader' begins by doing a series of jumps or tricks on the trampoline, which each child in the line must then repeat. A child who misses something in the series is out. You can choose the next leader in one of two ways. The first choice is for the game to continue with the same leader until only one child is left to be the next leader. Or, once every child has had one turn, the leader could pick a new leader from among the children who remain 'in.'

Another game that can be played on the rebounding trampoline is Add On. In this game, the first person in line does a jump or trick. The next person does the same jump as the first, and then adds on another jump or trick of his own. The players continue to take turns, each adding one thing to the sequence. If anyone misses a jump or does something out of order, he is out. The last one remaining in the game is the winner!

Your kids can also have contests on the trampoline to see who can do a certain move the most times in a row without messing up. Whichever child does the best is the winner. The winning child can then choose the next move to use for the game.

A variation of the above game is for each player to take turns doing a specific move. Anyone who messes up is out, and the rest of the participants continue taking turns until only one person remains. The last player remaining then selects the next move.

Another possibility is to set a time limit and have the kids do as many of a certain move as they can before the timer goes off. The kid with the highest count gets to decide what kind of jump or trick is used for the next round.

These games are not only fun for children - They can be fun for adults as well! Adults will find that a miniature trampoline can be used for more than just a workout. A trampoline can be used for fun, to spend time with your children, and exercise at the same time! - 16004

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