Trampolining is a lot of fun and if all you want to do is bounce around like Tigger with your friends, you’ll have a great time. But if you start doing a lot of it, you’re sure to want to start learning new techniques and tricks to trot out now and again, and really impress your pals.
It’s essential that you know how to stop safely before you start anything more difficult and the best way to do this is to simply bend your knees as you land back down on the trampoline. If you don’t bend your knees enough, you’ll do a second bounce, so practise until you can stop without a rebound.
Once you know how to stop, you can start bouncing higher. The best way to enjoy a good bounce is to get into a rhythm with the trampoline and you can practise this by starting off with small controlled bounces, with your arms sculling in small circles from your sides out to the front and round in a small circle.
To bounce higher, you’ll need to reach up with your arms and keep your body as straight as you can until you reach the top of your bounce. Bring your arms down to your side on your way back down, keeping your upper body and your head as still as you can.
Keep your toes pointed at all times except when you land – and aim to land on the trampoline with your feet flat, keeping them like this until the bed of the trampoline starts to rise again.
Come and see us at Shrewsbury trampoline park Airea 51 once lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
The lockdown has meant that many kids are stuck indoors, and not getting the chance to run around and get the regular physical activity they need to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, and reduce the risk of developing serious health conditions.
Kids between the ages of 6 and 17 should be getting at least an hour of heart-pumping, aerobic exercise every day, in addition to an hour of bone-strengthening and muscle-strengthening exercises three times a week.
So, how do you get kids to enjoy exercise? We have some exercises for kids to do at home that get that heart rate up, strengthen little bodies and bones, and – most importantly – are fun to do.
Running
Chasing each other around is one of the best exercises kids can do. Running is particularly healthy for kids since it helps them build strong bones while strengthening their muscles, as well as being fun!
Skipping
Not only does skipping increase heart rate, work out the total body, and improve core strength, it’s an unexpected workout for little minds as well. It engages both the left and right brain, leading to improved functioning while improving balance and coordination.
Crab walk
Have your kids sit with their feet in front and hands behind, then lift their hips off the ground so they’re walking like a crab. It’s funny and silly, while also developing core and arm strength.
Bear crawl
If they don’t like walking like a crab, flip it over and have them walk like a bear – have them crawl on their hands and feet, with their knees not touching the ground. Parents can also sneak these in whenever they can. Rather than walking to the bathroom for bathtime, why not bear crawl?
Frankenstein walk/cross-lateral movement
Cross-lateral movements improve brain function, focus, and coordination. The ‘Frankenstein Walk’ asks kids to put their hands straight out like Frankenstein’s monster (or a zombie), then bring one leg out straight so it’s almost parallel with the ground. The object is to touch the toe with the opposite hand. Growling like a monster is optional.
Hopefully, it will keep your kids exercised and happy until they can come and enjoy themselves at Shrewsbury’s trampoline centre!
The last few months have been tough for everyone, but children whose birthdays either fell during the strict period of lockdown, or the children who have birthdays in the coming weeks, will no doubt have found it particularly tough that they weren’t able to celebrate with their friends.
While you can always plan children’s parties in Telford for when the lockdown restrictions have been eased further, for now there are a few ideas you can try to make sure your little one has a memorable and fun birthday, even if you’re staying at home.
The Metro recently shared some inspiration of what you can do for a kid’s birthday party during this period. Virtual parties have become increasingly popular, and one option for older kids could be a Netflix Party, where you can host a virtual movie night.
Another way to make their birthday fun could be to set up a treasure hunt. If you have a garden then take full advantage of it, but if not you can always create a treasure hunt around your home.
If your youngster has a sense of adventure, meanwhile, you could go on a ‘camping trip’ in your garden or your living room. Setting up a tent and creating a new environment in one that’s familiar can be a fun way to escape from daily life for their birthday.
Vogue recently suggested that one of the most important elements of a lockdown birthday party is to make sure that children are able to see their friends and family virtually during the day. The publication even pointed out that this is an opportunity for people who may not normally be able to attend a regular birthday party to join in with the day.
Children are used to walking to and from school, running around the playground, having fun during PE and possibly doing a physical after-school activity. However, since schools have been closed over the last few weeks, it has been hard for parents to maintain these sorts of activity levels for their kids.
Even if they can’t go to their favourite trampoline play centre at the moment, it is important to keep youngsters moving as much as possible, as it will not only help with their physical wellbeing, but with their mental health too.
Most parents will have quickly realised that looking after children in the house is like keeping a wild animal caged up. No matter how many TV shows, video chats with friends, and games on the tablet they play, nothing replaces being able to run around, take part in a game of tag or do cartwheels across a gymnasium.
Long distance runner Jo Pavey is a big advocate for keeping children active during quarantine, with the European Championships 10,000-metre gold medallist currently having to look after her two school-aged children at home.
Speaking with the Inverness Courier, she said dragging the kids off the sofa can really boost their mental health at this difficult time when their routine has gone out of the window and they are missing their friends and extended relatives.
“[The kids] feel happier, they enjoy that it gives them a bit of a buzz … It gives them a boost, you can tell it keeps them feeling better about themselves and feeling good,” she stated.
Going for a walk or run, setting up an obstacle course, or doing a dance class together could also be a way for the family to bond, which will help provide children with reassurance and security when their world has been turned upside down.
“If we can use the time to engage with our children and make the commitment to keep active as a family, it’s going to be good for our physical and mental health,” Pavey commented.
With the UK still in full lockdown, it can be tough to know what to do if your little one has a birthday coming up, or has recently celebrated their birthday. Of course, physical parties are off the cards for the time being, so what can you do in the meantime?
One option is a virtual birthday party that friends and family can dial into. As Hello! pointed out, there are ways of making that more special too – such as by getting a children’s entertainer involved.
The publication spoke to Juliet Oldfield, who runs Bedazzled Events and who is offering lockdown birthday parties with all the money raised going to NHS charities. She explained that all kinds of entertainers are available to help little ones have a special birthday.
“We can tailor it as well so if their mum or dad or whoever’s booked the party lets us know of a special message or if there’s any really particular favourite things the child likes, we can arrange it so it feels really personal to them,” she said.
The Evening Standard has also been offering suggestions as to how parents can make children’s birthdays memorable, despite lockdown. Among some of the tips from the newspaper are to bake the birthday cake together and to get creative with what you have at home to dress up as a family and play some games.
Of course, even if your child’s birthday falls during lockdown, there’s no reason why you can’t celebrate now and still throw kids parties in Telford at your local trampoline park when life has returned to something a bit more normal.