It’s easy to give up on outdoor play in the winter and instead curl up inside with movies, computer games, and other sedentary pursuits. While we all enjoy a good excuse to watch movies, the reality is that modest outdoor activity, especially when it’s chilly, may have a variety of health advantages for both children and adults.
Outdoor activity gets your family out of the house and away from the viruses and germs that accumulate indoors throughout the winter. That means you’ll be less exposed to the unpleasant bacteria that are so common when it’s chilly outside. It also improves exposure to important nutrients obtained from sunlight, such as vitamin D. Vitamin D has several short- and long-term health advantages, but spending time outside with your family can help them stay healthier than if they are cooped up indoors.
Dress correctly for wintertime outdoor play, recognize your limitations, and choose safe activities for your children to participate in.
This is where your trampoline in the backyard may help. Your trampoline may be a fantastic tool for encouraging your family to come outside and enjoy some of that cold, fresh air if you want to leave it outside during the winter.
Can You Jump on Your Trampoline in the Winter?
Trampolines are a great way to get some exercise and have some fun in the winter, but all trampoline use should be done properly.
It may not be a good idea to leave your trampoline outside if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow or has strong winds during the winter months. The weight of snow can ruin a trampoline, and severe winds can blow it about your yard. If you live in an area where bad weather is common, it’s generally a good idea to disassemble your trampoline and store it indoors during the winter.
However, if you reside in a milder winter area, you may not need to store your trampoline when the thermometer dips below freezing. A trampoline is usually unaffected by the cold. Exposure to moisture, such as rain and snow, and high winds, which may move it about, are two of its significant problems.
How To Protect Your Trampoline From Snow in The Winter?
You’ll be able to maintain your trampoline in place and use it on days when poor weather doesn’t keep you inside if you spend a little time prepping it ahead of time for the snow and wind. If you live in a more moderate-to-mild winter climate, there are only a few things you can do to protect your home from the elements:
1. Take the frame pads out of the frame and store them inside, when it’s not being used
The frame pads will not be harmed by moisture from rain or snow if they are removed. These are simple to fold and stow without taking up a lot of room inside. If you don’t want to take the frame pads off, make sure they’re covered with a weather cover to keep them from becoming wet.
2. As soon as it is safe to do so, clear snow off the jumping pad
Allowing snow to accumulate on the pad might cause harm to your trampoline due to its weight. All of the snow should be removed with just a broom. Use a shovel or a snowblower sparingly. A shovel can scrape or shred the pad’s surface, and if your snowblower generates heat, it can also harm it.
3. Consider using a weather cover when your trampoline isn’t in use
The jump pad and the frame pads, if you choose to leave them on, can be protected by a weather cover. If you want to cover your trampoline, however, use caution. A cover can retain moisture on the trampoline’s surface, allowing mildew to develop. If you use a cover, make sure to take it off on a regular basis to allow your trampoline to dry out. If snow builds on top of the cover, use a broom to sweep it away, exactly as you would if the jumping bed was uncovered.
4. Use trampoline anchors to keep it safely in place
As the name implies, trampoline anchors attach the trampoline to the ground to prevent it from being blown around your yard by strong winds. If you reside in a region where strong winds are common, anchors are very useful.
If you live in a region where severe winds are prevalent, trampoline anchors are an excellent purchase at any time of year. In fact, because the anchors go into the ground, you’ll want to accomplish this before the cold winter arrives so that the earth is soft enough to embed the anchors.
5. Inspect the frame, springs, and jumping pad on a regular basis
It’s critical to inspect your trampoline to ensure that it hasn’t been damaged by the winter weather.
It will be easier to fix or avoid future, irreversible harm if the damage is identified early. Take a few minutes to go around the trampoline with your family before they begin to play, noticing any places that appear to have seen wear and tear since the last time the trampoline was used. Before permitting your family to begin jumping, address any safety concerns.
Effects of Snow on Trampolines
The effects of snow on a trampoline are entirely dependent on where you live. If you live in an area where heavy snowfall occurs for lengthy periods of time, your trampoline may be damaged or even broken.
This is due to excessive snow accumulation on the trampoline’s surface. The trampoline mat’s springs might overstretch and lose their suppleness as a result of the heavy snow and dampness. In such areas, trampolines must be cleaned and maintained meticulously throughout the winter. To eliminate the hazards entirely, you may keep them indoors or set them up inside.
Your trampolines are less likely to be destroyed in areas where there is just a little snowfall. Despite the high gusts, winter upkeep is still required.
A trampoline may be affected by strong, dry winds, especially if it is not attached to the ground. You don’t want to wake up to discover your trampoline upside down or strewn across your neighbor’s yard. In the winter, trampoline anchors and covers are required.
Benefits of Using Your Trampoline in the Winter
When the weather becomes colder, it may seem more convenient to stay indoors, but moderate outdoor activity provides several advantages for both children and adults. So, before you store your trampoline for the season, think about the advantages of leaving it out:
1. Change of Scenery
It’s easy to become depressed if you spend the entire winter indoors. Stepping outside for a few minutes each day can help lift your spirits and make the cold tolerable. Not only can get some fresh air make you feel better, but getting extra sunlight and the vitamin D it offers is also beneficial to your mood and overall well-being, especially in the winter. This applies to both children and adults.
2. Good Source of Exercise
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean your body isn’t in need of some exercise. Regardless of the weather, children require an opportunity to run, jump, and move after a day of sitting at a desk at school. There’s no reason youngsters can’t enjoy outside playing in the winter if they’re clothed correctly and the amount of time they spend outside is limited.
A change of environment and some fresh air may also enhance children’s behavior and help them release pent-up energy that might otherwise be spent leaping on your couch cushions or kicking soccer balls down your hallway. This translates to physical advantages for children and, more importantly, mental health benefits for parents!
3. A New Perspective
In the winter, everything looks and feels different. When your kid goes outside, fresh concepts and games will stretch their creativity. They’ll have a fresh perspective on the world and new ways to pass the time. This is a perk of any outdoor activity, but nothing compares to the view from up in the air when you jump on a trampoline. Plus, anything that helps us avoid boredom is a win!
Safety Tips for Trampoline Jumping in the Winter
There’s nothing wrong with having a good time in the cold. There are several health benefits of jumping on a trampoline outside. However, like with any outside activity, it’s critical to follow the guidelines for being safe and smart:
1. Check the thermometer
While it is absolutely safe to play outside in lower temperatures, children’s bodies are not as well-regulated as adults’. To put it another way, people don’t always recognize when they’ve had enough. Youngsters that are younger will not be able to remain warm for as long as older children. In addition, children of all ages should dress appropriately to protect themselves from the cold. As a result, make sure you understand how chilly it is outside. Knowing what the wind chill is in your region that day is a useful rule of thumb, keeping in mind that the wind chill may make it seem much colder than it actually is.
You’re undoubtedly asking yourself, “How cold is too cold?” Unfortunately, putting a numerical limit on how cold is “too cold” is difficult. Children in California, for example, may find 50 degrees to be extremely cold due to a lack of proper clothes. Wind chills in the 30s may be acceptable in modest quantities for youngsters in Michigan since they have thicker clothes to protect them. All we can advise is to follow your parenting instincts and apply your best judgment.
2. Check the weather
Make sure it’s not pouring or snowing when your kids are on the trampoline, in addition to the outdoor temperature. Moisture may rapidly transform a trampoline from enjoyable to hazardous. Nothing is more frustrating than sliding on a spot of snow or ice and injuring yourself. Not only should you check the weather, but you should also inspect the trampoline’s surface for any leftover snow or ice from a recent storm. Ice, in particular, can be difficult to spot since it blends in with the surface of the jump pad.
3. Remove any snow or moisture from the trampoline’s surface
Before permitting children to use the trampoline, thoroughly examine it for any snow, ice, or water that may have accumulated on the surface due to a recent storm. To avoid slipping or falling, clean up any possible dampness. While you’re at it, examine the frame, pads, and springs (if your trampoline has them) for any damage that has happened since the last time it was used. Also, as previously said, avoid the trampoline while it is still pouring or snowing.
4. Don’t wear loose clothes
It may be tempting to wrap your child in a scarf or a sweater with a hood when it’s cold outside, but these materials might pose a safety concern when jumping on a trampoline. Choose clothing with a tighter fit, such as a turtleneck or a cap that isn’t linked to their clothing to keep their necks warm. Jumping in boots might also harm the jumping surface due to the rough soles. There’s no faster way to ruin trampoline enjoyment than destroying the trampoline’s jumping surface.
5. Provide proper supervision
Yes, we understand that it’s difficult to stand outdoors and watch your children play when it’s cold, but the winter isn’t the time to let up on adult supervision. Join in the fun or put some toe warmers in your boots if you’re getting cold watching your kids bounce on the trampoline. However, never leave children unattended when using a trampoline.
6. know when to quit
Outdoor play is beneficial throughout the winter months, but it should be restricted more severely than in the summer. Keep an eye out for indicators that your kids are feeling chilly. Make sure that playtime is limited to a reasonable length of time, and that youngsters are immediately escorted indoors. Even a few minutes of outdoor play every day might help you get over the winter blues.
7. Follow standard trampoline rules
Always observe conventional trampoline safety no matter what time of year you’re jumping. Allow just one person to jump at a time, have an adult nearby, and never jump on a broken or damaged trampoline. Also, stay away from flips and other “tricks” that might result in catastrophic damage.
How To Remove Heavy Snow From A Trampoline?
Never use a shovel or a blower; instead, use a soft bristle brush. Begin brushing in the center and work your way out. From there, brush the snow towards the edge. Then dump the snow on the ground.
After all of the snow has been removed, use a towel and wipe the mat dry.
Can A Trampoline Stay Out In Winter?
This is dependent on a number of variables. Any excellent trampoline should be made of high-quality, rust-resistant materials, so dampness shouldn’t be an issue.
However, if your location receives a lot of heavy snow, it can build up to the point where it surpasses the trampoline’s maximum weight capacity, causing the jumping surface or springs to break.
We propose that you remove the pads, the jumping surface, and the springs throughout the winter as a general rule to avoid having to deal with snow. If you don’t want to deal with disassembly, you can get a trampoline cover for the winter, which we’ll go over in more depth later, but you shouldn’t do so if you’re anticipating more than an inch of snow. If you leave the metal frame and poles in the yard, you should be OK virtually every time.
Of course, if you have an indoor trampoline, you can move it inside to keep getting some healthy exercise even if the weather isn’t cooperating.
What Happens If Your Trampoline Is Left Outside In The Winter?
Nothing. It’ll be ready for spring, and your kids may have even spent a few frigid days jumping on it. If your trampoline isn’t designed to withstand cold weather, the springs may rust, affecting the bounce.
If you haven’t properly moored it, it might be blown away during storms or severe winds. Duh! So, for your own safety, anchor it. If it snows on it and you don’t brush it off, the weight of the snow may be too high for the recommended weight capacity, causing the mat and springs to strain.
What Is Winterization?
If you leave your trampoline up throughout the winter, winterization is a process that will keep it clean and safe. The first step in winterizing your trampoline is to remove the frame pads and store them indoors to prevent them from getting wet from rain or snow, which might harm them.
Then all you have to do is maintain it clean by sweeping off any snow with a broom on a regular basis and ensuring sure your cover (if you have one) isn’t collecting moisture and mildewing.
Never use a shovel or a snowblower to clean your trampoline; ALWAYS use a broom. A plastic shovel, for example, may rip a hole in your jumping surface, making it extremely unsafe to jump on afterwards.
Snow blowers will also melt mat fabric and PVC vinyl cushioning, necessitating the trampoline’s complete replacement.
Should I Anchor My Trampoline?
A sturdy anchor can protect your trampoline from becoming a safety concern if you have heavy winds in the winter. Stakes that secure the trampoline’s frame to the ground are included in some specialist anchor kits, and these are typically a prudent and reasonably affordable precaution to take while caring for a trampoline in the winter.
If you don’t want to buy stakes, another alternative is to dig trenches in the ground before putting the trampoline up for the first time, position the trampoline’s legs in the trenches, and then pack earth or mulch around the legs to attach the trampoline with the ground.
In most situations, this technique works at least as well as stakes, although a lot of rain might damage the soil, and it’s clearly quite annoying to do this if the trampoline has already been constructed.
How Do I Disassemble A Trampoline In Winter?
A winter cover like the ones below might suffice if you’re experiencing a mild winter. If there is going to be a lot of snow, take apart the soft frame pads, the jumping surface, the safety netting (if any), and the springs.
If you’re anticipating snow and strong winds and are concerned that your trampoline won’t be securely anchored or buried, you may want to remove the metal poles and frame, but in most situations, you shouldn’t have any problems keeping them up.
The specifics of how to disassemble a trampoline as part of your winter care can vary slightly depending on the model you possess, so examine the handbook first to see what it says about disassembly.
However, most trampolines may be taken down in the following manner:
So that the pads don’t grow mildewy or nasty in storage, clean the surfaces with a wet towel or cotton washcloth. Remove the pad (or pads, depending on the type) that wraps around the trampoline’s perimeter, fold them up, and store them somewhere dry. If necessary, remove the safety enclosure. Because there are so many various types of safety enclosures, we recommend consulting the instructions or contacting the trampoline manufacturer for this step.
Remove the springs from the frame. The spring removal tool, which looks like a small crowbar and is used to remove one end of the spring out of the hooks on the jumping surface, is included with most trampolines. In most situations, the spring should just come out after that. Some individuals try to remove springs using the other springs rather than the supplied tool (and there are even YouTube videos that suggest this approach), but this can cause harm, so we recommend following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Fold the leaping surface gently after laying it flat on the ground. It, together with the springs, should now be ready for storage.
- Remove the big circular/rectangular/square frame by unscrewing the top screws on each pole and removing the metal frame.
- Dismantle the frame and store the parts.
- Remove the poles from the ground (after unstaking them, if necessary) and put them away.
Do I Need A Trampoline Cover In Winter?
Trampoline covers are an excellent option if you predict low to moderate snowfall this winter and don’t want to deal with the inconvenience of trampoline disassembly. They can often be used for rain at other times of the year as well, so they’re typically a smart purchase!
Simply check your cover once a week or so to make sure it’s not trapping moisture, which may lead to mildew and other issues, and remove it to dry if it appears to be a problem.
Protective Cover for Upper Bounce Trampoline
The UV-resistant laminated cover comes in two colors and nine sizes, and it connects to the frame with S-hooks. It’s one of the most affordable covers on the market, and it protects you from the elements including wind, rain, and snow.
You may get it with a set of four trampoline wind stakes for an additional $15, which may be a nice alternative if you’re looking for the finest trampoline winter maintenance possible.
The Bottom Line
Essentially, you can’t let the dread of your trampoline being damaged by snow keep your kids from having fun. A trampoline adds to the fun and excitement in the winter since the weather is nice, it helps them warm up, and winter indoors is plain dull!
There are a variety of ways to keep your trampoline in good working order over the winter months, so you don’t have to deprive your children of their favorite pastime. When it rains or snows severely, the cheapest and most practical method to protect your trampoline is to use a cover.
Other basic techniques might help you save your trampoline and go through the bad weather with ease.