What's the most common injury children have on a trampoline?

Trampolines may be a great garden toy and a useful way for your kids to burn off some excess energy this summer.

But if they're not used properly and safely, you may find yourself accompanying your nearest and dearest to A&E, which is the last thing you need during a pandemic.

In a recent survey of 663 parents with a child under the age of 12, 50% admitted that their child has hurt themselves on a trampoline.

Find out the most common injuries and follow our safety advice to help avoid trampoline accidents in your home, as well as tips to help you buy the best trampoline.

Find out what's the best trampoline brand

Trampoline injuries: what's the most common?

When we quizzed parents about injuries while using a trampoline, the most common was bruises with 40% of parents admitting their child had experienced bruising from playing on a trampoline.

This was followed by sprains (24%), strains (22%), fractures (21%) and cuts (21%). Thankfully, dislocations make up a smaller percentage with 16%.

Trampoline safety advice to help avoid injuries

The five tips below will help to keep accidents on your trampoline to a minimum:

1. Supervise your child where possible
Try to avoid leaving children unsupervised while using the trampoline.

2. One child at a time
This won't make you the favourite parent, but according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), 60% of trampoline injuries occur when more than one person is using the trampoline at a time.

3. No bouncing exits
Most trampolines have netting round them which can be zipped up to keep your child enclosed, but don't be tempted to leave it open so your child can launch themselves off - it's a common cause of injury.

4. No children under six years old
Unless it's a trampoline specifically for toddlers or young children, most children under this age lack the muscular strength to bounce safely.

5. Never combine alcohol with trampolining
While joining them on the trampoline may seem like a fun idea, your child (and your pelvic floor) may not be quite so prepared.

How to buy a safe trampoline

If you're looking to purchase a trampoline, look for the following:

• Padding thickness It should cover the springs to protect your child if they fall on them.
• Strong, durable netting It needs to survive the weather and being launched at by your child.
• In-ground trampolines These create less of an eyesore and remove the risk of you falling off it, but you'll need to be willing to dig down into your garden to accommodate it.
• Spring-free trampolines They eliminate the impact areas that can cause injury.
• Anchoring kit This will keep the trampoline in place, which is especially important in case of windy weather. Make sure it's positioned on soft ground such as lawn or wood chippings, rather than concrete.
• Check it meets the EU safety standard Look on the packaging of your trampoline for information showing it meets European Standard EN71-14:2014 'Safety of toys - Trampolines for domestic use'.

Find out what the most popular retailer is to purchase trampolines from by reading our guide to the best trampoline brands.