The best memories of my childhood came from the times I was really bored.

My childhood in the early eighties was very different to now. I grew up in Melbourne as an only child of a single parent who worked full time, 7 days a week. I spent a lot of time with my wonderful grandparents, but we didn’t have many toys or activities back then. Our outing for the day was to the park or the grocery store. There was definitely no ballet, no play dates, and of course, no iPads. A treat for me was watching the morning cartoons, very, very early, and then my grandfather would take over and watch the news on SBS at full blast.

I look at my children’s lifestyles and think they are probably a little spoiled, by comparison: An abundance of toys and gifts on birthdays and holidays (and sometimes outside those), book orders through school, little treats… and I consider us to have GOOD boundaries!

I haven’t even mentioned technology. When it comes to screen time – both television and things like iPads – we’re pretty strict on this in our house while our children are so little (5 & 7, and just recently – a newborn!)

I have posted before about the importance of children being ‘bored’ shown in this YouTube video . The games I made up when I was bored were so much fun.

One of my fondest memories from my childhood was jumping on the trampoline at my grandparent’s house. My cousin and I would spend hours and hours jumping and playing games around this trampoline. We would be called inside when it was time to eat. We would beg to have a picnic lunch on the trampoline. We literally didn’t want to get off.

Now we have added a newborn to our family, I was thinking of how I would entertain my eldest two. In addition to feeding and the usual baby stuff, there’s also the regular household chores AND this business.

I didn’t want to fall into the technology trap… so I invested in a trampoline. I could keep an eye on them and send them outside when the weather was nice. Travelling around Sydney, visiting families in their own home, I see many families have also decided to purchase a trampoline and the children LOVE them!

With so many different designs on the market, we found the Springfree Trampoline to be the best quality and the safest. The investment is worth it when you consider safety. I fractured my ankle on our old trampoline when my foot slipped through between the springs… ouch!

Once we made the decision, all we had to do was choose the right size for our backyard. Springfree were happy to answer any questions and have great services such as measuring and recommending the best trampoline size for you, delivery and installation!

I am excited that my children will have more physical activity in their day. Exercise is vital for a child’s development both physically and mentally. The benefits of physical activity for children are numerous, with some being obvious (general fitness) and some less so, such as:

• Promotes growth and development
• Improves posture, flexibility, coordination and strength
• Helps with their fine and gross motor skills
• Helps with the connections of different parts of the brain and improves concentration
• Helps release chemicals called endorphins which trigger a positive feeling in the mind and body
• Improves sleep
• Helps with stress, anxiety and relaxation
• A great way to practice social skills
• Improves confidence and self-esteem

So it was a no-brainer for us to invest in the Springfree Trampoline. I am excited and can’t wait to hear their voices while they are playing outside!

Here’s to happy and safe jumping!

Have you invested in a trampoline? How have you found it?