The Best Trampoline Games
14 Mins Read
May 11, 21
Simply bouncing around on a trampoline is an excellent source of fun for you and your family. But when you sprinkle in some creativity, it can quickly become a stage for some entertaining games.
Bouncing around on a trampoline is an excellent source of fun for you and your family. Plus, if you take the time to put a creative spin on things – you’ll find the trampoline can quickly become a stage for some entertaining games!
The element of bounce will put a spring in your step while you play, giving everyday games a new dimension. Not only do players have to play the game, but they also must try to stay balanced!
Trampoline Safety Tips
We can’t talk about the fun you’re going to have trying out these great games without taking a beat to remember trampoline safety. We want to help make sure everyone has the most fun they can – with a smile on their face! Some of these games are perfect for more than one player, as they rotate the player who bounces. The other players keep their feet on the ground to play their part in the game. Many of the games listed here don’t require you to bounce, so more than one player can take part on the trampoline. Keeping this in mind, you and your kids can stay safe and have heaps of fun!
Trampoline Ball Games
Ball games on the trampoline are a sure-fire way for kids to burn excess energy. Not only do they help develop better fitness and balance, the trampoline adds extra difficulty to games where coordination and muscle control are needed. Building on existing skills or beginning from scratch, ball and trampoline games get kids absorbed in active play, providing hours of entertainment. It’s no surprise ball games top our list of fun trampoline games for adults and kids to enjoy!
1. Trampoline Basketball
A trampoline basketball hoop attaches easily to your trampoline enclosure poles. It only takes a few minutes to set up, but your kids will get hours of enjoyment taking turns to shoot hoops. Aiming for a score while bouncing might be slightly easier, but it’s still good practice. You can play an exciting game of one-on-one and challenge each other to score the most spectacular baskets as you bounce through the air on the way to the net.
2. Aircatch
Catching a ball can be straightforward, depending on the force of the throw and the size of the ball, of course. However, what if you had to catch it while flying through mid-air? That’s the idea behind air catch. One player is on the trampoline, and the other is outside. The player on the outside must throw the ball over the enclosure and into the air. The player on the trampoline must bounce into the air and catch the ball. This requires coordination and timing, and you can score it whatever way you like – who has the most catches in a row or who has the most out of 10. This becomes even more fun if you have two trampolines!
3. Bird in the Nest
This game involves the trampoline and the surrounding area. You start with several different colored balls. One player is nominated as the bird. Without allowing the other players to see, the bird hides the balls at various locations around the garden. Each player is assigned a color and must search for the hidden items of that color and bring them back to the trampoline, which is the ‘nest,’ one by one. The bird can shout ‘to the nest’ at any point in the game, and all players must return to the trampoline whether they have an item or not. The bird then counts the balls of each color on the trampoline to determine the winner.
4. Trampoline Horse
For more advanced tricksters, here's a take on a game popular with young basketball players, specifically created for the trampoline. The rules for the game are like the basketball version. Players take turns making up tricks and then others must copy their moves. Flip a coin or play rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first. The first player does a trick on the trampoline — like a flip or special jump — and the other players must copy them. Players who don’t complete the move add a letter. The first person to spell the word “HORSE” loses.
5. Trampoline Volleyball
For this game you'll need your soft volleyball. Draw a line with chalk in the middle of the trampoline, or use silver duct tape, to mark where the “net” will be. Each player takes their position on either side of the trampoline, surrounding it. The idea is to play volleyball with the added difficulty of the additional height of the “net”, as well as the possibility of the ball bouncing backwards if it hits the trampoline! This means more physical and mental exertion for the players, as they compete to have the least misses. It’s a great game for three players, so one person can keep score and act as the referee, while the players rotate in turns.
Trampoline Games for Kids
Perhaps your kids prefer less competitive games, or you have younger children. Add some extra novelty to classic kids’ past-times by holding them within the trampoline enclosure! Sometimes, a change of scene is all that’s needed to stimulate young minds. Switching up these activities to take place on the trampoline, you get your kids outside in the fresh air where they won’t notice the time pass by.
1. Trampoline Bubbles
Great for parties, this game will have children eagerly awaiting their turn on the trampoline. Position or hold the machine so it’s at a height, sending big floating bubbles into the air. The person bouncing on the trampoline must burst as many of the bubbles as they can, within a time limit while the others keep the score. Take turns and do a best out of three rounds to see who will be the winner! This game gets kids bouncing to boost their overall fitness!
Warning: the trampoline mat may be slippery when wet. Please exercise caution.
2. Obstacle Course
What are the shapes of your kids’ favorite soft toys and bean bags? Draw them onto the trampoline with chalk – it’s time to make an obstacle course. Don’t completely cover the trampoline, as the player still needs space to jump. However, the game is to see how long they will be able jump for, without touching any of the items of the obstacle course! The other players look on and make sure no cheating takes place. Whoever can go the longest without touching the “toys” wins.
3. Rock paper scissors
Take this classic game and give it a trampoline twist. Instead of using hands, one player uses their whole body to make the shapes in the air. The shapes are dictated by the player who’s not on the trampoline. The rules go like this: rock is when you tuck your knees, paper means jumping straight and scissors is an X-jump. The player on the trampoline develops their dexterity, seeing how quickly they can react to the commands of the other player.
4. Water Balloons
What better way to cool down on a hot day than with a game of water balloons? Create a new level of trampoline fun by combining these activities together. Fill your balloons with water, before lining them up on the trampoline mat on the ground, ready for the players to take aim. One person stands in the middle of the trampoline, and must jump over and around to miss the balloons. As the game continues, the difficulty increases for the player on the trampoline. If you get to the end of the balloons without a hit, the person standing wins.
5. Eye, Spy
Kids absolutely love this classic game. For this version, one person sits in the centre of the trampoline, as the “spy”. They pick something in the surroundings and the other players must guess what it is, with only the first letter given as a clue, announcing: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with..." The other players sit on the grass, trying to guess what they spy. This is a great way to get thinking caps on and for kids to notice things in their environment. It’s great when you don’t want to make a mess, as it doesn’t require any props beyond the (already existing) setting!
One Person Trampoline Games
A great thing about a trampoline is that it’s a stage for fitness and fun – even for one! It provides healthy exercise, without your kids’ even realizing it. The bouncing helps to boost circulation, as it’s whole-body play. This benefits the metabolism AND keeps your child entertained, even if there are no other playmates around. Here are some fun games to play on a trampoline solo.
1. Hopscotch
Chalk at the ready! One of the simplest and best-loved games in schoolyards, hopscotch is a perfect transplant to the trampoline. All the player needs to do is draw the hopscotch court with chalk on the trampoline: then get jumping. This game builds motor skills, as the player must perfect their bouncing/jump and body movements to land in the correct place on the mat.
2. Jump on Parts
Again, the only thing needed for this game is some chalk and one person! Draw parts onto the trampoline – for example, shapes or animals - but don’t draw them too big. Then, get ready to jump: but the player must try to jump within the lines of the parts drawn. This is a great way to test your jumping accuracy and body coordination.
3. Keepy-uppy
If you have a ball made of soft materials, you can add a new dimension to the classic game “Keepy-uppy”. The player must bounce the soft ball between their feet and legs, not allowing it to touch the ground, or in this case, the trampoline mat. Trying this on a trampoline will really test your balance and coordination skills. Count how many keepy-uppy’s you can do before dropping the ball and compete with yourself to get the highest score!
4. Beach Ball
How long can you keep the beach ball on the trampoline? With this game, you can enjoy the bounce and add a challenge, to keep yourself entertained. Start by placing the beach ball in the center, and as you jump, you must try to keep it within the trampoline. See how long you can go without the ball falling off.
5. Sprinkler
What better way to cool down on a warm day than with some water play? A trampoline sprinkler reduces the temperature of the trampoline and creates a mini-waterpark enclosure. Bouncing in the water is a fun activity that keeps kids entertained, even if they don’t have company.
Warning: the trampoline mat becomes extra slippery when wet. Please exercise caution. Acon does not take responsibility for such activities.
Trampoline Games for Two
Two’s company, and there are plenty of trampoline games to play with friends. Kids love pastimes that they can share with their peers, without a script, where their imagination can run free. Encourage kids to get outdoors where they can connect, make memories and lean into more imaginative play with this selection fun games you can enjoy on a trampoline.
1. Draw My Outline
Grab some chalk, it’s time to get creative. This game is great for younger kids, as the difficulty level is low. One person lies on the trampoline, while the other trace their outline with the chalk. They can try out different colors, taking turns to draw the outline. When that’s finished, they can spend time filling in or adding to the outlines however they like, letting their inner artist loose.
2. Snake
To play this game, you’ll need a skipping rope. The rope is on the mat, while one player stands on the ground, holding the end of the skipping rope. The other player is on the trampoline, and must jump and swerve without touching the “snake”. Compete to see who wins against the snake for longer!
3. Bean Bag Toss
Both players stand on either side of the trampoline. They must toss the bean bag to the other player, without the bean bag landing/bouncing on the trampoline. Keep score of who drops the bean bag the most, the other player is the winner.
4. Cloud Control
No props are required, but you’ll need clouds in the sky to play this classic trampoline game. Lying on the trampoline, both players turn their attention upwards. Looking at the clouds, each one explains the shapes and they see in the formations. Let imaginations run wild. Enjoy the differences and similarities between the players and what they perceive.
5. Frisbee
Grab your frisbee and get outside. Treat the trampoline as the target you don’t want to hit. Standing either side of the trampoline, throw the frisbee to each other – without hitting the huge obstacle in the middle! Keep score of who hits the trampoline the most, to decide the winner.
Trampoline Games for the Family
Family time is time well spent. Your trampoline can provide a backdrop to evenings, weekends and holidays, where the family gathers under the sun or stars to make the most of your time together. These games for the trampoline can kick off the fun with your family.
1. Twister
You won’t need a mat to play trampoline twister. Using different color chalk, your family can draw circles on the trampoline, before taking turns to place hands and feet in different positions. This one will test everyone’s flexibility and balance, thanks to the added bounce factor the trampoline provides. Just remember, only one player at a time will take a turn on the Twister trampoline.
2. Simon Says
Another classic that becomes a bit more difficult when a trampoline is involved: Simon Says. The appointed “Simon” will give the instructions to the family member on the trampoline, to test their balance and how quickly they can respond to their orders. Jumping on a single leg, touching your toes, moving to the right/left…there’s no need to worry about falling, the trampoline will catch you. Keep score to see who's got the best balance.
3. Trampoline Charades
If your kids are a little older, try trampoline charades. This game of pantomime, where you must perform a phrase without speaking it, will test your acting skills! The person performing must do so on the trampoline, for extra difficulty, while the other players surround it. If you think it’s hard to make shapes for others to understand during a normal game of charades - throw in a trampoline and watch things descend into chaos. This one is sure to bring some laughter to all involved.
4. Attack the Castle
One player is the king or queen of the castle. They must stay on the trampoline while the other players remain on the outside. The other players throw balls, bean bags or water balloons, attempting to hit the king or queen. If they are hit three times, their turn is over, and the player who landed the final hit becomes king or queen. The winner is whoever remain king or queen the longest.
5. Monkey in The Middle
One player bounces on the trampoline, while the rest of the players surround it. Using a soft foam ball, the players surrounding the trampoline must pass the ball to each other, without the person in the middle intercepting it. Count how many goes before someone can intercept, to keep score of who’s the quickest! The person who’s ball is intercepted takes the next turn being on the trampoline.
Other Trampoline Games & Activities
Some of the best trampoline games and activities don’t fit into a specific category. They are better enjoyed by bigger groups or completely alone, by kids or adults alike! No matter the age, or number of participants, this is a non-exhaustive list of unusual and failsafe fun things to do on a trampoline.
1. Yoga
Switch the yoga mat for the trampoline, to increase your flexibility and balance. Stretching is good for the body, and the added concentration required on a trampoline helps you to focus solely on the task at hand. You can adjust the difficulty depending on your skill and not take it too seriously– the trampoline adds some fun to your stretches!
2. Music and Lights
Add lights to your trampoline enclosure, get music playing outdoors with a Bluetooth speaker and take turns to jump until the person in charge of the music hits pause. This is a great party piece, especially when there are lots of little ones around.
3. Star Gaze
Pick a clear night, get some blankets and pillows, and get cozy. Bring your family together on the trampoline, switch off and get back in touch with the cosmos. Enjoy the evening quiet and stillness together. Using apps you can identify constellations and planets in the night sky, so both adults and kids can learn new things. A peaceful night’s stargazing preps everyone for bedtime.
4. Don’t Wake the Baby
Someone is chosen to be the “baby”, and they lie on the trampoline, eyes closed. The other players must stay off the trampoline until the baby says it begins. One by one, the players take turns to get on the trampoline without bouncing or making a noise or sound, and tag the baby. If the player tags the baby without them “waking up”, the baby guesses who it was. If they get it wrong, it’s the next person’s turn to be the baby.
5. Trampoline Movie Night
Gather up your blankets, pillows and tastiest treats. Hang a sheet or two to make a tented trampoline hideout (see this article if you’d like more ideas). Pop some corn, download your favorite movies onto your tablet, and get close so everyone can enjoy a trampoline movie night! Want a shortcut? Put up an Acon Trampoline tent to get the party started.
Endless Hours of Fun
Introducing fun games to your Acon trampoline time can help keep the good times rolling – or should we say bouncing? – along. Whether sharing moments with family and friends, or keeping themselves entertained on a quiet day, an Acon trampoline will provide endless hours of fun for your young or little ones.
Find the perfect trampoline for your family, and let the games begin!
