Trampolines are usually seen merely as toys, and curious toys at that. But, they are effective fitness tools, because their springy nature provides a giving surface for impact exercise, thus minimizing stress on the joints and spine. Kathleen Fuller, Ph.D., states that trampoline exercise is the "best proven aerobic exercise as you bounce up and down against gravity, minus the strain on the musculoskeletal system." This means you can attain exercise benefits from simply playing games on this toy, the trampoline.
Play "Add-On"
This game requires at least two people to play, but the number of players who can participate is virtually unlimited. The first player performs one simple trick or feat, such as a split jump, on the trampoline. Each subsequent player must recreate all the feats of preceding players, as well as add another one of his own. As each player takes a turn, the routine of moves becomes more and more complicated. Inevitably, players start to forget parts of the routine, and when they fail to recreate the correct order, they leave the game. The last person to correctly perform the routines wins. This game encourages movement and creativity in adding to the choreography.
Play "Crack the Celery"
"Crack the Celery" consists of one person being chosen as "the celery" and lying down in the middle of the trampoline, where she must maintain a sticklike pose, with arms and legs firmly pressed to the sides. All the other players then try to "crack the celery" by causing "the celery" to bounce and thereby to lose the proper celery formation. Note that a distance of a few feet should always be maintained between the jumpers and the "celery" for safety reasons, because, depending upon the intensity of the jumpers, this game has the potential for extreme moves.
Play "Hot Potato"
This game might be more aptly named "Cold Potato," because it consists of tossing a full water balloon back and forth, or around in a circle, until someone breaks it. When played on a trampoline, of course, everyone has to keep jumping at all times, which makes catching and not breaking the water balloon an exciting and fairly difficult task. This game is perfect for a hot summer day, and all that jumping around gets your heart rate going as well as benefiting the flow of your lymphatic system--specialties of trampoline activity.
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