This post is sponsored by Vuly Play Trampolines.
A lot of people say to me that their kids come home from school exhausted and then don't eat dinner, but I have been doing something that has been working well for us, so I thought it was a good idea to share.
This might be controversial, but to be honest, I don't think our kids are exhausted when they get home, even though it feels like they are. I think they are just mentally tired. I mean, they have spent the whole day being on their best behaviour, conforming with rules and fitting into schedules. But a mentally tired kid (or two!) often struggles to see what is in their best interests.
So it's time to break the routines and chuck a massive circuit breaker into the mix! Kids need time to make their own fun, to be bored (it's a good thing!) and make games for themselves. We recently got a new trampoline from Vuly Play (gifted) and it has made a massive difference to our afternoons. The kids are now bouncing into dinner time.
We had a trampoline, the kids outgrew it and it eventually got destroyed by some wild weather... TOP TIP: when it comes to trampolines, you need to go BIG! Otherwise, the kids outgrow it quickly and there is much less fun to be had when you have to bounce alone due to space constraints.
Why should you choose a Vuly trampoline?
So what have we got now? Vuly Ultra (Large), shade cover (so needed for kids!), ladder and the Vuly pulse for a bit of fun. One thing I immediately love about the new trampoline is the quality, everything feels solid and like it is built to last.
Vuly trampolines are designed with safety in mind, there is no contact with the springs from in the trampoline, there is no pesky zipper to get hair caught in, the mesh won't trap fingers, and the structural bars are shaped so that you would really struggle to crash into them! But if you did, they are well padded. Australian owned and designed, these trampolines meet all Australian safety standards (super important for me!). If you want a trampoline built for Australian conditions, then look no further. Vuly have tested all of their trampolines to meet the safety requirements but also to survive in our dramatic climate.
Putting it together is made much easier by following the step by step videos that Vuly have: you can check out the one for the Ultra here.
My top tips for putting the Vuly Ultra together?
Give yourself time. Don't rush it. Get everything properly ready and don't start before you are sure everything is the right way around. Read the manual, watch the videos, hydrate! LOL. Building a trampoline is intense. Occupy the kids with something else. There is nothing more painful than the tramp building equivalent of "are we there yet?".
Final building tip: if you built it you get the first jump!
Encouraging the kids to jump
The hardest part has not been encouraging the kids to jump, but getting them to come back inside!
Master 7 was a reluctant jumper initially, mainly due to a bad experience at a trampoline party one time. But, break out a little old school Kriss Kross, and he was jumping like a pro in no time. Classic games like "crack the egg", "piggy in the middle" and catch have been so much more fun with bouncing involved.
But what about dinner?
Not only have I found that the trampoline has changed our afternoon fun, it has also changed the way that dinnertimes happen. By avoiding screens and having a lot of physical energy burnoff it means that those tired and crabby kids that came home with you get a reset, and their appetites get going again. I am always surprised by the willingness to eat any dinner after a good bit of exercise.
It's the perfect way to get them ready for a refuel at dinner!
Interested in getting a Vuly?
The kids will love it! Visit Vuly Play to check out all the options.
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