5 Fun Trampoline Games for Kids

Posted on November 10, 2022

Trampolines are capable of igniting just about anyone’s imagination. They offer a safe place to play, pretend, and perform while offering parents a one-way-ticket to having the coolest house in the neighborhood. What’s not to love?

One of the best parts of having a trampoline is playing games. They give a chance to gather, practice healthy competition, and keep kids entertained for hours on end. Here are a few of our favorites:

5 Fun Trampoline Games for Kids

Popcorn

We wanted to begin the list with a couple classic favorites, starting with Popcorn. Depending on how daring you’re feeling, this can be played with as few as two or as many players as you can fit. Added bonus: no supplies other than your trampoline are needed to play!

How to Play:

Have one person sit down in the middle of the trampoline, pull their knees to their chest, and wrap their arms around their knees.
After that, it’s time for the other players to start jumping!
The goal of the game is to get the center player’s arms to “pop” open by losing their grip on their knees as they’re bounced around.
Once one player has popped, you can take turns until everyone’s had their fun!

Pig in the Middle

This one’s a classic, but for good reason: it’s easy, fun, and endlessly adaptable. All you need to play are three players and a hand-sized ball like a softball or something similarly sized.

How to Play:

Have one player stand in the middle of the trampoline with the two other players standing on the outer edge.
The middle player is the pig in the middle and their goal is to catch the ball while bouncing as the two other players circle them and toss it back and forth (softly).
Once the pig in the middle catches the ball, the last person who threw it is now in the middle!

Poison

We like this trampoline game because you can use any type of item to give it your own unique spin. It’s most commonly played using balls or stuffed animals, but a wide variety of items would work from shoes to whoopee cushions to water balloons. Any number of players are welcome to play as long as there’s room.

How to Play:

Lay all your selected items out on the trampoline, placing them so that there’s space between the items for kids to move.
The premise of this game is simple: start jumping and avoid the items on the trampoline.
If you touch any of the items, you’ve been “poisoned” and are out until one person is left standing and the game restarts. This game gets especially wacky because the items start rolling around as you jump, making it endlessly silly and dynamic.

Don’t Wake the Baby

This one is great for younger kids because it uses the trampoline, but involves less jumping than other options.

How to Play:

Choose someone to be the baby. They’re going to lay down on the center of the trampoline and cover their eyes with their arm, pretending to be asleep.
All the other players stay off the trampoline until the baby player says it’s time to start.
Once the game begins, the goal is to creep onto the trampoline without waking up the sleeping baby. Each player takes an individual turn climbing on the trampoline without waking them up by bouncing or jostling them.
If a player can tag the baby without getting caught, the baby then has to guess which player tagged them without opening their eyes. If they get it right, it’s now that player’s turn to be the baby. If they’re wrong, it’s time for the next player to take their turn.
The hardest part of this game is staying quiet and not moving the trampoline too much as you climb on it, which doubles as a good lesson in patience and quiet for young kids!

Hot Potato

We like that this game offers fun for loved ones who might not be able to access a trampoline but still want to participate in family friendly fun. All you need is a soft, catchable ball and as many players as want to play.

How to Play:

Have all the players save for one get on top of the trampoline.
When the game begins, all the on-trampoline players can begin jumping.
The player on the ground is in charge of throwing the soft ball to various players, who try to catch it as they jump. If anyone misses a catch, drops the ball, or stops jumping then they’re out.
The last player remaining on the trampoline is the winner.

These five trampoline games for kids are a great place to start if you’re looking for new, creative ways to get your children having fun and being active outdoors. If you don’t have a trampoline, but are dreaming of afternoons filled with bounce tag and backflips, take a look at the selection of Trampolines available from Rainbow Play Systems, Inc.