Try Before You Buy

Springfree trampolines are available to try out at each of our Rainbow Showrooms. For details about where to find us go to the Rainbow Website and scroll to the bottom of the page. Springfree Trampolines are also covered by a 30 day money back guarantee. For more information call 01344 874662.

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It's not often that a customer who bought a Springfree from us over a year ago calls for a chat, but that is what just happened. I remembered the customer very well from the time they bought because they were the second person in as many days to call in search of peace and quiet. I had never really thought about our trampoline as offering peace and quiet because at our house it delivers nothing but the sound of noisy children playing and having fun but that was not what the customer meant.

They were already on their second spring based trampoline in 3 years and as you would expect the springs had again rusted and as a result squeaked every time the kids bounced. Being in London meant the neighbours lived in close proximity and they were again complaining about the grating squeaking noise.

I assured the customer before they went ahead and bought their third trampoline that this would be their last and guaranteed that their Springfree would not squeak. Unusually, the customer asked me to put my money where my mouth was and offer a 1 year guarantee against squeaking. This is obviously not a guarantee we offer as standard but I had no other choice than to agree.

What I didn't realise was that they had added a reminder to their diary to call me in a year. They had actually entered "call Rainbow to get trampoline replaced" thinking I would have to eat my words. Even though the trampoline didn't squeak at all, I was delighted they still took the time to call to thank us for backing our product.

I wonder what else we are selling rather than just a simple trampoline?

Is the message finally getting through Down Under?

This is lifted straight from Springfrees main Blog and it makes very interesting reading

We’re pretty excited there’s more public encouragement for consumers to look for safer ‘spring-free’ trampolines.

Today, one of Australia’s most widely circulated newspapers the Brisbane Courier Mail features a story “Jumping for Joy carries a warning”.

Journalist Rod Chester, reports the QLD Office of Fair Trading is looking forward to seeing the recommendations of the recently announced NSW inquiry into trampoline safety (which we blogged about a couple of weeks back).

Dr David Eager, considered Australia’s preeminent expert in trampoline safety, is quoted in the story as backing a push to make Australia’s voluntary trampoline standard compulsory.

And the result of the NSW inquiry could be the first step in this compulsory direction.

“… Most of the [trampolines] sold don’t comply with the safety standard”, continuing that even if pads are used to cover sprints, they are “useless” and give people the “false expectations they’ve got something that is safe”.

The story concludes “The safer trampolines are spring-free, and have soft-edged mats and high nets to stop children falling off”.

And who’s the only trampoline in the world that’s ‘spring-free’ – that’s us, Springfree™ Trampoline!

So with up to 16,000 kids annually admitted to ED departments, we say the fact others are now suggesting consumers choose the safer option – well, that’s pretty good news.

I wonder if the safety reveiw in Australia will have any impact on the way the powers that be view trampolines over here?

Don't forget we are running are now offering interest free finance on Springfree purchases in the UK. Visit the website for more information

Children Jump Start Their Way to a Healthy Heart

With Cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in Australia, it is imperative to teach heart healthy habits at an early age. Physical activity is a key factor in reducing the risks, yet the challenge is to find an activity that is not forced and that children will consider fun. In the lead up to the Heart Foundation’s Heart Week Australia, Springfree™ Trampoline has come up with the solution....30 minutes a day on a Springfree!

According to experts, children should not be forced to exercise as this can result in a negative attitude towards physical activity in the future. Springfree Spokesperson, Erin Walker, said that it’s hard to get children off the Springfree Trampoline, and parents can breathe a sigh of relief as this trampoline was designed with safety as its main priority.

“The Heart Foundation’s website recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on all or most days of the week. Ten minutes of active jumping provides about the same activity level as a 30 minute run, only with less joint and muscle impact and way more fun for the whole family,” she said.

“The Springfree™ Trampoline was designed by an engineer father, Dr Keith Alexander after his wife refused to allow their children to use a dangerous ‘old-style’ trampoline. He set out to create one safe enough for his own children to play on, and after 14 years in the making and millions of dollars in research and testing, the World’s Safest Trampoline was delivered, revolutionising the way consumers perceive traditional trampolines.”

“The design eliminates all the dangerous elements such as the steel springs, steel frame at the jumping surface and it is surrounded by a flexible net ensuring no nasty falls to the ground. Jumping is just a positive form of exercise for the whole family,” Walker concluded.

In a recent address to the national press club, CEO of the Heart foundation Dr Lyn Roberts, said that Cardiovascular Disease is on the rise due failure to realise the importance of factors such as physical activity. In January, a study of more than 1,000 Australian 14-year-olds found that 29% had a combination of risk factors that increased the chance of developing vascular disease.

A little Xmas Fun

The team at Springfree in Australia have obviously got too much time on their hands and have been changing the lyrics to a few traditional Xmas Carols. Of course 'El Cheapo' trampolines come in for a bit of stick. Here is their first effort;

Tune: Last Christmas I gave you my heart…

Last Christmas, I bought you a tramp,
It was an el-cheapo, and is now in the dump,
This time I give you Springfree,
The safest thing you could get from me

Maybe I'll try work this into my daughters nativity this Xmas?
Have a read of their blog and if your lucky enough to live in Australia enter the competition they have running at the moment to win you very own Springfree.

Interest Free Credit

It has been possible for a while now to buy Springfree Trampolines on interest free credit in other countries around the world and you can now do so in the UK.

We have teamed up with Hitachi Capital and are offering 6 months interest free credit on all 3 of our Springfree models. This is great news in the lead up to Xmas and should help more families make the jump to the next generation of trampolines and to jump safe with Springfree.

For more information please call 08444 938080

Rainbow UK appoint RHC

Rainbow Play are delighted to announce they have appointed RHC Marketing to launch Springfree Trampolines in to 2010.

2010 is set to be a bumper year for Springfree in the UK and with sales having doubled year on year for the last 3 years we are really excited about opportunities.

It seems that customers are finally getting the message that traditional spring based trampolines are more dangerous.

Individual Bronze for Cockburn

Karen Cockburn managed to bring home bronze medal in the women's individual trampoline competition at the World Trampoline Championships in St Petersburg.

A pretty good result as she said she didn't really train much this year.

"I didn't train or compete much all year so I wasn't expecting such a great result,"

said Cockburn, who performed a slightly easier routine than the one she used in Beijing.

Well done Karen!For more information on Springfree Trampolines, endorsed by Karen click here.

No cover needed!

Good news to everyone that has asked about covers for Springfree Trampolines - they will be here in the new year. I am not entirely sure they are necessary as ours is outside all year round and covering would just be a pain as the kids use it all the time. But if you really want an all year round trampoline why not pop your Springfree in the hallway?

Cockburn Helps Canada to Bronze

I reported yesterday that Karen Cockburn had helped the Canadian womens trampoline team reach the finals of the World Trampoline Championships. The good news is that they achieved a bronze medal in the team competition. A great result!

The Individual competition will continue through the weekend where Karen will hope to add to the bronze.

The Perfect Christmas Present

If you don't already have a trampoline or are thinking of upgrading for Christmas then you should really consider Springfree Trampolines, the next generation of trampolines.

For more information about the Springfree range give Rainbow a call on 08444 938080 or visit the Rainbow website to place your order. All orders placed before the 20th December will be delivered before Christmas.

Patents

If you have a great idea then it makes absolute sense to patent it and that is of course what Springfree did when developing their trampoline.

Springfree currently hold the following patents or pending patents:

-US Patent 6319174
-Australian Patent 2004200052
-PCT/2004/00011
-PCT/2004/00276
-PCT/2004/000114

If you want to know more about the design process then check out the Springfree White Paper available to read hear.

Karen Cockburn Dazzles

I mentioned in an earlier post that Springfree Trampolines are proud sponsors of 3 times Olympic medalist Karen Cockburn and it looks like she is going well at the 2009 World Trampolines Championships in St Petersburg, Russia.

Karen not only qualified for the womens individual final but also led the Canadian women in to the team final.

“It feels great to get back into international competition this way,” Cockburn said after placing fourth in the qualifications.

“I got a great score on my compulsory routine and although my optional didn’t go exactly as planned, I came out with a decent score.”

Cockburn, who last competed internationally at the World Games in July, is making her eighth appearance at the biennial world championships.

Good luck from the team at Rainbow in the finals Karen!

Is Springfree Worth It?

At Rainbow we are certainly convinced that Springfree Trampolines are the safest way to jump and great value for money, but it is always nice when we hear stories from our customers to back up our claims.

QUESTION:

We are tossing up between the Springfree and the regular run of the mill Big W job.

For those who have a Springfree:

Do you think you have/will get your moneys worth out of it?
Are they as safe as what they proclaim?
Are they easy to install yourself?

ANSWERS:

1: Yes, yes and yes to all!

Very happy and very safe … yes put it up ourselves and probably took an hour or so. I think you can pay extra and have them install it for you.

My DD broke her arm and had to have surgery from falling off one of the normal type tramps. No accidents since we have had the Springfree!

2: Yes Yes and Yes again!!

We won ours and honestly before we had it I would not have spent the money on one when there are the other enclosed style BUT now we have one, there is no way I would consider any other trampoline, if for some reason we needed another, I would not hesitate to purchase a Springfree again.

FANTASTIC and a great place to put crawling bubs while you hang out the laundry LOL

Ours is over 2 years old now and still looks as good as new, still gets jumped on daily and shows no signs of wear and tear.

Can not recommend highly enough.

DO IT you will not regret it one bit.

Oh and they look a hell of a lot nicer too :)

If you want to read the full conversation go to www.essentialbaby.com as there are lots more positive answers like the 2 above.

Avoid the Tantrums. Get kids away from the Box and outside on the Springfree Trampoline

A US study has revealed that Toddlers exposed to too much TV, were at risk of developing aggressive behaviour.

The study published in the Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine; found that a combination of preschoolers watching inappropriate content and the television viewing habits of the entire family could have an impact on your child’s development.

Excessive amount of Television viewing could mean irregular bedtimes leading to lack of sleep, less time outside or creative interaction which may result in the release of pent-up aggression.

Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the latest study revealed the importance of play and sleep in a child’s development and learning. He say’s the problem with plonking the kids down in front of the TV is it doesn’t excite their imagination.

Springfree’s Tanya Munro (mother of two boys 9 and 7) found a surprising link to TV viewing and behaviour in her children recently.

"My children’s TV viewing started impacting other areas of their behaviour. My boys are huge fans of Ben 10 and Bakugan and providing they do all their chores in the morning we were letting them watch for 15 mins before school each day. I soon noticed they were becoming much more aggressive and quick to react, they were getting into disagreements at school and even their drawings had pictures of fighting and death which horrified their teachers.

Over the last few weeks I’ve tested limiting their TV viewing to non- aggressive programs, and have completely banned their use of X-box and Nintendo. The boys have been forced to go outside and play the last few weeks, which has not only stemmed their imaginative play, but their swimming teachers have noticed fitness improvement and they’re even getting along better. I know there’s a tendancy to use television as a babysitter, and I’ve been guilty of this as well. But the benefits I’ve seen in my children in just a few weeks has shown me there’s no turning back. We’ll now be limiting video games to 1 hour a week, and the outdoor play is definitely staying on the agenda. It’s just the better choice for us."

Many Springfree parents tell us of how the Springfree Trampoline is a great tool for getting the kids to jump out their ‘Sillies’. Not to mention the benefits of outdoor interactive physical play which experts agree is vital.

How do you monitor your child’s viewing habits to avoid the Tantrums?

Social Networking

As well and through the official Springfree blog and the website you can now keep fully up to date on the wonderful world of Springfree trampolines on Facebook and Twitter.

Why not sign up for up to date news, reports and competitions?

Well I didn't know that .....

The trampoline became famous when George Nissen was photographed jumping on a trampoline with a kangaroo. It was believed at the time that the photo was down to luck but in it was in fact a very carefully planned publicity shot. The kangaroo was not tame and Nissen held its legs to make sure it didn't kick him and as Nissen bounced, so did the kangaroo.

The word trampoline originates from the spanish 'el trampoline' which means diving board and Nissen, a keen diver and gymnast invented it to allow him to practice the acrobatics required for both sports.

The largest trampoline club in the world is thought to be the Gillingham Jumpers, in Kent where 1,500 members jump each week.

The Guinness world record for continuous trampoline jumping was set in 1986 by a 6 man team from Cleveland State University's Delta Epsilon Fraternity with 53 consecutive days of continuous jumping.

The safest trampoline in the world is the Springfree Trampoline. (ok we knew that already but it is still a pretty impressive fact!)

Winter Wonderland

Springfree Trampolines are not just for Spring and Summer! I can honestly say seeing ours in action the kids play on it all year round. This video clip is a great example.

COMING SOON!
Springfree all weather trampoline cover. This great accessory allows you to fold away the FlexiNet and fully enclose the net, support rods and mat keeping them clean and safe from the elements when not in use.

For more information on all Springfree accessories call Rainbow on 0845 1300335 or visit www.rainbowplay.co.uk

If you go in to the woods today ........

As well as selling the safest trampolines in the world Rainbow also sell the best Cedar and Redwood Climbing Frames. This photo shows a family of bears playing on a newly erected Rainbow in Canada.

Great Photos

Occasionally I come across great photos which always bring a smile to my face. We know traditional trampolines are dangerous but this takes the biscuit!