Guest interview: “We bounced off the walls!”

I talk to Hannah, 9, and Ava, 8, who went to Bounce, a new type of indoor trampoline park where you can let your children (literally!) bounce off the walls.

What did you think when you first walked in?

Hannah: In my head I thought it would be much smaller so it was much more exciting.

Ava: I was amazed. Trampolines on the floor, trampolines on the walls ... [grins] ... trampolines on the ceiling! 

You had to put on special socks, didn’t you?

Hannah: Yes, they helped you stick to the trampoline because they had grippy bits on the bottom.

Ava: I didn’t like them. They made my feet really hot and sweaty. My feet went all red. I wish we could have bounced in bare feet.

What did you think of the safety talk at beginning?

Ava: I thought it was nice of them to have rules for us so it wouldn’t be chaos but I wanted to bounce with Hannah and they said you could you only have one person per trampoline at a time.

Hannah: And they said you can’t do it if you’re pregnant or "under the influence of alcohol or drugs" … What’s drugs?

Did the trampolines feel different to normal trampolines?

Hannah: They were bouncier than normal trampolines and you can’t bounce off the sides on a normal trampoline so it was better.

Ava: And the trampolines are smaller.

What was it like being able to bounce off the walls?

Ava: It was really fun.

Hannah: It really, really fun. Normally you can only bounce up and down. You could literally bounce sideways and you could set yourself challenges, like we tried to run up the wall and touch the orange bit at the top.

What was it like bouncing into the Foam Pit?

Hannah: You are allowed to do flips into it and the foam was really soft, but it takes a long time to get out! It’s like swimming in honey. It’s like running in your dreams.

Ava: I thought it was really good but one of the men who was looking after us was very bossy! Even if someone was almost completely out of it and just had their foot in he said "Don’t jump in yet".

What was the funnest thing?

Ava: Jumping in the foam pit. 

Hannah: The foam pit because I love falling in soft things. I wish it was a pit of feathers. And the Bounce Off – you had 60 seconds to do as many tricks as you can and if you can't do tricks to bounce as high as you can and they watch out for the best people.
Ava: And give you fake tattoos as prizes.

Was there anything you didn't like?

Hannah: I got told off for not being under six on the Kid’s Court. They should have a sign up. I could have said “I AM under 6 but I’m very tall! Or ... [puts on babyish voice] ... I’m under 6 and I like playing with unicorns and fairies”!

Ava: "Or I’m under 6 and like playing with toy trains!”

Hannah: "Or I’m under 6 and when I’m older I’m going to be a panda!”

Ava: "Or I’m under 6 and I when I grow up I’m going to be a satellite!"
[This conversation continues for a while with more and more ludicrous statements!]

Did you like the music they were playing?

Ava: I think it would be better without music because then you could hear each other better.

Hannah: It would be good if they had more bouncy music – like bouncy pop songs.

Was it tiring, bouncing up and down and sideways for two hours?!

Ava: It’s VERY tiring.

Hannah: And when you get off you feel really heavy because it’s not bouncy. Like you’ve got a weight pushing down on you.
Ava: Like your legs don’t work.

So what do you give it out of 10?

Hannah: 10.

Ava: I’m not sure it's a 10. Um ... 9 ½.

Where does it lose half a point, Ava?

Bossy man. Sweaty socks.

Bounce is in Milton Keynes and is for age 3 to adults. There is also Gravity Force in Camberley, Jump Nation in Manchester and AirHop in Guildford, and many more opening around the UK soon.