This is part 2 of how we put our above ground trampoline into the ground.
Go here to read about how we did it in Part 1.
The trampoline is finally in the ground. The kids love it and Jeremy and I like how easy it is for the little girls to get on and off to jump. Trampoline safety doubled. Our boys were right. There, I said it! What was left was an area of our yard that didn’t look so great. Here’s where we left off after getting one of the trampolines in the ground and moving the other next to it. The age old phrase, “hot mess”, comes to mind.
Here’s what we did to improve the aesthetics of this corner of our yard.
Filled In Around the Trampoline
Several trips up and down our hill were made to bring in bags of dirt. We needed to fill in around the trampoline so that there was no gap between the earth and the trampoline frame for feet to slip through. When the boys initially dug the hole for our trampoline we used the soil for our raised garden beds. This meant another trip to Lowes for dirt. It took several bag of soil to get the job done but it was a must. We added mulch overtop the soil as well.
Laid Mulch
The corner of our yard were the trampolines are located is very shady and grass doesn’t grow well. One of the first tasks was to replace the grass surround the trampoline with mulch. In the past we moved our trampolines around the yard so that the grass wouldn’t die under them. Now that the above ground trampoline would stay stationary next to the inground trampoline I wanted to make it a safe, low maintenance landing area.
Instead of digging up the grass sod we laid down thick black plastic and added mulch over top. There has been minimal weeding and I like the look. It’s also has cut down on the amount of time it takes the boys to mow the backyard which they appreciate.
New Trampoline Cover
Both our trampolines had been bought second hand. They were old, worn and just plain ugly trampoline covers. One cover had to be completely replaced because it was no longer thick enough and kept falling off. We purchased this trampoline cover and have been very happy with the look and function. It comes in several colors, but I choose green to complement the outdoor area the trampoline is in. If I’m going to have two huge trampolines in my backyard they’re gong to work with their environment as much as possible.
We also spray painted the large white square with installation instructions and manufacturing information on the new cover so it didn’t stand out as much which gives a seamless look.
Painted the Old Cover
The other pad was much higher quality and still did it’s job of protecting the kids from the hard metal frame of the trampoline. Instead of buying a new pad we spray painted it to match the new one we purchased. First we scrubbed the old trampoline pad down, cleaning it well, then we applied this spray paint here. The paint went on easily and covered the pads bright multi colors. The kids were sad to see the rainbow pad go, but I was not!
Prepared the Trampoline to be Painted
In preparation for painting the trampoline itself the kids cleaned where it would be painted so the paint had the best chance of adhering. Afterwards they rinsed it off thoroughly.
Painted the Trampoline
Our inground trampoline had a yellow ring around the mat. I was tired of being annoyed by the look of it so my daughter sat down and painted it while listening to an audiobook. So easy! It’s little improvements like this that make a big project really come together and feel finished.
All in all the investment of time and money into these trampolines was one hundred percent worth it for our family. The kids are on them every single day, even in the cold. As homeschoolers it’s a quick and much needed break from studying. It’s the envy of our neighbor kids who ask to jump on ours even though they have their own. The experience of trampolining is part of why our two middle kids took to diving incredibly well. So if you see me cheering them on at the Olympics in a few years you’ll know how it all began.
xo Maria
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