Madballs’ detailed designs and names like Screamin’ Meemie and Horn Head made them a must-have for young boys. The hard rubber was quickly replaced with a softer version after boys started throwing them at one another. Nostalgic fans can still find Madballs today, with new collections from multiple different companies. The concept of Fashion Plates has existed since the 18th century, but the toy version released by Tomy Toys in 1977 really caught on in the 1980s. Young girls could easily play fashion designer by snapping a wide array of outfit pieces into a base, and using a black crayon to trace the outline onto a piece of paper. Coloured pencils and fabric patterns were then used to bring life to Fashion Plates, which were resurrected in 2014 by the toy company Kahootz.
Glo Worms bridged the gap between stuffed animal and night light when Hasbro’s Playskool released the toy in 1982. A soft squeeze would light up the toy’s vinyl head, gaining so much popularity that Hasbro released Musical Glo Worm in 1983, which could play a lullaby or tell a bedtime story. “They’re all your goodnight friends” was the catchy jingle that played over commercials of little girls and boys getting ready for bed with their Glo Worms hugged tightly. The Koosh ball, made up of approximately 2,000 natural rubber filaments, was invented by an engineer who wanted to make playing catch more simple and safe for his children.
That model is relatively small, though, and the cords are liable to snap after several months of use. Skywalker’s trampolines put the springs outside the net, which means your kid can’t hit them unless the netting is decayed. If the netting is strong, it will slow the kid’s flight and steer him away from problem spots before he actually hits them, reducing the benefit of thicker padding.
The one issue we had was with the safety netting around the jumping surface. Though we didn’t notice any gapping or problems with the areas where the net meets the metal framework, the netting itself felt less sturdy than some of the higher-end trampolines on the market. It’s soft and malleable, but if you live in a climate with rain and snow, yorin trampoline we could see it getting worn out down the road. It likely wouldn’t stand up to too much roughhousing with older, heavier kids, but we still felt comfortable with the younger, lighter kids bouncing each other into the netting repeatedly. Made especially for tots, Skywalker’s mini trampolines provide 360-degree padded support handles.
Also, Skywalker trampolines are thought to be sturdier and more durable than Bouncepro trampolines. However, there have been complaints about the spring cover wearing out after only a week(!) of jumping, and that the frame cover wasn’t that durable, either. Howver, Alley Oop’s variety is quite limited, and its netting is “traditionally” mounted directly to the vertical supports and to the frame of the trampoline itself.
The 1980s plastic version, which led to a number of injured ankles, was a vast improvement over the metal ones released in the ’50s. While the danger didn’t deter kids from bouncing around the neighbourhood, Nickelodeon made safety updates for a resurgence in the ’90s. Strong trampolines equal bigger, smoother bouncing for the whole family. Good thing our new Jumpflex™ Hero 12ft trampoline has an innovative dual ring frame, which makes this range of trampolines our strongest and most stable ever. These 12ft trampolines are engineered using high-tensile steel that will never buckle or lose shape, achieved through a world leading zero bolt, zero weld approach.
It just takes a little muscle behind the bolts and some patience, as you’ll be adding individual elastic ties underneath the trampoline to ensure the bumper doesn’t shift. At about 15 x 15 x 9 feet, the Skywalker trampoline isn’t small, so don’t expect the aesthetics to be sleek or modern. You’ll need a large yard with a flat surface for this product. The round design is a good option for families with multiple kids, but if you’re looking skywalker trampolines for a trampoline to fit in a tight space, this is not the one for you. Even with several kids jumping at once, they were able to get a good bounce from the jump surface, enough to throw layouts or back tucks with no issue. The boxes, as you would imagine, are pretty bulky and quite heavy, so moving them is a two-person job unless you can convince the delivery person to drop them off at your desired location rather than your front door.
Sportsoul aspires to provide every user with the freedom to enjoy basketball without limitations. This trampoline from Beast Inc. is a comparable 15-foot round trampoline with a netting enclosure and similar safety features. Both boast high ratings and feature extra-thick coil springs, galvanized steel framework, and similar T-sockets. Kids of all ages got the sensation of driving around the neighbourhood just like their parents—albeit at around five miles per hour—when Pines of America brought Power Wheels to the masses in the early 1980s. Kids could choose from an All-Terrain Vehicle, a monster truck, or a convertible before the first of many Jeep models debuted in 1986. The Pogo Ball is a Saturn-looking jumping device manufactured by Hasbro and the cousin of the Pogo Stick, the latter of which is now an official extreme sport.