Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
Hello OAAM readers! Today my friend, Tiffany Wentworth, is back and ready to share another fun new adventure with you.
Tiffany, her husband, and their two adorable boys (on the site we are calling them Ace and Rex), live in Bloomfield, Connecticut. In her spare time (ha!), Tiffany works in human resources and also has her own business as an airbrush makeup artist. We are so happy to have her back on Out and About Mom today! Once you are done reading her post below, check out her previous post as well!
Also, thank you to Bounce! Trampoline Sports for giving Tiffany and her family complimentary admission to their Springfield, Massachusetts location in order to write this post. All opinions are 100% her own.
A Wednesday night wouldn’t normally be the night we’d head out for some fun at the trampoline park. But when I saw a snow storm was coming AND we got the call that schools were officially going to be closed the next day, I saw it as the PERFECT opportunity for the boys to burn off some energy before we’d be cooped up in the house for a few days. Plus, I had been promising the boys a trip to Bounce! Trampoline Sports, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Bounce!, which opened just over a year ago is a 16,000 square foot indoor trampoline park featuring foam pits, dodgeball courts, lots of big trampolines, arcade games, a Bounce! Extreme Area and even – get this – a parents’ lounge!
When we first arrived at Bounce! I was pleasantly surprised to see plenty of close (and free) parking. They are actually located in a building that was previously a movie theater, so the parking situation is really great. I can’t imagine that even on the busiest of days you would ever have to park too far from the entrance. I think being that it was a Wednesday night, the parking lot was even emptier than usual, which was great for us, scoring the very first spot in front of the door.
The boys could hardly wait to get out of the car and check out what this place was all about. When we first walked in, there was a large lobby area just before the second set of doors leading into the actual front desk and check in area. Like I said before, it wasn’t an especially busy night so we were able to walk right in, but I did notice that above the second set of doors there were signs indicating two separate lines, one for anyone who needed to fill out a waiver form and another for anyone who had already completed their form before arriving that day. I would suggest doing the waiver online ahead of time but since we hadn’t filled out ours, we went directly to the waiver counter which was set up with four, user-friendly computers which walked me through the quick and easy waiver completion process.
After the waivers were done, it was on to the check-in counter where the staff very quickly got us all set up and ready to go for an hour of jump time. Jump time is typically purchased in half-hour increments, and only those planning to jump need to purchase a jump pass.
Seeing that my little guys are both under the age of 6, they both were set up for the Junior Bounce! zone which meant that they got a sticker on their back indicating the end time of their jumping session. (Older kids and adults would be given a color coded wrist band as their admission pass.)
Just through the check in area, we found lockers, the bathrooms, water fountains and the main hallway area – filled with tons of benches, chairs, lots and lots of shoe cubbies, some arcade games, and vending machines. Small lockers are available to rent for the day for just $1 along with a deposit of either $10 cash or an ID card which is returned to you when you turn in your locker key at the end of your visit.
Each different play zone within Bounce! had clear colorful signs indicating what type of play area it was and what age group it was geared towards, making it easy for us to find the Junior Bounce! room. We chose to take the 4 or 5 steps up into the play area but there was also a ramp into the Junior Bounce! play area as well.
In a matter of seconds the boys had their sneakers off and were “cannon balling” into the foam pit. (Disclaimer – these kiddos did not stop running, jumping and bouncing the entire time – so please excuse the “action shots” – aka – blurry photos.) There were several benches along the wall where I was able to sit and relax while still keeping an eye on the kiddos.
As if the kids weren’t having enough fun (they basically had the place to themselves- the only kids in the Junior Bounce! area) – A staff members came in and started playing with the boys. He was building foam walls for the boys to jump through and showing them some “tricks” they could do like catching a foam cube as they jumped into the pit. I have to say, that was really awesome and the boys absolutely loved playing with him.
The boys bounced (pun intended) back and forth between the foam pit and the big trampolines – having a blast. They were climbing up the trampolines and sliding down. They didn’t stop smiling and laughing the entire time we were there!
Being that it was open play time, the little guys (5 and under) had the Junior Bounce! area to themselves, without parents having to worry about any older kids coming into that space. I’d say this is unique compared to some other places we’ve been. Although my guys were too young to be out in the other play areas, we were lucky enough to be given a tour and check out of all the different play zones. During Open Jump time these other zones are open to children over the age of 6, as well as adults. But not to worry – if your little ones want to check out the other areas and have free reign of the place – Bounce! offers various Toddler Times exclusively for ages 5 and under, which allows them to play freely throughout all the jump areas with little restrictions.
The first stop we made was the Main Court – this is the largest jumping area at Bounce!- featuring tons of open trampoline space for jumping and practicing your tricks.
Next, we stopped in at the Slam Dunk basketball area- this may have been the highlight of the tour for my boys – three huge trampolines with basketball hoops at the end, plenty of balls to shoot with and endless amounts of fun. I definitely had to drag them away from this one. When we come back for Toddler Time, I will be sure to find myself a comfy spot on one of the benches next to this zone!
Luckily, the next zone included the “biggest foam pit, ever!” (according to the boys anyway) and they were more than excited check it out. This looked like the kind of area the kids could spend hours in. Huge trampolines leading up to even bigger foam pits ready for you to jump right into! I really liked the reminder on the wall about not “feeding the pit” with your personal belongings – while I wasn’t jumping into the pit myself during our visit, I could imagine lots of people appreciate this friendly reminder or wish perhaps they’d taken the advice. 🙂
Next up, the Dodgeball courts – that’s right – they have 3 separate courts. One court is for players 6-11 years old, the next is for players 12+ and the last is reserved for private birthday parties to have an exclusive playing area.
After we visited all the trampoline zones I was surprised to find out there was even more for us to check out. Bounce! also has two separate Extreme play Areas. One, which was appropriate for ages 6 and older, and the other, which is a little bit more challenging, and is appropriate for ages 10 and older. These obstacle course-type challenge areas looked like a lot of fun. Access to these areas are also included with your open jump admission!
On our way out the party hosts were nice enough to show us one of their large party rooms which had just been set up for an upcoming party. There are several party rooms – this room in particular would be used for children over the age of 6.
We also got to check out the Bounce! Junior party space (for parties with most of their guests age 5 and under) which includes not only your exclusive use of the party room but directly next to the party room is your very own, private foam pit and trampoline area just for your party! Having had several parties for the boys over the years, I have to say, hearing about an exclusive play room just for the little ones in your party sounds like an awesome deal.
Ok, so remember in the beginning I mentioned the parents’ lounge?? Well since my guys are little I wasn’t able to actually hang out in there but I absolutely loved the idea. A huge room, filled with comfortable furniture, some massage chairs, vending machines, lots of TVs – I mean twist my arm but you could convince me to hang out there for a bit while my kids had fun! How are you going to keep an eye on your kids? Well – a few of the TVs actually rotate through live camera feeds from the different play areas! Like I said – this lovely little room is certainly more for the enjoyment of parents with older kids, but I can dream of that day, can’t I?
While checking out the parents’ lounge, I could tell the boys were getting thirsty, hungry and tired. Unfortunately, I didn’t grab any cash before our visit so the vending machines weren’t going to work out for us. But I remember noticing a big cooler behind the check-in desk- luckily for us, they sell snacks and beverages (including coffee!) at the front counter. I was able to use my debit card and everyone was happy. Crisis averted.
We sat down at the picnic tables in the lobby while the boys enjoyed their drinks. I grabbed their shoes and coats and got everyone ready to go. The little guy left in tears which is never fun for any of us, but I guess that means they really had fun! I promised them another trip back and although that didn’t do much to console Rex’s broken heart, I think he’ll forgive me when we head back to Bounce! to check out Toddler Time in the near future!
Bounce! Trampoline Sports
1250 Saint James Avenue, Springfield, Massachusetts
Phone: 413-351-3535
Email: infospfld@bounceonit.com
You can also find them on Facebook.
Hours (2017):
Hours may vary on school vacations and holidays.
- Monday – Thursday: 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm
- Friday: 3:30 pm – 10:00 pm (includes Jump & Glow from 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm)
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm (includes Jump & Glow from 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm)
- Sunday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Toddler Time hours are as follows:
- Tuesday and Friday from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Thursday 1:00 pm – 2:00pm
Special Needs Jump Times:
- 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Pricing (2017):
Regular Bounce Rates: (Ages 6+)
- 0.5 hour: $10
- 1 hour: $15
- 1.5 hours: $20
- 2 hours: $25
Jump & Glow Rate
- Friday Nights from 8:00PM-10:00PM – $19
- Saturday Nights from 8:00PM-10:00PM – Regular Bounce Rate
Junior Bounce Rate: (Ages 2-5)
- .5 Hour $6
- 1 hour : $10
- 1.5 hours : $16
- 2 hours : $18
Toddler Time Rate:
- $10 for Child and Parent
- $8 for additional children in the same family
Special Needs Jump Time Rates:
- $10 for Jumper and Caregiver
Details:
Stroller Friendly: YES
Coffee Mug Friendly: NO – Outside food and drinks are not allowed in the facility. Coffee and other drinks are available for sale but cannot be consumed inside the jump area.
Restroom: YES
Baby Changing Station: YES
Parking: YES – Lots of free parking.
Food for Sale: YES – More along the lines of snacks and candy.
Outside Food Allowed: NO
Cash Required: NO (Unless you plan to use the vending machines) – Credit and debit cards are accepted.
Dress Code: Wear comfy clothes! Socks are not required. Jumpers can either go barefoot or wear (or purchase) non-slip socks.
Evening/Weekend Hours: YES
Discounts: Specials change from time to time but right now they have specials on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (accept during school vacations and on holidays).
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