A few months ago I decided my twin boys could do with a trampoline, as our garden was big enough and they could burn some energy, well try anyway.

I was on a budget and had to think about delivery etc as I don't drive and couldn't pick one up myself so I opted for the Kid Active Trampoline from Argos which cost me £90 without delivery charges. The Argos book clearly tells me that this trampoline is a 6ft model - so I knew it wasn't going to be as big as some you can buy but it would be enough for my twin boys.

At the moment in my Teaching Assistant course we are concentrating greatly on development of children and a trampoline as mentioned on the Argos website, I knew could help develop my boys physical development tremendously. Their gross motor skills have a lot to answer for being nearly 4 year old, wild boys who enjoy ballsy jumps, running, and large exaggerated excitable movements so I knew that using a trampoline would help them develop these movements and gradually learn how to control them too with their co-ordination of movements, their awareness with their movements, and also stated on the Argos website their balance and strength too - at the same time they would be having fun and getting some exercise too, a perfect reason to buy them a trampoline.

The trampolines size measurements are Size H200, W182, D182cm which is always useful to know to be able to determine whether or not you actually have enough room for it.

There is a maximum user weight of 60kg and there is also a maximum numbers of users at one time, which is in fact 1. However my boys are only 3 and the 2 of them do not exceed the weight limit and as they are both only small the 2 of them do use it. I can see why, if a child was a bit older though only 1 person could use the trampoline comfortably.

It is suitable for children 3 years and over - and on the box it said up to 10 years old.

The trampoline comes packaged in 2 boxes - one box containing the trampoline pieces and the other box containing the enclosure of the trampoline.

In each box there are clearly marked out instructions which include pictures and writing, numbered in order so very easy and clear to follow and understand - which is always a must for me. You definitely need at least 2 people to put the trampoline together too.

The trampoline itself was fairly easy to put together, once the legs were in place, tightened screwly and stable the springs had to be attached. This was the most difficult part of putting the trampoline together as it requires quite a bit of strength from your arms - which is something I lack. To make the job a little easier though a spring attachment hook/tool is provided, it has a hook on one end and a handle for a good grip at the other. By holding the handle and hooking it in a spring you are able to pull with all your might to stretch the spring and the trampoline 'mat' which is easy when you first do it but when you get around the other side you really have to stick some welly into your pulling technique as it is really hard to stretch, pull and manage to hook the springs in successfully and securely. The next day after doing this it felt like I'd been doing weights for a good 24 hours beforehand. Once the trampoline is set up there is a lovely green cover to tie around it to cover the springs for safety whilst children are enjoying their jumping.

The enclosure however proved difficult. The poles for the enclosure were easy to put up, slotting them into place and tightening screws and they were done and sturdy. Putting the actual enclosure net over them though without ripping it and making sure it went all the way down the poles was a task and half! Each pole had a designated slot in the net enclosure which was meant to just slide down the poles until it reached the trampoline, making a strong safety net surrounding it. This however took us about an hour to pull the net down without breaking it, and actually slide it down the poles to make sure they covered them completely and the net surrounded the trampoline properly. Our troubles were not over though once we finally completed this as we then had to tie it securely underneath the trampoline too. Some of the ties wouldn't reach the appropriate places which meant more stretching, pulling and using the last of our strength. Believe me when I say it was the biggest sigh of relief once we'd finally completed putting the trampoline together.
Once together though it's a very attractive colour co-ordinated trampoline, which is very sturdy and stable and has plenty of life in it - for the younger ones though.

The trampoline is quite low to the ground, so no need for steps or a ladder to climb up, my boys simply lift their legs up and climb. We close the zip on the opening of the enclosure and they bounce away happily - but even they notice the lack of space there is within the trampoline. They can both jump in their and they can do their fancy bouncing tricks but there isn't a lot of space at all for them to really jump around freely. It is as if they feel a bit claustrophobic when they are both on the trampoline together.

Although there is a lot of jumping life in the trampoline thanks to it's good quality it isn't going to last my boys until they are 10 that's for sure. It's brilliant for them now as they are only just about to turn 4 so will last them a while longer but it's not a trampoline which will still be in our garden years down the line. The fact that only one person is meant to jump will soon come into place when they get a bit bigger as there will just not be enough comfortable room for more than person to jump in there at one time.

Although a really good trampoline, it would probably help if it was just a bit bigger for it to last a bit longer especially for older kids. It is a shame it is quite small as it is a well structured and built trampoline which could provide a lot of fun. For the price it is you can buy trampolines a few foot bigger for an extra £20 - £30. If you have younger children I'd recommend this trampoline as it is fab, but for older children and more than one child I'd definitely look into something a lot bigger.