8-year-old Dinah Routhier jumps at the chance to test Get Air trampoline park in Portland

Dinah plays at Get Air trampoline park. Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer

The idea of a trampoline park is exciting, and yet for some of us, a little sad.

It’s exciting that they exist at all, a place literally covered with springy surfaces for bouncing, bounding and leaping.

Sad only for those of us adults who didn’t have such a thing to experience when we were young and a little more springy ourselves.

But we don’t want to dwell on the sad. That’s why we assigned the springy 8-year-old Dinah Routhier (daughter of this reporter), to try out the Get Air trampoline park in Portland and tell us what she thought.

The park includes 2,500-square feet of a former warehouse space, and there are trampoline surfaces just about everywhere you set foot.

Dinah’s assignment is part of our series of kid reviews of kids’ activities, though Get Air is an incredibly fun thing for adults to do with their children.

Dinah’s reviewed other activities, too: Read more of her reviews

I found myself springing across long stretches of trampoline, running up trampoline ramps, playing dodge ball on a trampoline. I fell a lot, but guess what? Falling on a trampoline is actually fun.

Enough about me. Here is what Dinah thought of Get Air:

Dinah Routhier explored every inch of the 2,500 square-foot Get Air trampoline park in Portland. Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer

What was your favorite part of the trampoline park?

My favorite part was the foam pit. It was cool because you could jump in backwards and also do a flip and the foam was really comfy. It was kind of hard to get out, but I managed.

Get Air has a lot of ramps made of trampolines. What were those like?

The ramps were really fun. I ran up the ramps and then I slid down, and also, I ran up and then I ran down.

Do you think that one hour was enough, or would you want to go longer?

I think that one hour was enough. I got tired and thirsty at some points, but I was mostly fine. (Her face was pretty red, too.)

Do you want to got to Get Air again?

Yes, can we?

If you went to Get Air again, what is something different you might try?

I might try the Ninja course again. (Because she came within inches of reaching the top of the highest ramp, and thinks next time she’ll make it for sure.)

Do you think it would be different if you came on a day when it was more crowded? (We went on a weekday afternoon.)

Yes, it would be hotter.

Is there anything about Get Air you would change?

No.

(Note: Dinah tried all of the areas and attractions, but seldom spent more than five minutes consecutively in one place. The layout, all in one big room, allowed her to just run over to anything she wanted to try, at any time.)

Gettin’ wild at Get Air trampoline park. Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer

Get Air

921 Riverside St., Portland
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
$14 first hour, $8 second hour, plus $2 for gripper socks that can be re-used on future visits. Prices are $8 and $6 for the area reserved for children 46 inches and under. See website for specials and discounts on certain days.
FMI: getairportland.com

Watch sister Sophie’s video

THE GET AIR TRAMPOLINE PARK is located in a former warehouse. It’s basically one giant, 2,500-square-foot space with trampolines for floors.

IT’S DIVIDED into about seven different areas. When you walk in you’re faced with the main court, a 94- by 56-foot area laid out more than a half-dozen rows of trampolines. Most of the individual trampoline surfaces range from 8 by 20 feet to 8 by 40 feet. It looks like a checkerboard because the springs of the trampolines are covered with yellow or green mats, criss-crossing the black of the trampolines. At one end of the area the trampolines are all angled ramps, great for flips or just sliding down.

OTHER AREAS INCLUDE: a foam pit, where you can spring from trampolines into a pit of foam blocks and then try to climb out; a dodge ball court comprised of flat and angled trampolines; a Ninja obstacle course, where you can climb and bounce your way up and over ramps and walls; a set of basketball hoops on angled trampolines; and a slack line, a sort of tight rope, where it doesn’t matter if you fall because you hit something very soft.

THERE IS ALSO the Small Air area, which has trampolines and other attractions for children under 46 inches.

BEFORE YOU CAN JUMP, you need to read and sign a waiver, and are required to watch a safety video. (Parents sign for children.) There are signs warning of the possible risks of trampolines. You can watch the video and sign the waiver online, at home, if you want.

ONCE YOU ARE IN the park, you can use all the areas for the one hourly rate.

BESIDES PAYING for time in the park, you have to buy the special gripper socks required for jumping, for $2. But you can take them home and re-use them any time you come back.