A trampoline is a piece of equipment made of a strong, stretchy fabric stretched tight across a metal frame, designed for jumping and bouncing. When you jump on a trampoline, the fabric surface pushes back against your feet, launching you higher into the air than you could jump on solid ground. The fabric is usually made of woven nylon or similar material, and it's connected to the frame by dozens of metal springs that give it its bounce.

Trampolines became popular backyard equipment in the 1950s and 1960s, but they were originally developed as training tools for acrobats and gymnasts. Later, they were also used to help train astronauts. Competitive gymnasts and divers use trampolines to practice flips and aerial maneuvers in a safer environment. In the Olympics, trampoline gymnastics has been an official sport since 2000, where athletes perform complex sequences of twists and somersaults while bouncing high into the air.

Today, many families have trampolines in their backyards for fun and exercise, and there are even indoor trampoline parks where entire rooms are covered with bouncy surfaces. The simple pleasure of defying gravity, even for a few seconds, makes trampolining exciting for people of all ages.