The two kids stayed at my house over the weekend and we were in a fix on how to manage their boundless energy; while they prefer to stay late and wake up early, adults like me treasure weekends as the rare occasions when adults can sleep and wake up late!
Louise remembered reading from a blog of a trampoline park in Yishun suitable for children and suggested paying Katapult a visit; i agreed and it's the best decision i have made in the longest time!
Frankly, i didn't research beforehand and went with little expectation. The new building did appear to be a dead place but since Louise didn't call me (i dropped them first as i could not find a parking lot), i guess they must be inside.
I do like the bold directional signages which were clear and indicative!
Woah, not as empty as i thought it would be and from the look of it, this place was literally built for the kids! Kids nowadays are so fortunate; unlike places like the States, trampolines are not common given that most of us live in government apartments and i don't think i have even tried jumping on one when i was a kid.
Aside from being a ticketing counter, it also served as a viewing gallery for parents / guardians who choose not to join their kids. I can understand; older bones do have the tendency to break easier.
Price list although there was a more comprehensive one that i would share at the end of the post; under the regular section, an hour jump cost a whopping S$19 per person (regardless of whether you are an adult or child)!
As Louise was paying, i decided to keep my mouth shut. She also paid a companion fee of S$3 since both kids are known to be bulldozers when left unchecked.
Note the special socks; known as Katapult Grip Socks, it's a must to wear them when you enter the arena and yes, you have to buy them at S$2 a pair. I must admit the quality was extremely good though.
Instead of giving your feet a rest, the consideration is for your shoes! Put it this way, poor them have to endure the weather, bear the suffocating stench from your feet and face the risk of stepping onto dog poo (fault of the wearer by the way)!
So, take them out and put them at the shoe rack! Worried about losing your expensive shoes? Wear something cheap, for goodness sake!
What if the visit was unplanned and your feet are covered by a pair of limited edition sports shoes? Well, you can rent a locker which should have sufficient space even for your bag with thousands of hard cash.
Sign the online waiver at the counter before you step in; this would absolve Katapult from any responsibility in the event you are injured / dead.
Put on the wristband and you are good to go! Marshals were placed throughout the park and those without the wristband / appropriate wristband would be asked to leave.
Here's the bird's eye view of the trampoline park from the viewing gallery! Size wasn't excessively large but i guess it provided comfort for the parents / guardians by providing a full view of the park and allowing them to know exactly the location of their kids.
First station: Free Fall! Now, isn't this a bit too exciting for first timers?!
Replacing water was the humongous air bag that would help to break your fall! Damn fun as it seemed and i was envious of the girl who jumped with such gleeful excitement.
There were clear instructions on what you should do and the risk if you don't follow them. Still not too assured on the dos and don'ts?
Read the detailed instructions! There's a height restriction, which means Jovyn at less than 110 centimeters were unable to jump! What would happen to children like her then?
Before i share with you, here's another photograph of the park taken at the free fall section and that of Jerald who bravely took the leap!
Walk one level down where there's another holding area for parents / guardians who want a nearer access to their kids / charge.
Entry to the park via a less adrenaline charged way. By the way, i was granted permission to take photos of the place! Yipppeee!
Main Court - with 25 interconnected trampolines, you can bounce endlessly and attempt martial arts stances frequently seen on television! Don't overexert yourself; safety comes first and you must also be mindful of others using the space.
Especially the mini jumpers like Jovyn who charged ahead without a care!
Slam Dunk - It's finally possible to do it the way like Michael Jordan, even if you stand only up to his armpit! Make use of the trampoline for that perfect shot.
Dodge Ball - i would put this as a mini fenced up main court for the kids as you require two of teams of players to have a tournament to put forth its actual usage!
With colourful balls that could not have failed to attract the kids, it's inevitable that most of them would pick them up and start throwing around.
In Jovyn's case, she likened this section as a place filled with many slides!
Wall Run - note, only advanced jumpers with a height of 125 centimeters can access this section. It may look boring at this point although its concept was rather interesting; imagine you are able to run on the wall like a light footed kungfu master!
Slackline- the one with the least excitement in my opinion as it's all about balancing!
On the website, it was stated that the "zone allows you to work on your tricks like handstands and jumps and is great for balancing and working the core". Handstands?! Maybe i should try it out too.
Maybe i can start training Jerald first!
Another picture taken from the Slackline. As you can roughly make out, each zone has their safety rules although i wonder if anyone indeed reads them.
Bag Jump - with a total of seven zones, this was the last that was similar to the long jump in school! Two key differences, you can use the trampoline to propel forward and instead of sand that would spray in all directions, you have air bag!
Jerald in his attempt to break the record.
He didn't break the record (there was none to begin with) but he was absolutely enjoying himself! I was so tempted to try myself; i am honestly quite a kid myself even though i am already 35 this year!
Poor boy could not climb out by himself and had to elicit the help from one of the friendly marshals!
Notice the additional mattress placed at the bottom below the mesh? Guess the operator does place safety as its topmost priority although i have to add that human behaviours can sometimes be frustratingly irrational.
For the record, i have never thought that money can be so well spent with the kids expending their seemingly limitless energy in a safe environment.
I am so glad to see them physically drained as there's a higher likelihood of them sleeping earlier and waking up later due to the exhaustion!
Do keep in mind the massive loss of fluids and bring along water for hydration!
Could not resist asking Jovyn to strike a pose! For those who have been following her "development" in my blog, the four-year old girl has now topped the scale at 20.7 kilograms!
As i had to leave to catch a movie and needed to send the kids back to my house, we cut short the hour by about 5-10 minutes! Before we left, Jerald insisted on attempting the free fall again!
Twice if i may add; anyway, i have generated animated gifs to showcase the two jumps! Want to know how to generate an animated gif from multiple photos? Visit http://gifmaker.me/.
Lastly a picture of the kids with one of the marshals (the same one who helped to pull Jerald out at the bag jump zone); the marshals played an important role in ensuring safety for the participants and i can see that they really enjoyed playing with the kids!
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Location
81, Lorong Chencharu, #01-11,
ORTO Leisure Park (the old Yishun Bottle Tree)
Map
As above. Nearest MRT station is Khatib MRT Station.
ORTO Map
Besides participating in children friendly activities (for example, longkang fishing), there were a few restaurants where you can chill out. My only gripe was the lack of a coffee place / cafe!
Website
Other Social Media
Facebook and Instagram!
Price List
As above.
Additional Information
General court rules for your reference.
Didn't bring any water to hydrate yourself? Next to the ticketing counter was a bar counter where you can get drinks and even snacks to munch on to replenish the energy!
Benches were available within the compound for adult companions who could not keep up with the kids and need to take a breather.
Guys like me who are in need to shed some fats can consider GymKour; a cross between gymnastics and parkour that cost S$400 per person!
Washrooms were not included in the building design! However, the nearest toilet was within two minutes' walk (one minute if you run).
Many people at the next door longkang fishing were curious on what the trampoline park was all about; don't wait any further and give it a try! I would definitely do so the next time!