Thursday 10 August 2017

Boisterous bouncing and flippin' fun at Flip Out Chester - review

Trampolines evoke a sense of excitement and fun for my children. Both love bouncing. As we do not have room for a trampoline in our sloped, small garden they love any chance they get to bounce on trampolines when visiting friends and family who have one.

With their love of bouncing being strong when we were asked if we would like to visit a trampoline park I ‘jumped’ at the chance to take them for a fun bouncing session.

Whilst on a recent holiday to visit family in Leeds we stopped in Chester for a few days of family fun. One of our adventures included a trip to Flip Out Chester.

Flip Out Chester is described as the world’s biggest & best trampoline theme park suitable for people between 6 months and 106 years old! It boasts being a state of the art facility with brand new designs and equipment that hasn’t been seen in Europe before.

Flip Out Chester is massive and boasts 200 trampolines in total, 50 of which are Olympic. The arena has an array of areas and equipment -

* Extra large main arena
* Kids arena for under 7’s
* Soft play for under 5’s
* Stunt boxes
* Kids stunt box zone
* Adult free running zone
* 4 Wall runners
* Ninja warrior courses
* Battle beams
* Total wipeout
* Dodgeball
* Olympic foam pit
* Kids foam pit
* Basketball
* Drop, speed and racing slides
* Tumble tracks
* Clip ‘N’ Climb arena
* Toxic Drop 60ft inflatable assault course

The bouncing fun at Flip Out Chester can be had 7 days a week between the hours of 9am and 10pm. As well as kit for bouncing and action fun, the trampoline park has a great range of facilities -

* The Kitchen American Diner
* The Cage Cafe
* Viewing balcony
* Platforms throughout arena for spectator viewing
* DJ’s
* 4 party rooms
* VIP party room
* Conference facilities
* Lockers
* Fitness classes
* Sessions for varying ages and abilities
* Toilets and baby changing facilities
* Free wi-fi
* Free car park

For those who do not want to or cannot bounce spectating is completely free and thanks to a platform running in between the whole arena you can watch the bouncing action from close by. Being able to get up close to the trampolines and different arenas is great to help you supervise little ones. A viewing balcony above can also provide a great way to keep an eye on the bouncing action in the arena.

Before going to the venue we had been asked to arrive 30 minutes before our session slot to complete safety measures. After going through the process I can see that arriving early is a must as it does take time to complete everything and if we had not arrived 30 minutes early it would have taken up valuable bouncing time from our session.

Outside of the venue around the back of the building there was plenty of free parking. The venue itself is a large industrial unit that is adorned with a large, vibrant Flip Out sign. When we arrived parked outside was a vibrant green Flip Out car and 4x4 which the kids loved seeing.


As we walked towards the entrance we caught sight of the enormous inflatable assault course Toxic Drop which was located outdoors.


Arriving inside the venue we received a warm and friendly welcoming. We had to complete waiver forms before we could jump, with myself completing them on behalf of the children as they are under 18.  Moving with the times and keeping up with the tech world we live in we were given tablets to complete the waiver forms on electronically. For visitors who want to save time the waiver form can be completed online before visiting the venue.

As well as signing the waiver forms, at the front desk we also received Flip Out non slip, safety socks. The kids loved their vivid green socks which they thought were super cool. The socks are a must for bouncing and can be bought for £1.50 - £2.00 a pair. Once you have bought a pair of Flip Out socks they are yours to keep.


Along with the socks we were also given wristbands of a specific colour which are used to ensure the correct people are in the arena for each session. As a session ends a specific wristband colour is asked to leave the arena before the next hour session begins. If you decide to have 2 hour sessions you are given 2 wristbands of different colours.

Once we had crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s and digitally signed the waiver forms, we were directed into a separate small room to watch a safety demonstration video. The video showcases the rules of the arena along with important do’s and don’ts to ensure everyone not only has fun but is safe whilst doing so. The thought of having to sit through a boring safety video with 2 little kids who were eager to get out on the trampolines and would get bored easily and not pay attention filled me with dread but thankfully I had nothing to worry about. Much to my surprise and delight the safety video was short and sweet and it was very entertaining so much so that the kids loved it.

Flip Out’s safety video was very cleverly done, being entertaining and funny to capture attention whilst delivering important safety information. Well done to the mastermind who came up with the entertaining safety video that featured superb Flip Out staff who were informative, captivating and amusing. The man hosting the safety meeting was very friendly and welcoming. To ensure everyone was taking the safety video seriously, paying attention and were ready to safely flip and bounce there was a quick question and answer round of what safety rules we all must follow such as no double bouncing.

Following the safety briefing you could enter the main hall where they had some lockers available to leave personal belongings safely. The lockers needed a £1 coin to lock which was returned once you had finished with the locker and removed your belongings.


The time for bouncing was nigh. Our flip session nearly about to start.

Waiver signed
Safety briefing done
Personal belongings in lockers
Flip Out socks on


Entering the arena where we were welcomed by a graffiti welcome wall we walked through a colourful vortex tunnel where our excitement rose ever higher and the kids beamed happily with anticipation. A friendly Flip Out worker greeted us at the entrance to the arena, checking we had the correct wristband colour for the new session.


The arena is a vibrant and exciting place to be with bouncing atmosphere thanks to the low lighting, shimmering disco ball hanging above the main arena, colourful lights and fast music. It felt exciting and a place to have fun and let loose as you flip out and bounce to your heart’s content.


We all loved how the place looked and the vibrant, eye-catching graffiti was especially cool and modern.


It was amazing and a little daunting how many different arenas there were. Sticking to our bouncing skill level for the main part we remained in main arena and kids arena. Whilst we could not fully appreciate all that Flip Out Chester had to offer due to our skill level, it was great to see all the different arenas and equipment and that there was something for everyone of all skill levels from noobs like us to expert trampoliners.


With 2 young children we first ventured to the under 7’s kids arena where they spent no time at all getting into the swing of bouncing around happily. 


Both children loved bouncing on the different trampolines before leaping into the foam pit.


Along with a love of bouncing into the fun and appealing foam pit, Bug also loved bouncing on the trampolines before energetically jumping onto and swinging on the hanging punchbag.


Being brave Bug ventured onto the Drop Slide however struggling to set off with his arms crossed over his chest as needed, he slipped off arms flaying and slightly out of control which scared him. Coming off of the slide he was upset. Within seconds of him climbing out of the slide exit a member of staff had come over to us to check whether he was okay and not hurt. As well as ensuring he was not injured the warm and friendly man cheered him up, reassured him that it was not his fault and gave him a big high five for being brave. The concern and kindness he showed was a great positive to me as a parent.

Jelly Bean had lots of fun testing out the under 5’s soft play area. He loved the slide and colourful punchbags. The addition of the soft play area is great for giving little ones something extra to do when not bouncing on the kids arena trampolines. With Jelly Bean embracing the bounce so much on the trampolines, getting hot and sweaty in the meantime, venturing over for a few minutes in the soft play area was also a good way to calm him down and let him rest a little from the all action bouncing. Often little ones of toddler age are often overlooked and not catered for so it was lovely to see extra thought being put into providing areas for toddlers.


The main trampoline arena was also lots of fun. The large trampolines were a joy to bounce on and the kids loved seeing how high they could bounce under the glistening light of the glitterball hanging above.


Being noobs to trampoline parks and doing more than simple bouncing we stuck within our bouncing abilities. However it was entertaining and awe-inspiring to watch more experienced bouncers flip, trick and do stunts on the arenas.

As we were noobs to trampoline parks and had 2 young children whom we wanted to make sure were kept safe whilst having fun, it was reassuring to see staff on every activity monitoring the guests and equipment to ensure everyone was safe and happy. When the first session finished I observed staff members quickly yet proficiently check the arena and equipment to ensure it was safe and clean.

I love all the different activities offered by the park such as two hour experience, standard jump, mini flippers, toddler time, flip fit, clip n climb and after dark. Experiences coming soon include little ninjas and autism awareness which I think is amazing.

It is great to know that as well as having fun bouncing at Flip Out has a lot of health benefits such as lower-impact cardiovascular fitness and improved balance and coordination. It is an amazing way to let the kids have fun whilst exercising and hopefully wearing them out!


After lots of bouncing and flying into foam pits we headed to the indoor American Diner to rest and refuel. The trendy The Kitchen American Diner had a great selection of tasty, gourmet food to choose from with a menu for adults and a Little Flippers kids menu. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We had a lovely experience at The Kitchen and would recommend it highly. It is somewhere we would love to eat at regardless of whether we were bouncing at Flip Out or not.


The fresh food was very well made and extremely tasty. The kids loved their cheeseburger and fresh chicken nuggets which were devoured by them.


I thoroughly enjoyed my tasty burger whilst Lee loved the pizza he opted for. I also loved the smoothie I had which was refreshing and divine to drink.


All ages are welcome to Flip Out. Children of 11 years and under must have a parent or guardian on site at all times. If you’re between 12-18 years old your parent or guardian must fill the waiver out for you but does not have to be present when you visit the park. All under 5’s must be accompanied by an adult at all times when in the arena, but the adults don’t have to bounce.

Each Flip Out session is 1 hour long and costs £10 – £12.50, other Flip Out experiences and longer sessions vary in price (see the Flip Out website). With so many arenas and experiences on offer and with something for all bouncing abilities I think Flip Out is great value for money and lots of fun.


Flip Out have indoor trampoline parks across the UK - Ashford, Blackburn, Brent Cross (London), Bristol, Chatham (Maritime), Chester, Chichester, Glasgow, Leicester, London E6, London (Wandsworth), Portsmouth, Preston, Sandwell (Birmingham), Southampton, Stoke (Stone), Aintree, Colchester, Doncaster, Lakeside, Manchester Eastlands, Nottingham, Rochdale, Somerset and Telford.

As the kids loved Flip Out Chester so much when asked about our recent holiday which has included a lot of different events and attractions, the place they speak about the most and continually mention is Flip Out. With their love of bouncing at Flip Out being so high they keep asking to go back for more bouncing, flipping fun. If only we lived closer or Flip Out Pembrokeshire was available. I know after our experience the kids would be delighted if there was a Flip Out near us.

We would highly recommend Flip Out Chester and loved our experience of it. Kids can be kids and big kids can relieve how great it feels to be a kid and bounce whilst skilled bouncers can practise skills and stunts and people can get fit and have fun. It is great that it caters for all ages and abilities. Fingers crossed that one day Flip Out reaches us here in Pembrokeshire, Wales. In the meantime, hopefully we will visit Flip Out Chester again sometime in the future for more flippin’ fun.


* We were provided with a visit to Flip Out Chester and The Kitchen American Diner in return for this review. All opinions are our own *

4 comments:

  1. Gosh this looks like so much fun! We've had a trampoline park open near us recently and the boys are desperate for me to take them! xx

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  2. Oh I am desperate to take mine somewhere like this, it looks fantastic!

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  3. Wow! It looks amazing. Glad to hear there were no injurys xx

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  4. This place looks class. My eldest would get such enjoyment out of this.

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