Second trampoline park planned for Kennewick

Three local investors team up for $2M indoor family fun center

A trio of entrepreneurs is investing $2 million in a large indoor family fun center planned near Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.

Developers hope to make an announcement soon about the location for Washington state’s first Launch Trampoline Park and hope to open it by the end of summer 2019.

Franchisee and co-owner Will McKay is excited to bring a new entertainment option to town. “The Tri-Cities is a growing place. Not only do we have people who live here looking for new entertainment options, but we have so many sports activities and tournaments where people come to town and say, ‘What else are we going to do here?’ ”

Launch Trampoline Park was co-founded by a former New England Patriots football player Ty Law, who’s expected to attend the grand opening, along with Walla Walla native and NFL veteran Drew Bledsoe.

The site will be owned and operated by three longtime friends, including Will McKay, owner of W. McKay Construction, Jourdan Nicholls, a Kennewick podiatrist, and Jeff Morgan, a dentist and owner of Grandridge Dental.

The idea was dreamed up by McKay after visiting FLIPnOUT Xtreme in Las Vegas, an amusement park which offered more than just trampolines.

“We jumped for a while, then went and played laser tag. I have four kids, and there’s not much to do in the winter, so I wanted to bring something like that to the Tri-Cities,” McKay said. “And with my current business, I could do this a lot cheaper than a lot of other people.”

He recruited friends he’s known since high school as fellow investors, and started researching potential franchises.

“Launch was in the top five trampoline park franchises on six or seven blogs I looked at,” McKay said.

Entrepreneur magazine’s recent 40th annual ranking of the top 500 franchises lists Rhode Island-based Launch at No. 248.

Within weeks, McKay was on the East Coast for a “discovery day” to see how a park of this style is set up and operating.

The team is investing about a half-million dollars alone in the trampoline equipment, which will be connected to form one giant jumping surface with angled trampoline walls. In addition, there will be a laser tag arena, virtual reality, dodgeball court, climbing wall, bowling alley, indoor playground, ninja course, foam pit, arcade games and potentially a zip line that runs the length of the facility, which is expected to be about 30,000 square feet.

Initial admission is likely to include at least trampoline and laser tag use, with additional offerings at an added cost. McKay said that in some locations, guests visit Launch exclusively to bowl and not to access any other varied entertainment options.

With a current trampoline park already near the mall in Kennewick, McKay isn’t worried about saturating the market. He believes his business won’t be in direct competition with places like Chuck E. Cheese, which he helped build, or iPlay Experience, an indoor playground also opening near the mall.

McKay said his business model is more focused on attracting the older elementary kids, up to adults.

“It’s no secret that indoor trampoline parks have become a significant contender in the family-entertainment industry, but we’re more than just a trampoline park,” said Launch co-founder Rob Arnold. “Technology is changing at an astonishing pace, and with family entertainment you need to be right on top of things and evolve quickly in order to stay relevant and fun and cool.”

Launch will serve food, including make-your-own pizzas described by McKay as “killer,” which may be ordered inside the Krave restaurant, as well as make-your-own ice cream sundaes. The location will have the ability to hold birthday parties, team-building activities and other private events. It has not been decided if alcohol will be served in any portion of the entertainment center.

According to a news release, there are 20 Launch Trampoline Parks open throughout 13 states, with more than 30 additional parks in various stages of development throughout the U.S.

Admission costs and expected operating hours have not yet been determined, but McKay said Launch’s prices will “be competitive” with the region. Family bundles may be offered for multiple attractions. McKay expects to hire at least four to five people in management, but didn’t yet have an overall expectation of the total number of employees, which will eventually be determined in line with hours of operation.

Once a lease is signed for the location, McKay expected construction could get underway within six weeks to meet the targeted opening date of late summer. W. McKay Construction will be the general contractor for the project.

For more information visit, launchtrampolinepark.com.

Ty Law Elected To Hall Of Fame Ahead Of Super Bowl

The new class of honorees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced in Atlanta on Saturday night, just one day ahead of Super Bowl LIII. Among them is former New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law.

Law was with the Patriots for over a decade, starting in 1994. During that time, he won three Super Bowl rings. He was traded to the New York Jets in 2005.

Overall, he had 53 career interceptions and was known for making some of his biggest plays at the most pivotal moments.

The most memorable and, arguably, the biggest play of his career came in Super Bowl XXXVI when he intercepted a Kurt Warner pass and took it 47 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. He also intercepted Peyton Manning three times during the 2003 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Law’s induction was undoubtedly also influenced by a recommendation with high clout. Tom Brady wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame selection committee urging them to consider the cornerback, which was obtained and published by ESPN. In the letter, Brady reflects on Law’s success, determination and impact on the team.

“Looking back, I realize how lucky I was then to be challenged every day by one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play the game,” Brady wrote. “It helped me work harder to become successful in this league and ultimately prepared me to become the player I am today.”

Launch Trampoline Park Set to Enter Washington State

Family entertainment and action park signs agreements for first Pacific Northwest location

January 25, 2019 // Franchising.com // WARWICK, R.I. – Mixing sports and entertainment, Launch Trampoline Park, co-founded by former New England Patriots cornerback and three-time Super Bowl champion Ty Law, is bringing its year-round, family entertainment and action park to the Tri-Cities.

The location will be owned and operated by long-time friends Will McKay, Jourdan Nicholls and Jeff Morgan. Will works as a general contractor, Jourdan as a podiatrist and Jeff as a dentist – all owning their own practices.

“We can’t wait to introduce Launch to Washington,” McKay said. “We noticed a lack of family entertainment spaces for our own families, and when we found Launch, it was the perfect fit. There’s a focus on family entertainment, fitness, and safety. Launch makes it a really fun atmosphere for everybody.”

Founded in 2012, Launch provides kids and adults of all ages with endless fun. The 25,000-45,000-square-foot action parks include approximately 15,000 square feet of connected trampolines, forming one giant jumping surface with angled trampoline walls. There are also signature courts dedicated to dodgeball and slam dunk basketball with trampolines instead of a hard surface.

But trampolines aren’t the only feature that Launch is excited about bringing to the area.

Launch parks also feature ninja courses, laser tag arenas, climbing walls, an indoor playground, foam pits, stunt bags, as well as full arcades with over 30 video, prizing and redemption games. Krave, a restaurant where you can create your own pizza fresh to order, as well as ice cream sundaes, offers guests a delicious dining option.

“It’s no secret that indoor trampoline parks have become a significant contender in the family-entertainment industry, but we’re more than just a trampoline park,” said Co-Founder Rob Arnold. “Family entertainment is really interesting. It’s probably next in line to technology as far as the speed of evolution. Technology is changing at an astonishing pace, and with family entertainment you need to be right on top of things and evolve quickly in order to stay relevant and fun and cool.”

Launch’s primary target market is families with children ages 4-14, but also targets other audiences such as high school and college students and other adults. The parks are the perfect social gathering place for birthday parties, date night, family events, corporate events, fundraisers or just friendly get-togethers in a safe and enjoyable environment.

“Launch is truly a fun experience for everyone – both children and adults,” said Nicholls. “Everyone who walks through our doors can expect to have an unforgettable experience.”

The local expansion plans come at a time when Launch continues to rapidly expand its national footprint. Today, there are 20 parks open and operating in 13 states, with more than 30 additional parks under various stages of development throughout California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

For more information about Launch, visit www.launchtrampolinepark.com.

About Launch Trampoline Park

Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Rob Arnold and former NFL star and three-time Super Bowl champion Ty Law, Launch Trampoline Park is an innovative leader in the family entertainment industry. A year-round action park featuring giant jumping surfaces, dodge ball courts, ninja courses, laser tag arenas, and more, Launch is an ideal place for kids and adults alike to let loose while also providing a great environment for families to spend time together. Currently, there are 20 parks open and operating in 13 states, with numerous others in various stages of development across the country. For more information, visit www.launchtrampolinepark.com.

Media Contact:

Hannah Sordyl
Franchise Elevator PR
(847) 239-8171
hsordyl@franchiseelevator.com

SOURCE Launch Trampoline Park

Launch Trampoline Park Jumps Nearly 100 Spots in Entrepreneur’s Annual Franchise 500® Ranking

January 11, 2019 // Franchising.com // WARWICK, RI – Launch Trampoline Park – a year-round, family entertainment and action park – has secured the No. 248 spot in Entrepreneur magazine’s 40th annual Franchise 500® ranking. Up 91 spots from last year’s ranking (No. 339), Launch was also ranked No. 3 in the Trampoline Parks category.

“Jumping nearly 100 spots since last year’s ranking is exciting, but we’re just getting warmed up,” said Launch CEO Rob Arnold, who co-founded the business in 2012 with three-time Super Bowl champion Ty Law. “I’m immensely proud of the work our corporate office and franchise owners have done to warrant this ranking. We can’t wait to rise up the ranks in next year’s list as we continue to grow and improve the Launch franchise system in 2019.”

Known as the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking, the Franchise 500® ranking recognized Launch for its exceptional performance in areas including costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Entrepreneur received more than 1,000 applications this year, making it one of the magazine’s most competitive rankings ever.

“As we celebrate 40 years of producing the Franchise 500, it’s a good opportunity to step back and look at how much has changed since that first ranking in 1980,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. “While the franchise business model has changed little, the strongest franchise brands are constantly evolving and innovating to keep up with changing trends and technology.”

Mixing sports and entertainment, Launch is a year-round, family entertainment and action park featuring giant jumping surfaces, dodgeball courts, slam dunk basketball, foam pits, and kid’s courts, as well as a full arcade with over 30 video, prizing and redemption games. More recent features include ninja courses, laser tag arenas, virtual reality rooms, and ropes courses just to name a few.

“Our spectrum of activities is part of what separates us from other trampoline parks, which feature little more than trampolines. No food. No video games. Just trampolines,” said Arnold. “That’s not going to cut it anymore. Our job as a franchisor is to continue to innovate.”

Today, Launch’s national footprint has rapidly grown to include more than 20 parks in 13 states, more than half of which have opened since the beginning of 2017 alone.

According to Arnold, 2019 is set to be the franchise’s most successful year yet. An additional 10 parks are already under construction and set to open in the coming months. In addition, commitments for more than 30 parks have already been signed throughout California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

Including a $50,000 franchise fee, the total initial investment necessary to open a single location ranges from $1,113,285 to $2,828,080. Each park typically occupies between 25,000 and 45,000 square feet of space and employs 50-75 mostly part-time people.

To view Launch in the full ranking, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in Entrepreneur’s January/February 2019 issue.

About Launch Trampoline Park

Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Rob Arnold and former NFL star and three-time Super Bowl champion Ty Law, Launch Trampoline Park is an innovative leader in the family entertainment industry. A year-round action park featuring giant jumping surfaces, dodge ball courts, ninja courses, laser tag arenas, and more, Launch is an ideal place for kids and adults alike to let loose and “fly” while also providing a great environment for families to spend time together. Currently, there are more than 20 parks open and operating in 13 states, with numerous others in various stages of development across the country. For more information, visit www.launchtrampolinepark.com.

SOURCE Launch Trampoline Park

Launch Trampoline Park Receives 2018 Best of Warwick Award

Warwick Award Program Honors the Achievement

WARWICK November 30, 2018 — Launch Trampoline Park has been selected for the 2018 Best of Warwick Award in the Amusement Center category by the Warwick Award Program.

Each year, the Warwick Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Warwick area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2018 Warwick Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Warwick Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Warwick Award Program

The Warwick Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Warwick area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Warwick Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Warwick Award Program

CONTACT:
Warwick Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@cityrecognition.org
URL: http://www.cityrecognition.org

Ex-Patriot Ty Law and partner go beyond the bounce with trampoline-park business

With 20 locations and more on the way, they’ve brought innovation to trampoline parks.

WARWICK — You might expect the trampoline business to be an up-and-down sort of enterprise, but for former New England Patriots defensive back Ty Law’s Launch trampoline park, everything is headed skyward.

Law and business partner Rob Arnold opened their first Launch in Warwick in November 2012.

They have moved into a new Warwick location, which also houses their corporate offices, and have a manufacturing facility, where 15 employees make equipment for the chain’s other 20 locations.

They have facilities on the cusp of opening in Queens, New York, which opens this weekend, in Richmond, Virginia, opening this month, and in New Jersey, opening in January.

In all, they have contracts for 60 locations, including sites in Michigan, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Colorado and California.

The company has 1,300 employees nationwide and expects that number to almost double next year, to 2,400. And it takes in more than $45 million a year, according to Law and Arnold.

A high-energy environment envelops visitors when they walk into the Warwick facility at 920 Bald Hill Rd. After checking in at a kiosk just inside the doors, they pass through Krave restaurant, which fills the building with the aroma of baking pizza. Past that are the lights of an upscale video arcade. And then, lit like a television studio, are the main attractions: a ninja warrior course, a rock-climbing wall above a padded floor, a joust arena, where combatants try to knock each other from perches with giant padded bats, and trampolines. Lots and lots of trampolines.

Square trampolines are laid out side by side, with padded borders between them, to create an extensive bouncy floor that stretches from one side of the building to the other.

Some areas are dedicated to just bouncing up and down. Some are for dodgeball and basketball. One area is reserved for toddlers to bounce.

This spectrum of activities is part of Launch’s formula to separate it from some trampoline parks, which feature little more than trampolines.

When they started the business, trampoline parks were typically in industrial parks, where big spaces were available at relatively low prices.

“Before, we just covered the whole thing with trampolines,” said Law. “No food. No video games. Just trampolines. But that’s not going to cut it anymore.”

“I think they thought they were in the fitness industry,” said Arnold, “and we saw it as the family entertainment industry.”

“Our job as a franchiser is to continue to innovate,” added Arnold.

Because the company makes its own equipment at a factory on Jefferson Boulevard, it can quickly replace a feature if its popularity declines. “You’ve got to stay ahead of the curve,” said Law. “You’ve got to continue to do different things.”

That changed when Arnold, then a contractor, was doing work at Law’s home in Lincoln. Law — a two-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowl selection, Pro Bowl MVP and winner of three Super Bowls with the Patriots — would frequently bring beers to the construction crew at the end of the day, and he and Arnold became friendly.

At one point, Arnold and his wife, Erin, visited a trampoline park in Florida.

“We need to open one of these,” she said.

“You’re crazy,” he told her.

But three weeks later, at the end of a work day, Arnold asked Law a question without much elaboration:

“Have you ever seen a trampoline park?”

“That was the furthest thing from my mind,” said Law, even though he could never get his kids off their backyard trampoline. So he took his son to a trampoline park in Boston.

“As we were leaving, it was just buses of kids coming in,” he said. “The place was obviously making lots of money.”

And, he remembered thinking, “This could be so much better.”

Law set to scouting trampoline parks. In Florida and in New York. In Texas and in California.

Arnold and Law decided to go into business together, originally as franchisees of another brand, but ultimately running their own place — and now places, which have grown in number to the point where they keep the owners and their customers jumping.

By Paul Edward Parker
Journal Staff Writer 

Ty Law explains how he ‘launched’ a successful post-NFL career

By ETHAN HARTLEY

Some people can make a career out of playing a game. For others, they make careers out of enjoyable, fulfilling endeavors that don’t really feel like work. Three-time Super Bowl champion and New England Patriots Hall of Fame defensive back Ty Law has done both – and he’s as hungry as ever to continue growing a successful life based on having fun.

Retiring from football in 2009, Law said he always knew he’d go into business after his first career ended. Many athletes revolve back into the game, becoming coaches, assistants or analysts for sports media outlets. Entrepreneurial types often get into franchising – primarily within the hospitality industry – and Law almost went down that same path.

Then he met Rob Arnold, a North Kingstown native who owned an independent contracting firm and was hired to do some renovations on his home in Lincoln. At some point during the month-long project, Arnold brought up the left-field concept of trampoline parks, which captured Law’s interest.

“I had no idea what a trampoline park was at the time. My son wanted to go, so that’s why I went to one, and the rest is history,” Law said on Tuesday, seated in a booth of the dining area at Launch Trampoline Park, located at 920 Bald Hill Road in Warwick. “I took a chance. I was pretty far down the line on some of the other things I was going to do, as far as being a franchisee, and now I’m sitting on the other side of it as the franchisor. It’s been good.”

The new business duo decided to give the venture a shot and, self-funded, they opened their first facility, which opened in Warwick further down Route 2 on Pace Boulevard six years ago with a team consisting of just Law, Arnold and his wife. Utilizing Arnold’s contracting prowess and Law’s entrepreneurial passion and name recognition, the business gained traction.

Launch has since exploded into 21 locations spanning 13 states, over half of which have opened since the beginning of 2017. There are six new parks set to open through the end of 2018 and throughout 2019. An additional 30 new parks throughout the country have signed franchise development deals at this time as well.

Looking around the facility, it’s not difficult to see why the concept has caught on. Launch incorporates every different type of entertainment module you can think of, from large areas full of foam pits and spongy flooring with trampolines throughout, a ninja warrior obstacle course, a video game arcade, a mezzanine space turned into a laser tag arena and plans to incorporate virtual and augmented reality. A food court area hosts specialty pizza and a make your own sundae bar, among other snacks that can be regionalized based on the location of the park (gator meat in Mississippi was mentioned)

As Arnold calls it, it’s basically “Chuck E. Cheese on steroids.” The strategy is not merely to throw a random combination of toys into a building and see how it works – it’s a necessary philosophy of constant evolution to keep up with a constantly shifting industry.

“Family entertainment is really interesting. It’s probably next in line to technology as far as the speed of evolution,” said Arnold. “Technology is changing super fast, and with family entertainment you need to be right on top of things and evolve quickly in order to stay relevant and fun and cool.”

Perhaps most interesting about the Warwick location is that it is actually the smallest Launch facility they operate, hovering around 20,000 square feet. Others are more than twice as big, and a planned location in Orlando, Fla. is sizing up to be around 60,000 square feet.

“The building kind of dictates the design and what you can and can’t put in there,” Law said, adding that the Warwick location was a good example of optimizing available space with a little bit of everything that Launch seeks to offer.

The facility in Warwick is also the home to Launch corporate headquarters, where new franchisees are trained in the workings of the business. If you’re looking to start your own Launch franchise, it will cost you a franchise fee of $50,000 and you can expect to spend between $1.1 to 2.8 million in an initial investment.

Another interesting Warwick-centric wrinkle to the business lies across the city on Jefferson Boulevard, where Launch operates a metal fabrication shop that constructs everything from the ninja warrior courses to hand railings for all of their facilities nationwide.

Going from the mindset of being a player in a business-first organization like the Patriots – where he expected to be cut or traded the moment it made business sense to do so – to being a business owner himself, Law said that the game taught him valuable lessons that has helped him in being a franchisor.

“You’re always dealing with people. Even if you’re playing football, it’s still a people business,” he said. “Within the locker room, everyone comes from different backgrounds and we have to get along to go out there and play the game. We all knew what we were there for. Here, it’s the same thing. Our folks come from all different walks of life but at the same time, we’re a team.”

Launch has launched a successful post-playing career for Law – and his enthusiasm for the business is palpable. Of course, he remains a competitor at heart, and said he could still talk about football all day if given the opportunity. However, being a business owner has provided him fulfillment in a different way than making crucial plays on the gridiron.

“Nothing is ever going to replace being an athlete – being a football player and playing in front of millions of people and thousands of people out in the stands, it’s a different feeling,” he said. “But I do get a sense of satisfaction by one, not only being successful, but like Rob mentioned earlier, we’ve created jobs. We’ve created opportunities. We’re keeping kids off the streets. More so than anything, that is very important to me, and to us.”

All told, Launch employs 1,300 people across the country, which will expand to about 2,800 by the end of 2019. In Rhode Island alone, between the Warwick park, its corporate office and the fabrication shop, Launch employs 86 people.

“For us to be sitting here talking to you guys today and we’re still growing, I do feel good about that,” Law said.

50 Winter Break Ideas for Kids & Tweens

Nobody likes to be cooped up, and while blanket forts work for all seasons of the year, there are a few winter break ideas that become extra special when the sun is setting early and the air is crisp.

These winter break ideas are ideal for kids and teens of all ages, from those who prefer to stay indoors, to the more adventurous young souls. Rather than worrying about keeping kids and teens out of trouble during school vacations, you’ll find everything from the educational to the charitable and creative types of activities. Enjoy!

50 WINTER BREAK IDEAS THAT CREATE TRADITIONS YOUR KIDS WILL PASS ON

1. Stay warm and active by bouncing at a trampoline park like Launch – trampolines are great exercise!
2. Build a regular jigsaw puzzle or try and tackle a 3D puzzle.
3. Draw a mural on large craft paper then let the kids color it in.
4. Volunteer at a soup kitchen and teach kids about generosity and gratitude.
5. Find the biggest hill in town and go sledding.
6. Take skiing lessons and/or go skiing.
7. Buy a day pass and head to a local hotel pool to go swimming.
8. Go ice skating at your local ice skating rink.
9. Go on a hot chocolate date by sampling hot chocolate at several different shops.
10. Join in on a winter stroll (many towns have winter 5k’s or walks in the winter)
11. Winter hiking or ski-boarding through trails (best benefit of winter hikes: no ticks!)
12. Visit a museum.
13. Play a board game.
14. Create your OWN board game!
15. Stage a snowball fight between siblings.
16. Go to the theater and see a play.
17. Have the kids come up with and put on their OWN play.
18. Find a trail and go cross-country snowshoeing.
19. Have a baking day where you make cookies for friends and neighbors.
20. Make origami (you could try making cranes, then move on if you’re so inclined.)
21. Go to a hardware store and get a kit to build something, like a bird house.
22. Go to a craft store and get supplies to make a scrapbook.
23. Make necklaces.
24. Come up with a secret handshake.
25. Go to a concert (like the Philharmonic).
26. Build a model, like a race car or F-16.
27. Go snow tubing locally or at a snow tubing park.
28. Have a movie night where they pick the movies.
29. Have a movie night where you get to show them your favorite old movies from when you were a kid.
30. Go out to the movies as a family and see the latest flick.
31. Plan a winter star-gazing night (bring heavy coats and boots!)
32. Teach the kids how to build a fire in the snow (or in your fireplace) – an excellent opportunity to teach fire safety!
33. Come up with a secret language only you know.
34. Do a parent date exchange – take turns with play dates so each set of parents can have some adult time while the kids play with their friends.
35. Take a local all-ages art class – many churches offer classes during summer and winter breaks.
36. Teach kids how to cook a few simple staples.
37. Walk your kids through doing the laundry.
38. Teach children how to sew (maybe with the goal of them creating their own shirt or pillow by the end of vacation.)
39. If you’re having a sick day, ask your kids to be the chef for the day (expect lots of peanut butter sandwiches and bouillon).
40. Have a “donation day” where you go through stuff after or before the holidays and donate used clothes and toys.
41. Make handmade gifts for grandparents and relatives that kids can give out at birthdays and holidays.
42. No puppy for the holidays? Volunteer at a local animal shelter with your children.
43. Fix something by finding something broken in the house (even a flashlight) and showing your children how to take it apart and put it back together.
44. Write letters to a grandparent or loved one.
45. Make tie-dye shirts for summer (or use glitter glue!)
46. Have a karaoke night in your living room.
47. At night, sit in a circle with a flashlight and tell ghost stories.
48. Buy a large canvas and a large set of acrylic paints, then let the kids cover the whole canvas with their designs together. Once it’s dry, frame it!
49. Use scissors to make snowflakes and hang them around the house until spring.
50. Make a new signature recipe with the kids from scratch with special ingredients so that you can share with people and say that the recipe a “family secret.”

When families do activities together during school breaks, it can be therapeutic for kids and teens who lack and need structure. The next time your child think they’ll be squatting in front of the TV set with a game controller for winter break, prep them with this list of winter break ideas for them to choose from.

All cooped up with nowhere to go? Do the kids need to bounce their sillies out? Find your nearest Launch location!

How To Use Trampoline Therapy For Autism

Parents, Teachers And Sensory Therapists Have Been Using Trampoline Therapy For Autism For A Long Time.

It’s no secret that physical activity can help kids with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) acquire new motor skills, improve coordination, develop muscle strength, promote stable posture, and increase stamina.

However, group sports can be overwhelming to kids with social and cognitive delays, commonly associated with ASD.

For many kids, using trampoline therapy for autism-friendly exercise may be the perfect solution for delivering the benefits of physical activity in a fun way that circumvents the pressures of group sports.

Why Incorporate Trampoline Therapy? For Autism, It Could Mean The Difference Between Being Active, And Not.

Electronics and other habit-forming, passive activities can be addictive to kids on the autism spectrum, leading to isolation, poor muscle tone, and weight issues. Getting autistic kids moving is the best way to counteract this.

Additionally, according to the American Physical Therapy Association, young people on the autism spectrum are more likely to have difficulty acquiring motor skills, motor coordination and have problems with posture.

Trampoline use, also called rebound therapy, can help by delivering positive changes in muscle tone and burning calories to stave off weight gain. Trampoline therapy can also improve posture, balance, coordination and head control.

Trampolines Offer Parallel Play, Preferred By Children With Autism.

Because trampoline activity is an individual activity performed in a group setting, bouncing on a trampoline allows for parallel play, often preferred by kids with autism.

Parallel play (where kids are adjacent to each other but do not try to influence one another’s behavior) allows kids and adults with autism to participate in physical activity alongside others, without the stress of competition, free of complicated rules, all the while avoiding direct contact with other individuals.

Providing your child with trampoline therapy for autism-friendly aerobic activity gives them a way to exercise and work off their energy in a non-threatening manner where they can move at their own pace.

In addition to building muscle tone and coordination, trampoline therapy can help reduce stereotypic behaviors in kids with autism and enhance attentive abilities.

According to an article in the National Library of Medicine, trampolines can also provide enhancement of educational and attentive skills through sensory organization and centering.

Trampoline Therapy For Autism Provides The Opportunity For Acceptable Repetitive Motion.

The repetition of physical movements is well-known as a coping mechanism for kids with autism. Some common repetitive behaviors, like hand flapping, head banging, and finger snapping, are necessary for autistic kids to stimulate themselves to remain calm. These stereotypical calming behaviors are often ridiculed in public.

The repetitive motion of a trampoline can provide the self-stimulatory sensation needed and act as a substitute for other forms of repetitive movements and behaviors. Trampoline therapy is more like play, allows for integrated fun without the stigma of “stimming,” and, at Launch, provides entertainment and exercise in a public environment where people with autism can feel included and are free to be themselves.

We want every child to be themselves! In fact, we created exclusive VIP nights that cater to those with sensory issues, autism, and other special needs.

Try Trampoline Therapy To Increase Body And Safety Awareness For Your Child With Autism.

As you may know, children (and adults) on the autism spectrum often lack in body and safety awareness. Trampoline therapy can help children develop body awareness through the repetitive stimulation of bouncing, and teaching muscles to control the direction of the bounce, finding the center of their bodies and, “steering” it, prompting righting reflexes.

Different rocking, running in place, and bouncing exercises, which are part of rebounding therapy, deliver a repeated opportunity to adapt to shifts in the body’s center of mass and the support beneath. In an attempt to maintain balance, one responds by reorienting, which forces increased body awareness through a focus on staying upright and safe.

Children with autism can use trampoline activities like this to gain a better understanding of body mass, and proximity to others as well as objects. It is also a keen way to teach young people, with or without autism, about the laws of motion, including gravity, force, velocity, buoyancy, and mass.

Why Choose Launch As Your Autism Trampoline Therapy Destination?

Launch provides the perfect opportunity to try trampolines as therapy for autism in a sensory-friendly environment. Limiting strobes and audio volume is only part of the story. A trained and friendly staff, paired with an exclusive VIP program that focuses on special needs clientele, helps ensure a time and space for the proper exploration of trampoline therapy and enjoyment.

Do you know someone with autism who may benefit from a few hours of trampoline therapy? Give them a gift certificate to your nearest Launch Trampoline Park!

10 Unconventional Skills Needed to Run a Franchise

Starting A Business Can Be A Smart Investment, But The Skills Needed To Run A Franchise Are More Complicated Than You Might Think.

After years of balance sheets and income statements, you’re finally ready to own a business to add to your already-diverse investment portfolio. You decide that a franchise is your best bet; it’s established and you won’t have to do much to get it off the ground. The first thing you find, though, is that the skills needed to run a franchise are different from those you need to run a stand-alone business.

If you decide to purchase a franchise, you’re committing to a lot of personal involvement in the beginning. Being a successful franchisee has much more to do with who you are than what you can do, though the latter will, of course, be a necessary consideration. Every franchisee may be an entrepreneur, but not all entrepreneurs are born franchisees.

The good news is that you can easily learn the skills needed to run a franchise. The most important step is knowing what those skills are. Applying them then becomes your daily practice. If you keep these skills in mind, you’ll be watching your investment yield returns for many years to come.

Skill #1: Maintain Brand Identity

One of the most essential skills needed to run a franchise is to be mindful of the brand that already exists. Buying a franchise doesn’t mean you’re making the brand your own, only the business. Any attempt to change the brand identity will cause conflict with the franchisor. Before you close the deal, learn all you can about the brand identity and ask yourself if it’s something you can sustain. If it isn’t, you may want to choose a different type of franchise.

Skill #2: Be A People Person

When you come into an established franchise, you need to earn the trust of the people working for you—and the people you’re working with. The best way to do that is to be visible, interact with the front office and the employees on the ground. Demonstrate a vested interest in what the company is doing and the people who are doing it before you launch any new game plans. If you’re warm and welcoming, your franchise will be, too.

Skill #3: Be Entrepreneurial

Running a franchise isn’t as simple as writing a check and watching the business yield returns. You’re making an investment as an entrepreneur, not as an investor. It’s necessary that you have an entrepreneurial mindset if you want to see the franchise thrive.

Skill #4: Be A Results-Oriented Big Thinker

Being a big thinker is hopefully part of what brought you to become a franchisee in the first place. But it’s not enough to think big. You also need to be results-oriented. These are two skills needed to run a franchise that go hand-in-hand. Think big, but understand the necessary results along the way. If you’re only creative in your thinking, you’ll miss some of the necessary paths that will lead you there. Mapping a new path from A to C is fine, but you still need to know what to do to get to B first.

Skill #5: Maintain A Safety Net

Now that we’ve told you to think big, don’t forget to have a fall-back in place. Things don’t always go as planned, and big pictures change as you piece them together. Make sure you have the funds and the ideas to adapt to unexpected change.

Skill #6: Be A Lover, Not A Fighter

This has less to do with skills needed to run a franchise and more to do with personality traits. Even so, it’s important that you be open and willing to listen rather than insisting on everything being the way you initially imagined it. A franchise is an established brand. No matter the amount of business experience you have, you’ll learn a lot about your new endeavor by listening and collaborating instead of being stubborn and independent.

Skill #7: Be Optimistic And Determined

Investing in a franchise will have its challenges. Many new franchisees don’t make any money at all in the first year. Don’t let the unexpected stuff get you down. You know why you chose to become a franchisee. Believe in that, believe in the future, and the trials will be easy to overcome.

Skill #8: Keep Calm And Carry On

A subset of being optimistic and determined is to be patient and calm. As a franchisee, you’ll have to work with a lot of people, and you won’t always have the final say in everything. Be cooperative and stay cool under pressure. A little patience now will breed a lot of success later.

Skill #9: Know Who To Hire

Hiring, like other skills needed to run a franchise, is a different animal than it might be in an independent business. You can’t simply hire the people you like the best. They have to fit the brand, the franchise culture, and the company vision. Some of that overlaps with regular hiring, but it’s especially important in a franchise that you don’t have passive employees who aren’t connected to the culture and mission you’ve taken over.

Skill #10: Understand The Numbers

This one might be more intuitive to you, but running a franchise is going to involve more than balance sheets and income statements. Unless you have the budget to hire a finance director—unlikely for the first few years at least—you’ll be responsible for hashing out the numbers. Make sure you understand all facets of what that means, and that you don’t take it for granted that you know how to handle it all without a little guidance or training.

Bonus Skill: Reap The Rewards

There’s no doubt that opening any business is a lot of work. But with the right franchise, your results are much more certain. Yes, you’ll put in the sweat, and you’ll also reap big rewards when your efforts start paying off.

Interested in becoming a Launch franchise owner? Did you know that trampoline parks are a $680-million and growing industry? Our operational systems, from the online booking to point-of-sale system to jump management system, make it easy to manage the park and your managers, whether you are an onsite owner or thousands of miles away. Visit our website today for a free franchise report.