Review – Jump Street Chelmsford

The kids are massive fans of Jump Street Colchester, it’s a 20 minute drive away and our closest Trampoline park. When the folks from Jump Street contacted me to try out their new Jump Street Chelmsford, well – we jumped at the chance!

We took a review trip on the opening weekend to see what it had on offer – Jump Street Chelmsford has a LOT. The 64,000 square foot trampoline park has two trampoline dodgeball courts, a wipeout machine. Olympic trampolines with a dedicated area for trampoline tuition. A slam dunk area, a giant inflatable bag with two runway trampolines and an enormous free jump area!

More than just jumping

There is also the world’s largest Clip’n Climb centre, containing over 30 different climbs including three Extreme Challenges: ‘Vertical Drop Slide’, ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and ‘Leap of Faith’. The Clip’n Climb is a separate paid attraction, it’s not included in the price of your Jump, you have to pay and book separately.

Next week Jump Street Chelmsford will offer Jump Tots sessions for under-fives, birthday parties and corporate events, dodgeball tournaments, themed nights and a range of fitness classes. Later in January there is a Ninja Warrior course opening too!

A look around

The first thing you’ll notice about Jump Street Chelmsford is the SIZE of the place – it’s spacious and VAST.

We were checked in quickly by the staff at the reception – there are plenty of them available to answer questions. The area in front of the reception is massive, so if you’re waiting for your group to arrive, you won’t feel in the way.

You make your way to the locker room to store your belongings. Personally, I think they need MORE lockers. If you’re entering before a particularly busy session a lot of the lockers will be taken, until those leave. Again the locker area is massive, so even at peak times you won’t feel like you’re in a cattle market.

If you’re not jumping you can go up to the Cafe, which again is very large and spacious. Filled with tables, chairs, and stools overlooking the arena. You can see pretty much the entire jump area from up here. It’s perfect for parents to watch their kids.

You can have a proper look around with the VR Viewer below –

Within the jumping arena, there are several different areas –

1 – Tightrope Walk

Test your circus skills, by walking over the narrow tightrope – it’s perfectly okay if you fall, you’ll land in a bag of air.

2 – Pugle Stick Battle!

Remember on ‘Gladiators’ where contestants would battle with giant cotton buds to knock each other over? This is the Jump Street version, you can set your children battling (like I did!), or safely thump a loved one. The loser is the first to fall, and if you do, there’s a safe landing into an air bag.

3 – Olympic Trampoline Area

You can take a bounce on some Olympic spec. trampolines, there are always staff milling around to help and advise you. You can also take lessons too!

4 – The Wall

You can jump off either of the walls, and with the right technique, after a bounce on the trampoline below – walk UP the wall. It’s fascinating to watch someone doing this properly.

5 – The Bag

Possibly the least uninspiring, name wise, but a LOT of fun. The idea is simple – you can fling yourself into a giant inflatable bag. Either by bouncing off a trampoline, or jumping off a platform. This was the kid’s favourite bit. I lost count of the times they jumped into the The Bag! I tried it twice – it’s hard to land gracefully, and harder to get out with your dignity!

6 – Basketball Slam Dunk

Three basketball hoops, three trampolines, three balls and the chance to Slam Dunk like a pro. It’s harder than it looks!

7 – The Wipeout Machine

Jump and Duck the spinning arm that changes direction, trying not to get hit and knocked off your platform. Just like ‘Total Wipeout’ on TV. Only the quick and nimble survive! G enjoyed this, J was too scared!

8 – Freestyle Jumping

This is what trampolining is all about, and Jump Street Chelmsford have a crazy amount of trampolines. There are angled walls to bounce into, and platforms to jump from. There is a great capacity for freestyle style jumping here. Even when the park is busy, there shouldn’t be a massive wait, if any, for some freestyle jumping.

9 – Dodgeball Arenas

Take a whirl with a gym classic – DODGEBALL – in one of two arenas. Bouncing out-of-the-way of the ball, and trying to get the other side in retaliation. The kids love playing this, and in quieter sessions the staff will join in too!

On the subject of the staff, they are fantastic at Jump Street Chelmsford. There are plenty of them dotted around. They are happy to help out and advise jumpers on the best, and safest practices. Plus with smaller kids like J, they were very patient and tolerant in helping him do the pugle battles.

Prices for an hour session are £10 per jumper. It’s not cheap, however, the quality of the establishment and staff mean you don’t feel like you’re being ripped off. Judging by the upkeep of the Colchester branch, I can imagine Jump Street Chelmsford will be looked after just as well.

Overall

Chelmsford was desperately lacking in something like Jump Street, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This, combined with the Clip’N Climb and the upcoming Ninja Warrior course, it’s a place you’ll want to try again and again.

The location perhaps isn’t ideal if you’re coming in via public transport, but there is plenty of on-site parking for customers.

We’ve been back as ‘civilians’ and not on a review visit, and found it to be just as an enjoyable experience. I can imagine we’ll be spending a lot of time there!