Better than inflatable jousting: jousting over a pit of foam cubes

What comes to mind when you think of jousting? Knights on horseback? Lances? An overly dramatic way to settle petty differences?

In Whitby, jousting has shed its armor and has been transformed into a safe, playful way for kids to spend an afternoon.

My kids like to wrestle, battle, fight: whatever you want to call it. If you hand them a stick, a NERF gun, or fake sword they understand the assignment: hit someone with it. And (surprisingly) they also know how to play these games without actually hurting each other. They trust each other to stop when needed and to play without harm. Their favourite way to partake in battle? The jousting pit (aka battle beam) at Flying Squirrel trampoline park in Whitby. It’s like a more exciting and safer way to engage in one of their favourite activities. 

Here’s why jousting at Flying Squirrel is their go-to activity:

 

Play fighting is good for kids

It might sound crazy, but play fighting is good for kids. Not only does it help them develop their motor skills and balance, it’s also a great way to learn when it’s appropriate to reign in their strength in the realm of consensual combat. For example, if you put two 10-year-olds on a battle beam together, they will try their absolute hardest to knock each other down—and that will be SO fun for both of them. But if you put one of those 10-year-olds up against a five-year-old, they will innately evaluate that child’s strength and capability and proceed gently. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn to evaluate a situation and practice restraint and kindness.

 

Jousting is not your average sport

Our kids have had the opportunity to play competitive sports and solo sports, but in no other sport do they go head-to-head in battle against another person. Kids seem to gravitate towards jousting because it’s a permission to “play fight” between two consenting parties—which many kids tend to enjoy but might not be allowed to do in a typical environment. The environment at Flying Squirrel lends itself to play, which takes the pressure off jousting as a competitive sport, and leans more towards a fun, joyful experience of competing with a friend. And let’s face it: knocking a friend (or even your child) into a foam pit is just plain fun.

 

A new way to joust: Jousting on a balance beam over a pit of foam cubes

Possibly the best thing about jousting at Flying Squirrel in Whitby is the fact that it’s taken to a new level. In the traditional medieval sport, competitors would be on horseback and have to maintain balance during battle. And failure? That could be deadly. At Flying Squirrel, participants perch atop a balance beam wielding a heavy foam “joust”. Competitors have to not only use their strength and coordination, but also their balance skills in order to knock the other person off the beam. But really, everyone's a winner, because when you fall, it’s into a pit of foam cubes for a gentle and joyful landing.

 

The best part of jousting at Flying Squirrel: There are so many other activities when they are ready to put down their joust

My kids will joust for hours, but when they’re ready for a water break, they get right back out there. Flying Squirrel’s rock climbing wall helps them break their own personal best records and they love going in the inflatable playground to climb, jump and fall over themselves laughing. When they’re exhausted from all the physical play, they head to the arcade. They love saving their change from their piggy banks and bringing it to Flying Squirrel for some arcade time. 

 

Have you been jousting with your kids? 

If you’ve ever watched your kids turn a broomstick into a sword or a sofa cushion into a fortress, you know that the spirit of play-fighting is alive and well. And Flying Squirrel’s battle beam is the ideal channel for it—a safe, soft, action-packed adventure that lets kids unleash their inner knight. But unlike medieval times, here, there’s no armor, no helmets, no worries—just pure, laugh-out-loud fun, with a foam pit waiting to catch each “defeat.”

Whitby’s most fun jousting spot for kids is ready to introduce your family to this (very) old school sport. No horses required.