The Canadian Playground Safety Institute, in association with the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, is offering a four day course for participants who wish to complete playground inspector certification training. This training is designed for owner/operators, health inspectors, daycare staff, maintenance/public works staff for schools, municipalities, housing complexes and other areas that contain public playspaces, private inspectors and contractors, manufacturers, installers, parks staff, insurance agents, etc. This playground safety education program helps individuals thoroughly understand the Canadian playspace safety standard from CAN/CSA Z614 “Children’s Playspaces and Equipment” and teaches participants how to conduct a hands-on inspection/ audit of a playspace.
The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) currently offers a Canadian Certified Playground Inspector certification through the Canadian Playground Safety Institute (CPSI) for individuals who complete the CPSI Theory and CPSI Practical Courses and achieve passing grades on both exams. The certification is valid for a three year period and can be renewed by completing a recertification exam either online or in the classroom. These courses are also open to participants outside of Alberta. Individuals who only want to take the Theory Course are welcome to attend. However, the Theory Course is a prerequisite for the Practical course, whether you complete it during this session, online or elsewhere at any time within the 12 months prior to the course. Inspectors with recently, or soon to be, expired certifications, may recertify by taking the Practical Course and rewriting the classroom recertification exam. If you are recertifying, please indicate your intent by marking the recertification box on the registration form.
If you have questions about these courses or certification, please contact CPSI by email at cpsi@cpra.ca, by phone toll-free at 1-877-536-2338 or visit the training and education/playground safety website pages at www.cpra.ca.
Course Information
- Theory- April 19-20, 2010
- Practical – April 21-22, 2010
- Renfrew Community Association, 828 – 8th Avenue NE, Calgary, Alberta
We would like to thank our host, Parks Calgary, for their assistance with this event.
CPSI
As of this month LIN (and the National Recreation Database) made a final and smooth transition to the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association for governance oversight and general operations. At its April 16th meeting, the ARPA Board of Directors ratified the final transition details that would effectively have a new LIN Board (comprised of ARPA selected representatives) undertake governance and operational responsibility for LIN.
A National Leadership Council will also be created to advise and support the continuing development and evolution of LIN as a national resource for the recreation and parks sector. LIN will continue to provide valued information, knowledge management, and related research services to clients, users, and patrons.
“This transition and reorganization of LIN will afford the opportunity for ARPA, with its upgraded technology infrastructure, to protect LIN as a significant national recreation and parks asset, but will also lead to more modern and effective knowledge transfer for practitioners and those in allied fields,” says Dr. Tim Burton, ARPA President. “ARPA is well-positioned to pursue active engagement with other levels of government and other allied agencies and sectors on the build-out potential for LIN.”
For more information on LIN, please visit www.lin.ca.
Dog Chases its Tail
Length: 30 mins
Age Range: Elementary (6-12yrs old)
Space Requirements:
Supply List:
Description:
This game mimics the silliness and futility of a dog chasing its tail. To start, players line up, holding each other around the waist. The last player tucks a bandanna in her pocket, or under her belt or waistband, so that it hangs down. Next, the front of the line begins to chase the end of the line, attempting to grab the bandanna. Players in the middle can help or hinder the head or the tail, depending on their whims. If the line breaks, the player who let go must step out, shortening the line.
For a two-team variation, set up two lines of kids, creating two dogs who can case each other�s tails. Here, each dog has a great deal of incentive to protect its own tail and to keep from breaking itself in two. The first team to lose its tail or break its chain loses.
Stand Up
Length: 10 mins
Age Range: Pre-School (3 – 6yrs old)
Space Requirements: indoors or outdoors
Supply List:
Description:
Two people sit back to back on the ground with interlocked elbows. They slowly stand up. The next pair joins the original pair (in the sitting position), interlocks elbows, and the exercise is repeated until everyone has joined to form a large circle and all stand up together.
Length: 30 mins
Age Range: Elementary (6-12yrs old)
Space Requirements: Large Open Space
Supply List: 3-4 Balls
Description:
Players line up on one edge of the playground, and are to run to some other edge of the playground determined by the leader. One player starts off ‘it’ and is armed with many (3-4) utility balls. They must stay just outside of the playground boundaries, and tell the players when to begin play. When the person who is ‘it’ says ‘BATTLE SHIP’ players must run to the designated edge of the playground without getting tagged by one of the balls. If they are tagged by the ball, they join the players who are it outside of the playground boundaries. If they are not tagged by one of the balls, they are still safe, and are able to continue play when the players who are ‘it’ say ‘BATTLE SHIP’. Play continues until all players are tagged with a utility ball, the last player tagged becomes the first player ‘it’ the next round.