Inclusive Play Summaries
Main Structure © Kanics Inclusive Design Services LLC
Rollerslide with Exit Bench
Sensory Systems Engaged
Sensory Systems Engaged
Vestibular + Vestibular + Proprioception Proprioception Tactile Tactile Visual Visual
Cognitive Skills
Cognitive Problem Skills Solving Problem Solving
Motor Skills
Motor Skills
Balance
Balance CoordinationCoordination Motor Planning Motor Planning
Social Skills
CooperationSocial Skills Social Skill Development Cooperation Imaginative Play
Social Skill Development
Imaginative The Rollerslide with Exit Bench provides a tactile and auditory experience while children slide. It is wide enough for children to slide down together. The rollersPlay eliminate any possible static electric build-up which allows children with cochlear implants to use the slide without fear of static electricity discharging into their hearing device. The attached bench provides a place for a child to rest while their friend brings them their mobility device.
The Rollerslide with Exit Bench provides a tactile and auditory experience while children slide. It is wide enough for children to slide down together. The rollers eliminate any possible static electric build-up which allows children with cochlear implants to use the slide without fear of static electricity discharging into their hearing device. The attached bench provides a place for a child to rest while their friend brings them their mobility device. © 2021 Kanics Inclusive Design Services, LLC
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Inclusive Play Summaries
Independent Pieces
Inclusive Play Summaries
Swings
Inclusive Play Summaries
Panels
New Inclusive Playground Opens at Vernon Park December 10, 2021 BY PETE MCINTYRE VERNON MATTERS The new Jumpstart inclusive playground in Vernon is now open. The facility in Marshall Field Park near Laker’s Clubhouse, is designed to accommodate children of all abilities. The city partnered with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and local associate Canadian Tire dealer Jack D’Amico on the project. “Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities contributed the professionally designed inclusive playground and its rubber safety surfacing,” said an administration report to city council. The city’s contribution to the project included the site,
site preparation, temporary fencing and security during construction, concrete walkways/mini plaza, washroom accessibility upgrades, benches, accessible picnic tables, and inspections. The final components of the project will be completed in the spring with tree planting along with turf and irrigation.
Canadian Tire Selects Okanagan City for Inclusive Playground May 31, 2021 MORNING STAR STAFF REVELSTOKE REVIEW Vernon’s Marshall Field will receive an inclusive playground.
Greater Vernon.”
The city and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities said Marshall Field will get a Jumpstart Inclusive Playground, a large inclusive structure designed to accommodate children of all abilities.
The Marshall Field Park location will support sibling play during soccer, be beneficial for the new daycare that will be constructed adjacent to Laker’s Clubhouse, and activate the park through the summer. Council has already approved funding for the construction of a playground on this site; therefore, this donation will enable a much larger, accessible playground that has been designed and vetted by national accessibility experts.
“We are very excited by this announcement,” said Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming. “This is a significant investment into Marshall Field Park and a wonderful addition to Vernon’s park offerings. Having a new accessible playground for our community is an important step in being an inclusive and youth-friendly city. On behalf of the city, I’d like to thank Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and local associate dealer Jack D’Amico for this generous donation to help provide a safe and enjoyable space for all kids in
“We are thrilled to introduce our inclusive and accessible Jumpstart Playground to the City of Vernon,” said Scott Fraser, president, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. continued on next page...
continued from previous page... “On track to creating largescale inclusive playgrounds in every province and territory across Canada, our goal is to ensure they become the standard for inclusivity by creating imaginative spaces where children of all abilities can share in the magic of play.” This gift is part of Jumpstart’s Inclusive Play Project, a five-year fundraising commitment from Canadian Tire Corporation focused on inclusive infrastructure and programming, to help give Canadian kids of all abilities access to sport and play.
Jumpstart will contribute the professionally designed accessible playground and the rubber surface that the playground will sit on. The city’s contribution to the project includes the site and site preparation, accessibility upgrades including paved walkways, bathroom upgrades and facilities around the playground, playground inspection, maintenance and annual reporting.
Jumpstart Playgrounds – The Future of Inclusive Play November 30, 2021 BY SONYA WILSON HABITAT SYSTEMS Rising from the corner of an underutilized expanse of prairie field and sitting on a carpet of brilliant red rubber, a playground shows off its bold, inclusive design. Its wide, grey ramps extend out in an invitation for all to join in the fun. Tactile, interactive play panels are interspersed along the ramps, which lead to slides, climbers, and a jumbo, multi-user Sway Fun™. This play space presents an opportunity for children using a mobility device to be in the thick of the action. It is a safe space for kids to run and roll together to play on a spinner, a We-saw™, or swings. Children can also find quiet places to self-regulate in the bustle of the playground or find the stimulation they need to help them integrate their experiences. This Jumpstart playground provides a Northern Alberta community with the opportunity to experience what the future of inclusion looks like.
The Jumpstart playground at Clareview Community Recreation Centre in Northeast Edmonton is not only impressive in size, but in the scope of play options for children of all ages and abilities. Installed in the fall of 2020, it has become a landmark in an otherwise empty tract of field punctuated with a scattering of thin, young trees. Although there are some ball diamonds there, the area had primarily been used by people to cut across to access transit and the nearby Community Centre.
Thanks to the vision of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities to create large-scale, inclusive playgrounds in every province and territory across Canada, there are now 10 inclusive playgrounds in cities across the country, including the one in Clareview. continued on next page...
continued from previous page... They are all part of Jumpstart’s Inclusive Play Project which started up in 2017. The project focuses on inclusive infrastructure and programming to promote access to play for kids of all abilities. This past summer, the playground proved to be “wildly successful” according to Matt Sloan, the Project Landscape Architect for the Clareview playground with the City of Edmonton. The City boldly embraced the opportunity to partner with Jumpstart and with some additional amenities they installed, like pathways linking the Rec. Centre to the park, enhanced lighting, benches, and a picnic shelter, the park has become a destination for families and a community hub. In fact, the playground was so well-used that the City had to temporarily add three additional litter receptacles! Jumpstart’s commitment to making play accessible for children of all abilities doesn’t end with the installation of the playground. They collaborate with local accessibility committees and groups who provide programming, which in Edmonton’s case, comes from the University of Alberta’s Steadward Centre of Personal & Physical Achievement. This past summer they launched an inclusive play program at the playground, guided by Steadward Centre Play Leaders.
Programming ran twice a week for two hours on a dropin basis, so participants could choose to come and go as they pleased. Instructors came with a plan or theme for the session that could be adapted depending on the group. Carrie Millar, Community Impact Coordinator with the Steadward Centre, commented that it was a really busy summer: “Some days we would have 20 participants of all abilities.” Some kids became “regulars” while there were always new faces showing up as well. Children who attend the Free2BMe programming at the Centre were also invited to come out to join in the fun. Millar added that, “playgrounds are free and always open, which gives these kids more opportunities to engage in play.” A favourite game involved the placement of different coloured rubber circles on the ground around the WeGo-Round. The colours each represented a different action. The kids would get on the We-Go-Round and be spun around like they were part of a spinner on a board game. Depending on what colour circle they stopped at, they might have to scramble to find a new seat, get off the spinner and perform a specific action, or help push the spinner around. The speed and motion of the We-GoRound, along with the unpredictability of what action they would have to do, was what made this game so popular. continued on next page...
continued from previous page... The Steadward Centre, along with their collaborators, are putting the final touches on a lesson plan resource that will provide game ideas, tools, and information to use for putting together an engaging and fun experience for kids at a playground. The guide will include games matched to specific equipment at any Jumpstart playground! Jumpstart worked with Landscape Structures Inc. (LSI), a forward-thinking playground manufacturer with a diverse team of consultants who make up their Inclusive Play Advisory Board. Each Board member contributes their unique perspective to the design of equipment and play spaces and adopts the Seven Principles of Universal Design to influence their design practice. Applying the principles of universal design and considering ease of access to a site ensures that the broadest range of users will be able to enjoy the amenities offered. Matt Sloan commented that, “the City of Edmonton is reaping the benefits of this partnership between Jumpstart and LSI.” When a playground in an underutilized field becomes the centre of a community, the activities, laughter, and connections that follow are inspiring. Jumpstart’s Inclusive Play Project is an unprecedented example of how inclusion works. The way kids play on the playground is dynamic and lively. It offers all kinds of different play
opportunities, as well as opportunities for caregivers who use mobility devices to access the equipment and coplay with their children. Through their presence in cities across the country, these playgrounds will inspire more inclusive and accessible design in public spaces. Removing barriers to play ensures that there are equal opportunities for everyone to use the space, and that has proven to be “wildly successful”.
“The playground is the exclamation point on why accessibility and inclusion are so important. They’re a benefit to everyone.” – Eoghan Curran Project Facilitator on the Clareview Playground Team at the City of Edmonton
More Inclusive Play Resources
Habitat’s Inclusive Play Page
How to Design an Inclusive Playground
Contact Habitat Systems today to start your project: habitat-systems.com | 1.866.422.4828
Landscape Structures’ Inclusive Catalogue