Playground Safety
Playing outdoors is a major component in the fight against childhood obesity as well as the overall health and well-being of young people. NRPA is dedicated to promoting children's rights to play in safe and challenging play environments, and educating members of NRPA and the general public on the importance that play has in childhood development.
Media Alert! NRPA to Provide Playground Safety Tips on Lifetime Television!
NRPA was featured on Lifetime Television’s “The Balancing Act” on Friday, July 23, 2010. CEO Barbara Tulipane provided tips and information about playground safety and NRPA’s "The Dirty Dozen." Click The Balancing Act logo to watch the segment.
National Playground Safety Training and Awareness
In 1989, a group of NRPA members met to discuss the feasibility of creating a playground-safety training program to compliment the standards and guideline efforts of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). On May 22, 1993, the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) was established by NRPA to act as a national clearinghouse and information resource for public playground issues.
In the past twenty years, NRPA has developed two of the nation's premiere training programs and resources for playground safety, including the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) training and certification program and The Dirty Dozen guide to playground safety. Both initiatives have helped to train and inform professionals and the public on playground safety issues at the highest national standards--ensuring that children across the U.S. have access to safe, challenging, and fun play environments.
CPSI Program
The Dirty Dozen
Making the Case for Safe Playgrounds
In the April 2002 edition of Parks & Recreation Magazine, James A. Peterson, professor emeritus of the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Indiana University, wrote an article discussing the importance of safe playgrounds. View the full text of the article here.