Edmonton Public Schools ban trampolines, most inflatable amusement equipment

April Cardinal believes the fun has been wrecked after Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) banned people from using bouncy castles, most other inflatables and trampolines at school.

The regulation, which was issued June 14 and applies to all the district’s 213 schools, says using inflatable amusement attractions and trampolines is prohibited, including by organizations that rent school facilities.

The new ban applies to any attractions supported by a blower, which schools sometimes have at year-end celebrations, district spokeswoman Carrie Rosa said.

A couple of students at Victoria School of the Arts were hurt last year while on an inflatable, she said.

“There have been instances where students have been injured on inflatables, and we take the safety of our students very seriously and we want to keep kids safe at all times,” she said.

“That’s one factor we considered when we decided to discontinue the use of inflatables in our schools. It’s a proactive step that we can take to keep kids safe.”

But Cardinal says her three boys, who range in age from pre-kindergarten to high school, love playing in bouncy castles and it’s a great way to expend energy.

She agrees there have been a few incidents where children have been seriously hurt, but says on a larger scale this regulation goes a little too far.

“There’s a fine line between protecting our kids and over-protecting our kids and potentially damaging them down the road because they don’t know how to take healthy risks, they don’t know limitations on things.”

The attractions are classified in five broad categories — bounce houses or castles, slides, interactive attractions such as wrestling, boxing and bungee equipment, obstacle courses, and climbing components.

The regulations state district staff and students are prohibited from having physical contact with inflatable amusement attractions and trampolines during schoolrelated activities inside or outside a school facility, such as at sports fields, recreation centres and while on field trips.

Greta Gerstner, who has two children in Grade 4 and Grade 6, says the board should have consulted with parents before implementing this policy.

“Don’t use it on a windy day,” she suggests.

Inflatable amusement attractions that do not require physical contact, such as an inflatable basketball stands, are exempt from the regulation.

Mini-trampolines and similar devices recommended by a qualified professional and used for special education purposes are also exempt, as is inflatable school furniture used to create learning spaces sensitive to sensory, motor, pre-kindergarten programs or special needs.

In the last two years in Alberta, more than 80 people have been treated for injuries from playing in or on an inflatable device, according to MyHealth.Alberta.ca.

Of all amusement park rides, 48 per cent of injuries happen on inflatable slides and bouncy attractions when people bump into each other, children fall off tall structures with slides, devices collapse, or when the structure tips over or is lifted into the air when it’s windy.

Injuries can include broken bones, head injuries, back and neck injuries, sprains, bruises, and cuts, and in some cases can be severe enough to cause a permanent disability or death, the website says.

Kathleen Smith, the mother of an 11-year-old Edmonton Public School student, said she is worried the district’s move will carry over to community events and festivals.

“I’m a bit of a helicopter parent, so I understand safety concerns when it comes to our children,” she says. “But this decision on the part of EPSB feels like a truckload of unnecessary bubble wrap.”