The Washington times., 1905-04-20
CURTIS EXPLAINS
VALUE Of PLAY
His Address to the Public
School Teachers.
NECESSITY OF CIVILIZATION
Speaker Sets Forth Plans for System
of Fairgrounds in City of
Washington.
NECESSITY OF CIVILIZATION

seven nunureQ kauCeTS2sten ana
graded school teachers of the District
were in attendance at Assembly Hall,
Central High School building, yesterday
afternoon to hear lecture by DR.. Henry
S. Curtis, supervisor of public play
grounds for 1905, on the subject, PLAY
grounds In the Formation of Charac-
ter"
Superintendent A. T. Stuazt. of the
city schools. presided at the meeting
and introduced the speaker. IL was no.
ticeable that In the large assembly
there were only ten men present.
DR.. Curtis spoke along practical lines
and outlined the playground movement
In the large American cities and also
in the large cities of Europe He spoke
particularly Of the necessity OF outdoor
play as means OF developing and edu-
eating the child.
Mr.. Curtis Address.
play is coming into prominence all
over the world" said Dr. Curtis in
his opening remarks, IF we can judge
Of the future by the present tendencies
the time will come within few years
when most of the teachers Of primary
pupils will be required to play a GER
tain part of time with the pupils Per-
haps the regular SCHOOL, session will be
confined to halliday, and in the af-
ternoon an hour or two will be given to
pay nay fC1SOiI lux UciItNitiE lfilS rests
on two grounds. First, theories of the
Importance Of play which are now be-
ing advocated, and second, the present |
tendencies In the movement everywhere. /.
The theory of play which is now J
most generally accepted is that of Prof.
GrooS, which is that gilay is nature
method OF education. that the young
animal practices IN play the very activ-
to follow. The plays of children are
the couventionalized occupations of
their ancestors and are the natural
methods of introducing the child into
became popular in the first place on |
account Of their usefulness.
Life of the Child.
Play is the life of the child. In |
play they form nearly all their habits. |
No person grows up to lie, to cheat, to |
be unjust, or to be rude in after life |
who has not practiced these same hab- I
its a hundred times before In his play; |
it is then they become fixed and a part |
of his character.
Now, the playground movement |
means an extension of this system of |
rfay 10 the Whole school curriculum. In |
the English preparatory and public
schools, teachers are usually required
to play from one to three hours a day |
with the pupils, and the reason that is
given is the training IN politenesS,
craftsmanship, and IN character which
1t gives. In New York when we opened
the Fairgrounds, We found that the
small children did not expect any rights
where the large children were concerned
THE small children would wait in /
line, and the large children would come [
up and take the places for which they
had been waiting. The small children
were crowded cut in every place where
there was competition with the larger
children. but after the Fairgrounds had
been opened for season, the children
learned to take their turns. They had
learned TO play the games very much /
more quietly and more politely than
they did III the beginning.
Benefits of Team Game.
The team game represents the stage
in the evolution OF civilization where
primitive peoples first associated or
gathered into clans 1t represents,
therefore. the first stage of the organ
ization of the community TO work for
common ends. Consequently, if we ae-
cept the recaDitulation theory that the
child repeats the history of the race |
then this must be the natural method |
TO teach the child cooperation and every
sort of unselfish activity. The boy who
plays for the success of his team learns
to be loyal to an organization which Is
larger than himself He learns TO SUI
bordiuate his own individuality and
10 suppress the desire for grandStand |
He learns obedience TO 4 self-elected |
ruler. 1t will be seen that these are
exactly the principles which underiie
good citizenship.
Plans for the Summer.
In speaking of the plans of the sum-
mer's work of the public Fairgrounds
committee. DR. Curtis said:
I'VE expect to open at least ten of the
Fairgrounds here in Washington this
summer These will be equipped with
swings, sand bins and other small APP
paratus These will be primarily for
small children, and we hope to be able
to put Kindergarten or primary
teacher in charge of each of them. AS a
result of the conference with Superin-
tendent Stuart, we have decided on the
need OF the following things:
First, we want 10 secure "a plan of
each school yard in the city, which will
show its area. and the number of square
feet of playground to each child in the
school. the condition of the yard, and
whether 1t Is provided with shade
Secondly, we want to secure plans for
every vacant lot in each school district.
We want to know whether there are
stones, old cans, or mud holes in these
lots and what will need to be done in
grounds. We believe that these plans
can be made by the boys without calling
on the teachers for any special efforts
Would Form a League.
1T seemed both 70 Superintendent
Stuart and the committee that it might /
be very helpful If a Playground
League" could be formed in the schools.
In this league each school should be
represented by chapter. Its purposes
should be to look after the interests of
the children in the community. To put
vacant lots in order and secure the use
of available ones.
IF there are vacant lots which are
not available because children are not |
allowed TO play upon them. perhaps you
can get permission for the children TO
play. If there are Fairgrounds with
mud holes upon them, perhaps we can
get sand, or other soil to dump in these
places so as to make the ground avail
able.
Thirdly, we wish to call parents
meetings at each school in order to in
tereSt the parents in the movement and
tell them what we are trying TO do. If
enough interest among the parents can
be created, we should be able to open
forty school grounds instead of ten a
directed playground costs only 81 per
child for the whole summer. There
should be thousands of parents in this
city who are willing to give 81 in order