New-York tribune., 1907-06-16
TO PLEAD FOR PLAY.
ChIdren's Meeting in Chicago
Mann Cities TO Be Represented.

Mann Cities TO Be Represented.
Two thousand little children in convention will
plead silently for the rights of the children Of the
United States before the official representatives Of
more than fifty of the largest cities at Chicago on
the morning of June %. What these children will
ask is that every city give each OF its little ctt
zens ample Fairgrounds ball fields gymnasiums.
athletic fields. wadng pools. sand piles and kinder
garten shelters where the babies can keep cool
and happy all summer; and they will ask also that
each city provide. along with the physical oppor-
tunity for normal childish play and enjoyment,
teachers and directors of play who love children
and who know how to make little bodies strong,
little minds alert and little tempers more
controllable through educational play and physical
training. They will ask, also, that city make
the natural play of child in the streets Illegal,
unless IT provides adequate space where children
can be children without violating municipal ordi-
nances and learning TO distrust and hate the Off
GERS of the law.
In making this plea not single word will be
addressed by the children TO their judges and yet
they confident that their case will reach the
heart OF the Common Council aldermen Of every
city represented without single spoken sentence.
Their arguments will oe their graceful. strong
little bodies. their merry laughter. and the happi
ness and cOntentment their tanned little faces.
For. to prove what municipal Fairgrounds and
teachers Of play mean to the children. these two
thousand children going TO play before the
jury IN one of the Fairgrounds of the South Park
system while their jury looks They are going
to dance, do athletic and gymnastc stunts drill,
70 run races, 10 wade in the pools and the little
folks are going TO play their Froebel games and
make sand piles out OF the open air spaces
which the city has tit TO provide for little
folk. And the children and their friends believe
that the orderly but patent gratitude OF the little
players VIII be all the argument that any mayor
from New York to San Francisco will need 10
make him go and do likewise for the little folk.
And there Will be plenty of mayors. or their rep
reSentatiVcs. TO note the arguments OF the chill
d-eu. for about every city of any size in the United
States will send delegates to the meeting. Wash
ington, Boston. Chicago. New York. Philadelphia.
Kansas City, indianapolis, Newark. Omaha. Toledo
Portland ore: Buffalo and Trenton were the first
cities to respond the call for delegates 70 this
meeting. and the other large cities have been rap
id1 falling In line behind them. President Roose-
welt has strongly urged that every city be repre-
scented.
Tho caildren's convention win be OF the feat
ureS OF the first annual meeting OF the Playground
Association OF America. There Will be sessions
from June - -. inclusive. during which topics
relating to play and Fairgrounds VIII be discussed
by the most advanced authorities all over the coun-
Try. The programme. which has Just been COM
pcted is as follows:
JUNE -.
Morning Session.
latlon q Playe5ounds TO Juvenile DeIinquency' by
Judge Ben Lindsay.
Afternoon Session.
Fairgrounds I'm the Prevention OF tuberculosis.
hy pr. FayllL head Of the tuberculosis Hospital,
Jeseph Ice. vicc-rresiient OF the Massachusetts
Evening Session.
Exhibition of the working o; the South Park
Fairgrounds and field houses at night
JUNE q
Morning Session.
village; by Myron Scudder principal Of the New
ireg .'@ Of New York bT seih ' r sfSw5r s,rGr f
supeIinttndent OF schools, 4 Curriculum ~ Games
% schools. Hyde PAX Mass 5'''''''
Afternoon Session
Exhibition OF the working OF municipal play
grounds and South Park Fairgrounds 10y day.
Evening Session.
Discussion: "should the Municipal Fairgrounds
Re Coau9lled by The Board Of Educaton2" affirma-
tive-T. Dwight ParkIRs. Board Of Education, CHI
S},so; and PTotsss9r Royal AIeendy University Of
University OF Chcaso. and Commissioner Henry B.
sioners Of the District of Columbia: Progress Of
the Year IN America" by Or Henry Curtis sec
:etdry oi the AlayErouEf Association OF America
JUNE -.
Morning Session.
Exhibition of games: ta) small children (b) girls
Afternoon Session.
Ds Ths Field M H9n5Gs H % Of Shieng9 and Tsi Posi-
Chicago, The $ma Ferk Of nv SbiC.Ss !s'rinTnt len @
sup9ri,ntendent j Frank Foster: Relation Of Play
Commissioner of fducation 81 -''o"'
Evening Session.
Public Recreation and Social Morality " by lana
Addams. of Hull House Chicago
Though the Playground Association % America
IS only Old il has pl2nHed itself u great
work in aiding the American cities in the cstcb-
lishment of systematic and comprehensive play
ground plans for their children From the head
quarters. at No 40 G. street, y. W, WaSGineton
appeals nave been sent out for contributions and
additional memberships to aid the work. OF which
the Chicago meeting, whose effects II ia btI;evai
Will hc far reaching, Is only beGirning
Though the coming play festival for children
on such large scale will he novelty in this
country, such festivals are regular part OF the
school work H. some of the European countries
In some or tho play congresses held in Germany
over eight thousand school children take part In an
exhibition Of games and systematic exercises In
Germany there normal schools Of play IN foIr
or five cities. which teachers are expected to at
tend. In tho last ten twelve wears moro than
seven thousand teachers have taken the training
periodical devoted entirely 70 play is published
and has n large circulation. Even the beer oar
dens and concert gardens have Fairgrounds al
tached -
oLDTIME CELEBRATIONS.