The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-24
FAIRGROUNDS In MISSOURI
Great Success Of Movement in Many
Of Smaller Cities.
Interesting Experiences Which Di-
rectors Have Met in Managing
Their Young Charges.

Missouri leads the Federal Union in
Statewide Fairgrounds movement. The
boy without playground said Jacob A.
Riis. in the New York Post, rs father TO
the man without a job" The Missouri
playground movement. under the direc-
ton OF DR.. c. ". Hetherington, professor
Of physical training in the University OF
Missouri, plans 10 provide Fairgrounds so
that no man Of the next generation need
be without a Job.
The playground movement in the United
States has been chiefly in the Northern
and Eastern parts Of the country. II
Missouri, St Louis and Kansas City
have had Fairgrounds with more or less
success Only during the summer Just
closed. however. has there been a State
wide Fairgrounds movement All play
grounds are divided into three parts, one
OF which may be called athletic fields.
another intermediate Fairgrounds. and
the third those which IN the language OF
OF the children are called kids corners,
but which are known 20 the grown-ups as
saEd gardens.
In provision for Fairgrounds through
out Missouri, ST. Louis. and Kansas City
were not included because they already
had playground associations. Last spring
several men and women assembled at
| Rothweu Gymnasium at the University %
Missouri and discussed plans for the new
movement. To present the matter IN the
7 various towns, Dr. Royal Melendy. Of
/ Newark. y. J.. a graduate Of the Univer-
/ sity OF Michigan. who had done settle
ment work in Cincinnati and Chicago.
/ had been appointed by the board OF cura-
| tors. he said that he hoped 10 train
/ some OF the directors IN the class Just as
sembled- Every Saturday morning. IN
der the direction Of Miss Florence Alden
and T. ". BUrckhalter. instructors in the
gymnasium, the class met
/ Fairgrounds directors we're hard %
/ get. The supply Of trained leaders was
small. II was 10 supply this need that
the class found It's largest work Final
reports on thirteen Fairgrounds insti-
tuted during the summer in twelve Mis-
sOur towns showed surprisingly graft
/ tying results Nearly three thousand
/ Missouri children who have woven bask-
/ cts. played basketball. and enjoyed the
l swings IN the Fairgrounds. probably did
not realize that the play thus afforded
them was according % scientific stand
ards OF what play IL best for boys snd
girls. They did not realize that study Of
the psychology Of play Law back OF theiI
enjoyment But In the establishment o.
| these grounds DR.. Hetherington's bis
ideal OF physical education took a long
stride toward fulfIlment- He successfully
blazed a new path in the physical and
moral education Of children
Fairgrounds were established IN s.
Joseph, and one IN each Of the follow
ing towns: Charleston. Shelbina. Poplar
Bluff. Columbia. Lexington. Butler. La,
mar. Flat River. Mexico. UniOnville. and
Joplin
/ The cost OF q Missouri playground 4
these towns was: Apparatus, S95; saiary
Of director at So a month. S225: salary
OF an assistant. II there was one. al 81
a month. S1S0. This made total Of so
for the first year.
The child IS primarily q social animal
DR.. HetheringtOn and his associates be
lieve This expresses itself in a craving
for play. During the long period q IN
fancy before It reaches maturity the child
IS physically united for hard work II
brain must be trained-but perhaps tha
has been overdone. The remaining tins
Is allowed for physical and moral de
velopment.
In short. educators now think the Chill
DEVELOPS more on the playground than Il
the school room