The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-03-18
THE PUBLIC PLAYGROUND
Something in Regard to This Great
Movement

Something in Regard to This Great
Movement
The playground movement is no
visionary output of some theorists
brain but an established and proven
fact 1t has come to stay, imperfect
in the details, yet it has taken its
proper place as all movements which
fill a need are bound to do. Twenty
years ago when the first active adj
vance toward physical training was,
made, when men began to turn to
the Greeks and to learn once again
from them through the Germans and
other Europeans another new-old bit
of wisdom, that of the sound body for
the sound mind, the playground was
on its way. Today, it is but part
of the general tendency of the time
to get people back to the natural and
away from the superficial and artifc-
ial and the man who SCOTS at the
idea OF a playground too often shows
by his sconing, his ignorance of pres
ent day issues and present day prob.
lens
The history of the development of
the playground is of interest. The
starting point of the present move
ment was on the banks of the Charles
River sometime in the late SOS. The
initiative came through letter writ
ten by DR.. Marie Il. Zakrzewska in
1887 stating that in Berlin there we're
placed in the public parks, sandpiles
in which the children dug and play
ed The suggestion was made that
something of this kind be done for
| the children OF Boston. Sandpiles
were promptly located and the next
year committees were appointed to
enlarge the scheme. The next step
was made when the school yards were
used during the summer months for
public play. Then the park commits
sioners decided to use some of the
park property for similar purposes.
Other cities were quick to follow Bos
tons lead until in 1907 at Chicago
there was held the first outdoor play
festival in connection with modern
play centers, on the closing day of
the first convention of the Play
ground association of America. Prior
to this time, municipal Fairgrounds
had been provided in many cities in
accordance with state law. Even the
briefest mention Of progressive steps
made by cities and towns cannot be
attempted here, but an idea of the
growth may be obtained from the fact
that in 1909 the Massachusetts Play
ground Act was adopted in 40 cities
and towns by popular vote. During
the years 1868 more than 30 towns
and cities in which Fairgrounds had
been previously maintained by pri-
vate philanthropy made appropria-
tons for their conduct or created de-
partments for direct municipal con.
troll and administration. This is a
valuable evidence OF growing recogni.
ton. In over 200 cities and towns
! Fairgrounds are now conducted, two
thirds of them being supported from
public funds. The number has been
doubled in two years.
The term playground is a misno
mer AS a matter of fact the play
ground forms but one feature of the
recreation center which properly in
cludes an athletic field. outdoor gym
nasium and playground for men, an
other for women, children's play
ground. sand court or pit wadinr
, pool, and a field house in which 1.
4 gymnasium for men. another fol-
(. women, baths, lockers, etc, as vel
as a lunch room.
The correct idea of a playground
takes In much more than vacan
lot where boys play baseball or ever
, fenced in and apparatus supplied
recreation center. A proper play
, ground system provides for the ply
} steal welfare of all ages and sexei
and colors and nationalities. TIL,
young women need rational exercis,
/ and real play fully as much as tn,
young men. The elderly people meet
forms of the same kind of attention
as well as the small children.
Children need place for system
| attic exercise be II called play or "hay
ing fun or physical training pla,
may be as instructive to normal chill
dren as to normal puppies but tn
children benefit by intelligent super
4 vision. The knowing supervisor o
/, child play will see that proper appal
: atus, proper tools, are used and tina
= the children are lead toward the bel
ter purpose of recreation rather tina
toward the demoralizing features Q
unguided, meaningless play. This ca
best be done in place equipped an
\ set apart for that purpose. We teac
= general education in school house
!, and naturally the playground is IN
" best place to teach play.