The Republican journal., 1911-01-05
FAIRGROUNDS.
BY ALICE A. HILLS.

My experience as playground teacher
is not extensive, but my experience as
speaker is even less; therefore, hope
YOU will make allowances for both and
listen indulgently.
| will first tell you about the Water
bury playground, of which had charge
last summer. and in which am sure you
are most interested. When arrived on
the scene, the day after the Fourth OF
Julv, l found only vacant field, not
child nor swing Of any kind in sight. l
was rather at loss what to do, but soon
discovered a few timid children peeping
through the fence, and invited them IN.
Our first game was picking up the tin
cans and broken bottles scattered about
the lot. The fact that over sixty chill
dren found their way to the grounds that
day is proof that the playground had
been long felt want,
The work progressed gradually. | had
all kinds of experiences, -unruly boys
scorned my authority and called forth all
nv ingenuity in subduing them without
resorting to the police; there was con-
slant anxiety about children falling from
swings. dull children had to be encourag-
ed and forward children restrained; but
in spite of all, found time to make the
acquaintance of few very charming and
interesting characters. Kathleen, aged
four, is a singer. She knows all the
popular songs, from PONY Boy" to eff
| Only Had a Sweetheart. Jommle,
her brother of three, is an attractive
youth, but, regret to say, smokes Gig
arettes as cleverly as man. Midget,
the Judge of our court, is paragon OF
wisdom. Although only nine years old,
he rules boys twice his size and age with
a rod of iron, and dispenses justice with
such an impartial mind that he holds the
respect of ALL Leonette is our dancer.
She is little French girl, very pretty
and graceful, and though when first IN
vited her, she said, mo, Miss Hills, |
don't like to play Dance she changed
her mind, and is now the envy of all the
children in her dance, "The Maid OF the
Mist"
We closed the grounds Labor Day, and
though fully expected the excitement
of having visitors would cause a riot,
much to my surprise, the children behaV-
ed beautifully, and did much credit to
my teaching.
| have heard the criticism, "Why do
people nowadays spend SO much money
teaching children to play?" Of course,
YOU nave oil 1SdO lIlC mag o<-1iiSo 10
ing the need of Fairgrounds in crowded
cities, so thickly populated with foreign
ers, and if YOU had visited me last sum-
mer, you would have understood why it
was necessary to teach play. l had
Italians and Lithuanians, whose ancestors
for ce turies back had probably spent
their childhood working in the fields 1t
is quite clear why such children had to be
taught to play. The sight of ball and
the privilege to run after it and throw
it was such novelty that they were
completely dazed. ard stood staring at it
with their mouths and eyes wide open.
had some very bright, attractive girls,
twelve and thirteen years old, whose
most common mode of expression was
screaming and jumping up and down.
One day | started them in a game of
Drop the Handk or something
of the sort, and when | looked at them
again they had found a large piece of
canvas filled with dirt, and were stand
ing around shaking it and then jumping
into the center. They called that game
and were having a most hilarious time
when | stopped them. To train this mis-
directed energy is why so much money is
spent teaching children to play. 1t is
thought by some that physical exercise
is being overdone. ! do not think SO,
but believe that mental exercise has
been and is now being overdone, and our
physical and moral natures sighted.
The play idea should not be confined
to children alone. Grown people should
play, or at least have the play spirit
But our modern conventions are such
that if man or woman is seen run
ming in the streets, it is sufficient
cause to notify the police. After one
reaches the mature age of sixteen, there
seems to be a ca st iron law, Thou shalt
not rum in fact. we shall not move in
any except perfectly rigid, unbending
position, at moderate pace, with the
conventional pleasant look upon our
faces, although we are probably bored to
death. Conventional persons live in a
constant state of boredom, and do not
must be respected III city life, but if they
problems would be solved. If dancing
could be made part of everyone's life,
as an expression of pleasure, just as
laughing or singing, what would be the
need of dance halls? ! do not mean the
social dancing which we have in Ameri.
ca, namely, walking around on a slippery
floor to music, the greatest skill in which
is not to step on your partners shoes
but real dancing, such as the peasants OF
the old countries practised, or expressive
dancing of any sort. Dancing is the
natural expression of certain moods. We
all enjoy listening to dance music, anc
although it is sometimes difficult to re.
strain the impulse, in polite society, nc
one ever breaks through convention anc
dances when he feels like it. AS nat
ural expression, dancing does not have tt
be taught; it is spontaneous. Nast
winter teacher in Boston had classes ir
Natural Dancing, the principle of which
seemed to me ideal. The members Of
the class wore loose clothing, gymnastie
suits, or something of the sort, then, tx
the music of Mendelssohn' ''Spring
Song" or some equally fine composition
the class danced, each as he felt inspir
ed. Of course, the results in some cases
were grotesque, but the method develop
ed spontaneity and helped to overcome
the stiffness of conventionality.)
The discipline on Fairgrounds is uni
que. Discipline, in the common use Of
the word. does not 60 with play. Play il
the result of freedom of mind and body
lack of fear and confidence in ones lead
er. Discipline to the ordinary chile
means repression, distrust and fear OF
punishment. Many teachers believa te
discipline child means to brighten him,
and that we'll Disciplined school is E