Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-01-18
PLAYGROUND CREED.
As Adopted by tho City Play.
ground Association Of
New York.

ground Association Of
New York.
We believe that a city child
needs . place to play. things to
play with and some one to take
a fatherly or motherIy interest
in its play.
We believe that a playground
should be made attractive to win
tho child-varied in equipment,
to hold the child, who needs o n
slant change, and supervised by
directors trained in child culture,
who can care for this child gar
den as an export florist will caro-
for his flowers, developing tho
best in each.
We believe that family life
should DO encouraged in tho
playground, avoiding tho formal
grouping according to age.
We believe that normal play
on swings, seesaws and other
such apparatus, or with simple
games such as ball and tag in
varied forms, or with toys such
as toy brooms, doll houses, etc.,
to be a better preparation for
normal life than exciting COM
petitions and complicated games
requiring constant instruction.
We believe that a program for
playground work should be very
elastic, allowing for change to
suit tho immediate need Of tho
child, weather conditions, ETC.,
but should definitely establish
tho duty of each Of tho staff, SO
that no phase Of the work.
songs, stories, races, quiet occu-
patton, general supervision, etc.
may be neglected.
We believe that tho title tat
tendant" is wrongly applied to
the educators who have charge
of Fairgrounds and that the title
should be changed to %"director,
assistant director and junior as
sistant director"
We believe that playground d.
rectors, exposed to high winds
and broiling sun, who must con-
troll and educate through play
tho toughest element as we'll as
little children and babies, meet
ing every moment a different
problem, should not be asked to
give more hours service per
year than schoolteachers who
give formal instruction to a lin
tied number of children attend
ing regularly.
We believe that playground
work where the character Of the
child may be best nodded
through skiIIful suggestion, in.
formally given. should be in the
hands of persons Of the highest
character and best training, who
will make this a life work, a
yearly graded salary as in other
professional work being essential
to attract such workers.
We believe that the park play
grounds should be open on week
day mornings as we'll as after
school and under supervision so
that the mothers and babies and
physically weak and mentally
defective children may have op-
portunity for outdoor play when
the grounds are not crowded with
school children.
We believe that $500 (no more
than the cost of a park concert
M a%fternoon) given for mex
pensive play material, such as
rubber balls, jumping ropes, ETC.,
which will supply a thousand or
nor children a whole year with
practical lessons in tho care Of
public property, unseIfishness,
etc, will bring better returns to
the government than an equal
amount spent for hospitals, pris-
ons, children's courts or other
remedial institutions, which
might be reduced in numbers
with adequate Fairgrounds as the
ounce Of prevention.
We believe that Fairgrounds
should be developed into centers
Of civic usefulness, beginning in
tho care of their own play space
by the children, this extending to
the adjacent park. property and
thus leading to an interest and
understanding Of farreaching
questions.