The Penn's Grove record., 1913-10-03
The New Idea In Public Fairgrounds

The playground movement in Amer
lea by which it is sought to place the
natural activities of children of both
sexes under the direct supervision of
competent instructors that they may
attain high standards of physical and
moral development is discussed in an
illustrated article by Grant M. Hyde in
the October Popular Mechanics Maya
zine. A great many interesting ex-
periments have been made in connec.
ton with the Fairgrounds, and location
and equipment vary widely. MI.
Hyde states:
zone playground in New York City
occupies a site that is valued at 81 800
600, but this is unusual. Vacant lots in |
congested districts, areas useless for
commercial purposes, and bits of land
in out-of-the-w way places are rapidly
being made into Fairgrounds. Phila-
delphia has laid out tiny Fairgrounds
under railroad Viaducts; Reading, Pa,
has a playground Oh the concrete roof
of a water reservoir; Springfield, O., is
utilizing the grounds around a city
standpipe. ADJUSTMENTS piers have
been built in some cities, and Boston
| has floating lighthouses for the small
boys.
"Certain standard forms of play and
apparatus are pretty generally present
in all Fairgrounds Swings, seesaws,
slides, giant strides, and gymnastic
apparatus are always the first things
that are provided. Swimming pools
are quite as common. For the smaller
children, most Fairgrounds have sand
piles and wading pools. The love of
competitive play has brought facilities
for group games-baseball, tennis,
basketball, volley ball, and in some
places, football and lacrosse. These
are for the older children, but war
games, ''hikes," hare and hounds, folk
dances, and other games, invented
sometimes by the attendants and some
times by the children themselves, are
being developed for the little tots. In
some cities the competitive games Of
the larger boys have grown into organ
lied athletics with playground team
and interplaygrOund gaines and track
meets. All furnish play under direc
ton.
Directed play naturally leads to in.
struction through play. In many
cities, such as St. John, N. B., there is
regular Kindergarten work for little
children. In others, sewing, embroi-
derry, basket and raffia work are provid-
ed for the older girls, along with NAH
ual training and gardening for the
older boys. Springfield, o., has this.
New Orleans has regular gardens laid
out in the Fairgrounds and prizes are
given for the best crops raised by the
childlen. In Glen Ridge. N. j., and
other cities, manual training and cook.
ing are moved from the schoOlhOuse to
the summer playground. Columbus,
o., and Holyoke, Mass, do the same
thing by teaching the older boys to
clean the playground and erect and re-
pair the apparatus. At Youngstown,
Pa, the boys dug their own swimming
pool On The playground and made
water wheels.
"Many novelties in methods and APP
paratus have been brought out in
various parts Of the country. East
Liverpool, o.. has found that if ham
Knocks are provided, the smaller chill
dren can be persuaded TO sleep in them
during the afternoon, beniitiAg both
themselves and the Fairgrounds peace.
Croquet and quoits have appeared
among She other games at Springfield,
o. Kite day is regular feature at
Akron, 0. The boys on one of the
Fairgrounds at Buffalo revived the old
pasfime of silt walking and the city
had a hundred pa irs of stills made for
them. Competitive athletics for the
boys brings very complete organization
in many cities. At Jacksonville, Fla.
regula / athletic meets and an annual
Giro us are held"