The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
PLAYGRO ROUNDS FURNISH MODEL FOR OTHER CITIES
Results Achieved in Recreation Work and Splendid Equip
ment at Disposal of Children Have Become Cele-
brated Throughout Country.

The other Fairgrounds in order of atS
tendance are as folIows:s New York
Avenue, average daily attendance, 90;
Cardozo, average daily attendance. SZS:
Virginia Avenue Playground, average
daily attendance. S33; Gallinger Play
ground average daily attendance, 344;
Rosedale. average daily attendance, 4s;
Garfield Park, average daily attendance,
S93: Georgetown Playground, average
daily attendance. 502; Howard Play
ground, average daily attendance. 554:
Mount Pleasant Playground, average
daily attendance. 6SS, and Bloomingdale
Playground, average daily attendance, so.
The number of assistants employed at
these Fairgrounds to assist the children,
TO teach them and show them how to
get the best results from the exercise
number is thirty-five. Georgetown and
Rosedale Fairgrounds lead in number of
instructors. with five each; Cardozo has
four instructors, and all others three in
structOrs and assistants and Caretakers
except NeighborhoOd House, which has
only two instructors.
II is an interesting feature of the in
terest exhibited in playground work by
people of the city of Washington, and
OF the District that nearly all of the
Fairgrounds are laid out on government
owned ground. and are thus provided
with practically permanent locations.
Only two are located on ground loaned
for the purpose, Neighborhood House,
of which the ground used comes under
the Jurisdiction of the social settlement
of NeighbOrhood House, and Mount
Pleasant Playground. the land for which
may soon have to be given up to pro-
vide for the erection of a large build
ing.
So much for the equipment of play
grounds here. The work done appears
to be divided into two classes; that which
comes under the direct supervision of the
instructors and is arranged for the chill
dren to take part in regular classes, and
that which springs purely from the lde-
sire of young children to have place
TO go where they may play, where the
younger ones may dig in the sand. where
the older ones may swing, or teeter, and
where the more venturesome may climb
ropes. hang like spiders from parallel
ladders or slide like small catapults down
exceedingly slippery inClines.
1t is almost impossible to give a COM
plete resume of the courses given in
the Washington Fairgrounds, but
Cursory glance at the work laid out dis
covers list Of singing games for Ameri-
can and foreign children, and including
ring games suitable for playground work.
corresponding singing games from other
nations. easy folk dances. arranged so
as 10 be used by small children as well:
organized group games, ring games,
races, games of tag. games with balls,
competitive games of low type origin such
as boys and girls play by themselves or
originate: story telling, a select course
of reading. and selection of stories with
special attention to content. and group
characteristics.
There are advanced courses in folk
10 nrinp all the children and hnvs
and girls are given an opportunity in
the advanced grades to play their favor
ite games such as basket ball, baseball,
football. tennis, volley ball, and the like.
In many of the Fairgrounds leagues of
baseball clubs have been organized with
prizes for winners. Many handsome
trophies have been presented the winners
of league baseball championships, and
medals of all kinds may be found in the
homes of hundreds of boys who showed
their ability to compete on the play
grounds
There are the usual kindergarten
phases OF work given, instruction in
paper folding. paper cutting and pasting.
paper and cardboard construction, rafia
and reed work, sewing and embroidery
for the girls. and other practical ac-
tivities for boys and girls.
A special feature of the instruction
given in the Washington Fairgrounds is
the opportunity for practice teaching in
each branch Of work. This work pro-
vides an opportunity for one intending
to take up teaching in one Of the lines
OF work given TO obtain practice and By
means of corTelative system of read
ing TO obtain credit for future work
along the same line.
Camp Fire Girls.
Not the least prominent of the activi-
ties among the girls who attend the
Fairgrounds here are those which include
the activities of the Camp Fire Girls.
This work is not so prominent as the
work of the Boy Scouts in Washington,
because it lies along different lines. and
has not been given the prominence Of
the work done by the boys. but in its
way it is not less effective than the Boy
Scout work. and is providing training
that is leading the girls into new paths
of thought which prove as instructive as
does the work performed by the boys in
connection with the Boy Scout movement
SO much for the Washington Fairgrounds
at the present time A brief glance at
the past will be interesting as showing
what has been accomplished along this
line of work during the less than