The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-03-03
THE PLAYGROUND SUPERVISOR

THE PLAYGROUND SUPERVISOR.
| Both in her excellent article print
ed in the Saturday issue of The Star
Mirror and in an interview, Miss
Isabel Stephens, assistant professor
of physical education in the university,
insists strongly upon the vastly great
er Importance of playground super
vision as compared with playground
apparatus. This opinion is identical
with that of those contributing to the
now numerous publications dealing
with the playground movement. AL
though it is reckoned most desirable
to have in parks and Fairgrounds a
certain amount of simple, strong ap-
paratus. it is also felt that unless the
services of a supervisor of play can
be secured, almost the entire educa-
tional value of the play is lost.
Where funds are limited and where
choice must be made between install
ing equipment and hiring an instruc-
tor all authorities state emphatically
ing the swings, strides, sand-boXes
and other numerous attractions and
of engaging, instead, a competent
person to be with the children and
direct them in their play. play
ground supervisor suited by nature and
fitted by special training to handle |
children can do untold wonders with
out a stick of apparatus, as many are
daily demonstrating elsewhere IL
school-grounds. Capital games, con-
tests of all kinds, and group dancing
can be taught and enjoyed without the
use of any other machinery than the
child's body. And all Of the virtues
such as fairness, generosity, accuracy, |
sound judgment and kindred traits
can be inculcated by the tactful su-
pervision of just the right sort of per-
son as director.
The work already accomplished by |
the City Beautiful Auxiliary OF the |
Chamber of Commerce in making OF
our really fine little park the cherish
ed and much-sought playground OF
our little folk can not be too highly
During the past TWO
summers it was pleasant to see SO
many gay little Bingham skirts hutter-
o.
.rees and romping happily on the I'M
forbidden grass Year before last, in
of the City Beautiful Aux
liary, a group of more than nifty III
lie girls under ten years of age were
net every Monday morning by
who formed the Good Times
iris Club. an informal organization
hat found a deal of pleasure in read
ng, storytelling, playing games, ana
making impromptu speeches. Last
ummer. we believe, a similar plan,
doubtless much more extensive ana |
laborate, was carried on in the name
f the auxiliary
But voluntary. unpaid service oil
his kind is likely to have the iaults
early always inseparable from that
lass of work The task is almost
ertain to be performed spasmodlcally +
ather than regularly, and the quality
f the service offered can not always
e kept at as high a standard as when
ages are paid
1t is to be hoped that the members
t the City Beautiful Auxiliary, now
le recognized organization TO over
se the park and promote the play
round movement in Moscow, has IN
Iuded in it's plans for the summer
of only the installation of additional
1uipment but the employment OF
litable person to direct play III the
ark at stated periods during the
INNER weeks. If the City Beautiful
uxiliary is without funds and unable :
manage such an expenditure, could :
" some scheme be devised for sup
wing it with the necessary money
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