Arizona republican., 1914-03-15
PLAYGROUND


 (Ey Mabel G. Crunby)
 The value of playgrounds lies chiefly in the fact that they afford the city child "breat thing space. As a city grows. it's vacant lots dis appear. leaving the child no real space in which to play. Dirty alley ways, crowded back wards, often filled with old tin cans and garbage, have to be utilized for play
 But in the city playground, the child finds d big, decent place where he can enjoy himself, d place in which he can develop himself physi- cally and socially. Here he must learn to respect the rights of others, to give and take to be manly. Boys from all classes-mapy of whom are foreigners-will meet on an equal social standing. Thus playgrounds have a strong relation to the prob lem of democracy and to that of the Americanizing of the foreign child. strong proof of the value of play grounds is that they have largely diminished juvenile crime Here the boy has the opportunity to turn his surplus energy and love of excitement into the right channels, instead of allowing them to lead him into harm
 The three most important requi- sites for d playground are space, apparatus and supervision. The space naturally depends on the number of children to use the grounds-proba about an acre for the first one hundred children The danger is in too small a place. for the playground must grow with it's city. Games requiring team work as baseball, football and soccer demand room.
 The apparatus usually consists of sand boxes, teater boards swings, slides, balls, of which there must be plenty of numerous sizes. nets, etc. Wading pools. bathing houses, sup piled with shower baths, croquet grounds and tennis courts are an at tractive addition.
 The personality of the director is largely responsible for the success or failure of playground. IL must, of course. be supervised or the small er weaker children would be elimin- ated, and a bully might hold sway The director must be game" as the boys would say. He must not only be able to coach the games, but to get right in and play with the child. A great ability to control, to keep the respect of the boys while not stand ing aloof from them, a knowledge of even the physical condition of the children are all necessary on the part of the director
 Fairgrounds usually have three di- visions-for children under eight years of ase-for girls-for boys. In the kindergarten department the babies play in the sand. slide, teeter and swing. The director tells them stories and amuses them with games 1 In the girls department the appara- | tus consists of slides. teeter boards and swings. IE some playgrounds, 1 to save expense, the apparatus on 1 the girls side is used by the boys ! during certain periods of the day. In ] other playgrounds, the boys depart | ment is fully equipped with appara-
 
 girls for volley, captain and basket ball, for folk dancing and for athletic sports. Lessons in plain sewing, weaving of baskets and embroidery, are sometimes taught
 In the boys department there must be plenty of room for big games and track meets. In fact, this department often equals in size that of the girls and kindergarten together. A great deal of team work is given these older boys as they are at the age when the gang idea prevails. Here a spirit for fair play. cooperation and leadership is developed
 ! Fairgrounds are usually under the l control of civic organization. although playground associations, women's clubs and improvement societies are largely responsible for their origin. Parks are often turned into playgrounds as well as school yards, which can be used as such after school hours The di- rectors of the municipal playground 1 taking charge here as well as on the regular city ground.
 The growth of the playground movement has been tremendous. In Baltimore in 1878, the first play ground in our country was established, and now two hundred and eighty five cities maintain two thousand and ninety -four playground and recreation centers