Evening star., 1924-08-31
BACK YARD FAIRGROUNDS
BY FREDERlC ]. HASKIN

That play is serious business for
children is comparatively new idea
that is struggling for recognition.
Child experts have concluded that
children acquire sport SIN anship, cour.
age. persistence and other useful
qualities in playing. and that chill
dren who do not play normally are
apt to grow up lacking important
characteristics that 60 into the
makeup Of good citizens.
The snapper in this theory Is that
adults are held partly responsible
for the children's success or failure
to develop through play. The up-to-
date adult can no longer diMnisS the
subject by saying that children play
instinctively. The new theory shows
that play in hot, Shadeless yards, in
alleys and on dangerous streets IS
not the same thing as play under
good conditions. Juvenile courts
have compared records OF children
and at home and the evidence shows
that delinquency decreases to an as
tonishing degree where children are
provided with suitable play spaces
Cities and rural communities are
taking up this problem slowly. The
tendency toward organizing and
standardizinE existence seems op-
pressive to Q great many people. 1t
is unlikely. however. that we can
escape it. Existence is growing
more complex. more specialized and
more interdependent.
The child OF the prairie wagon
days got his lessons in courage and
strength and quick judgment from
the emergencies Of his hardy out
door life. as well As from his games.
The child OF the apartment house or
tenement or Of tho suburban bunGa-
low has to depend upon the games.
II he is an average child he natural
ly engages in certain types OF play
at certain ages. But, however re-
sourceful he may be. he cannot be
expected to conduct successfully the
serious business OF playing under
present-day conditions unleas he -
given some adult cooperation.
The municipal playground has be-
come a familiar sight in most cities
and in a few rural communities. A
newer development is the back yard
playground.
No matter how we'll distributed 4
city's Fairgrounds are, there must
be children who live too far away to
attend them. Younger children espe-
cially cannot safely go more than Z
block or two to 2 public playground.
CAildrea to Use the Yards.
A few years ago children who
take themselves of to any unused
corner of the yard or house. Few
homes boasted the equipment of tho
community Fairgrounds. Sandboxes,
swings, and see-saws would have
been regarded as troublesome and ex-
pensive. Moreover, such apparatus il
cumbersome, and the accepted idea OF
conserving back yard space has been
to make the valuable bit of land into
q vegetable or flower garden. Wash
lines. too, have always had tho right
of way in back yard programs.
Nevertheless. recreation experts are
calmly urging that children Of 4
family have a claim to some Of the
yard space Of the home. In q number
Of cities back yard Fairgrounds are
indorsed by officials. In Salt Lake
City, plans for home Fairgrounds
have been made by the city recrea-
ton department. 49,
1t Is not considered enough to set
aside the yard or q part Of 1t for the
children. The place should be
shady during the hot part Of the day.
and IL 1t 10 not shady shelter with
q roof and open sides should be built.
The Children's Bureau has printed
a small circular Of direction. fer
making simple equipment for q homo
playground. see-saws and flying
rings, and even strongly built awnings
are not beyond the skill Of the anna
teur carpenter. And We are told that
IL it Is possible for the child to help
in making his playground 20 much
the better, even IL he is small aud
his help il mainly make-helieve.
For children under three years q
saRdbox 10 found to be the only really
necessary outdoor equipment. The
ChudFsn's Bureau estimates the ceat
Of materials for 4 sandbex by 6 feNt
1T -. A load ef clean white sAAA b
the suitable AliAg for aucA 4 Aex.
Jcr children between I ana 10 the
plAyGfQNAa may ha 0ttAA Auk with