Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-17
THE VALUE OF FAIRGROUNDS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

center for play means that large mum.
bers of children of different ages and
abilities are concentrated in one place,
hence the difficulties i'm the organiza
ton OF their play are too great for
them to handle. Experience has
proved thar even college students
when in large numbers, do not have
the skill or ability to organize their
play activities effectively.
Children, when large numbers are
brought together, must be classified
according to age and ability A pro
gram or activities must be arranged
Tor the different groups that is adapt-
ed TO the interests, strength. skill
and needs of each group, and the
organization of this program calls for
adult insight and technical skill. So
TOO. must there be adult supervision
to insure safety and the avoidance
or injury from accidents, as well as
to see that the children do not over.
Indulge or specialize too much i'm any
one interesting activity.
Questions of Manners and Morals.
The playground problem likewise in.
wolves questions of manners and
morals Children of good moral hab.
its and who have been well reared
are brought together in the com.
munity playground with others whose
habits are not so good and whose
manners are not all that is to be
desired, All this is democratic. and
may work out for the good of both
classes Of children, but it is neces.
sary for the character education of
the children and their moral safety
that they be under able adult super.
vision.
play space in the youth of the
generation now passing into old age
was plentiful" says Prof. Hetherine-
ton Whatever was at fault in the
play life OF the older generation was
not due to lack Of space PLAY went
on as before and always because of
the everlasting natural urge and
dynamic drive to action in child ma
ture. and child nature, tradition and
adult example set the forms of the
play. Children played at home and
they played in convenient community
| centers of their own selection. Chill
dren not only played, they also
worked with their parents, and the
play and work was a great source of
development and therefore of health.
but times change. Since the child
hood of this older generation social
changes due to an evolving, machine
controlled industrial civilization began
to squeeze the educational juice out of
child life. 1t destroyed the old home,
| it changed family customs even in the
country, it built congested cities. and
! in these cities 1t eliminated spaces in
which children could play In time
! child life, as expressed in vigorous
outdoor play, broke down. and SURVEYS
| showed that instead of playing chill.
dren We're idling or engaged in worth.
less amusementS.
! This state of affairs aroused teach
ers and parents, and in 1906, through
! the organization of the Playground
| and Recreation Association of Amer.
lea, a systematic reconstruction of the
| play life of children was instituted
The significant thing about this play
ground movement, it is stated, is that
! it was conceived. promoted, financed
| organized and managed by adults. In
a word, adults deliberately and with
| intention assumed the responsibility
| for an efficient organization of chill
dren's play and made it a RESPONSE
bility of the community.
| The big idea is to see that all the
children of the community have equal
opportunities for healthful play and
that they be given adult direction and
supervision to the end that their &C
tivities will do them the most possible
| 0aOd