Evening star., 1938-06-17
Fairgrounds
Important
To'a City
Much Needed Spot
Where Children
May Develop.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


DLAY is the business of childhood,
quite as serious a matter as
fathers business is to him and
mothers work is to her. Father and
mother work in a world prepared for
them. and they have sufficient power
to sustain themselves in situations of
emergency. Even then, they have
their troubles. But children live in
the grown-up world when they go
about their business of play. Their
place is not really their own, but be-
longs to the adults. 1t is hard for
them to 60 about their important
business of play.
In the towns there is always the
danger of the streets. Children for
get about the cars and run of the
walks and under the wheels. That
happens to the best trained children.
Mothers cannot find it in their hearts
and conscience to allow little children
outside the safety of the yards with
out some supervision. They are anx-
ious even about the older ones as they
come and go on the streets.
The city Fairgrounds, now more
numerous than they used to be, should
be kept open for the children. These
should be supervised by trained peo-
pie who are understanding about their
work. They are to prevent accidents,
keep play conditions favorable. and
let the children alone to attend to
their business.
With all our Fairgrounds there are
still thousands of children playing on
city streets. Mothers stand at the
windows to watch, prayerfully; they
60 and come as they try to keep the
household machinery moving, always
with the safety of the children on
their minds. 1t seems to me that we
need block Fairgrounds for small chill
dren. They cost money, but they save
children, a service beyond price. Some
safe place there must be for playing
children.
Country children need play space
and time, as much as city children
Their play is usually taken for
granted, an injustice to the children
for unless a place is provided for them
and time allowed for their free use
OF the play place, they have little
chance to play. Most people are in
clined to believe that country children
can play all the time and anywhere
because the country is open and
spacious and comparatively safe
What Of 1t unless the children are
given place and time and opportunity
for play?
Somehow, we in America got the
notion that play was something fool.
ish, a waste of time, something to be
gotten over quickly and its existence
belittled. Just playing" became {
term of reproach. This is entirely thu
wrong notion. Play is important fol
the children and for us, too. It i.
essential to the children's growth anc
development and to the adults goot
health as well. We should not b<
ashamed to play; we should bt
ashamed to confess we do not know
how to play.
AS for the children, play is the busi.
ness OF their lives. It must be giver
them fully, freely, richly, so they ma.
prosper nightly. If we need NOR,
Fairgrounds, let us have them. If ",
need more play supervisors, more play.
things, let us have them. Play is tn.
means that children and youth us'
to grow themselves q sturdy body ant
q sane mind, and America has much
need of people with these gifts. lie
us all 60 out and play awhile. Wei
do a better job when we finish th'
game.
Mr.. Patri has prepared q leafie
entitled Crying Children" in which
ne tells parents how to cope with tn
crying habit in children. Send for II
Address your request to Mr.. Angel'
Patri, Child Psychology Department
OF this paper. Inclose . self-ad
dressed, stamped (3-cent) envelope.
tceoS5tshk 1s3s.)