Children's Area
odd: label: Introduction
content: In the United States, public schools have become an extraordinary force in the folklife of children. On school playgrounds children have been brought together in large numbers. Physical education teachers have taught organized sports that the children have taken up in their neighborhoods. In classrooms a counter culture has developed, characterized by children's organized efforts to subvert the educational process. Fights, friendships and flirtations (some of the performances of children's folklife) often preoccupy students to the detriment of the learning process.

To counter children's counter culture, public schools have offered activities throughout the year that are designed to answer children's social needs. Among these are birthday parties, religious and secular celebrations, and innovations such as field days and "school breakings" (elaborate commencement days). Such events have frequently incorporated folk traditions and in time have become traditions in their own right, anticipated and practiced each year. The guardians and developers of these traditions are school administrators and teachers.

This year the Children's Area presented aspects of two such school-sponsored events, Halloween and May Day. Halloween traditions from four cities were celebrated, as found in schools, churches, and neighborhoods. The May Day celebrations of the Lumbee Indian schools of Robeson County, North Carolina were also re-enacted on the National Mall.

Kate Rinzler served as Children's Area Coordinator, and Marta Schley as Assistant Coordinator.
label: Participants
content: Barrett Elementary School, Vietnamese games, Arlington, Virginia

David Barton, Lumbee May Day participant, Walkula, North Carolina

Tom Bledsoo, musician, Snowflake, Virginia

Boys Football League, Washington, D.C.

Susan Brewer, Lumbee May Day participant, Walkula, North Carolina

Brightwood Elementary School, Hispanic American games, Washington, D.C.

Anthony Brooks, Lumbee May Day participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Sonya Canady, Lumbee May Day participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Pemperton Cecil, 1927-, limberjack maker and player, storyteller, Wileyville, Virginia

Terry Chavis, Lumbee May Day participant, Walkula, North Carolina

Tony Chavis, Lumbee May Day participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Deep Branch Elementary School, Lumbee May Day, Lumberton, North Carolina

Beverly Emanuel, Lumbee May Day participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

George Mason Junior High School, Halloween traditions, Falls Church, Virginia

George Mason Senior High School, haunted house, Falls Church, Virginia

Sylvia Grider, folklorist, Bryan, Texas

Terese Hunt, Lumbee May Day participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Interplanetary Committee, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Robert (Stu) Jamieson, story teller, musician, San Pedro, California

Elizabeth (Bessie) Jones, grass doll maker, games leader, story teller, St. Simon Island, Georgia

Key Elementary School, Vietnamese games, Arlington, Virginia

Anita Locklear, Lumbee May Day Participant, Walkula, North Carolina

Bryan Keith Locklear, Lumbee May Day Participant, Walkula, North Carolina

Iris Locklear, Lumbee May Day Participant, Walkula, North Carolina

Laura Locklear, Lumbee May Day Participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Lucy Locklear, 1919-2004, May Day games and activities leader, Pembroke, North Carolina

Mary M. Locklear, 1906-2002, May Day dialogues and games, Pembroke, North Carolina

Long Branch Elementary School, Vietnamese games, Arlington, Virginia

Magnolia Elementary School, Lumbee May Day, Lumberton, North Carolina

Delana Maynor, Lumbee May Day participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Ricky Maynor, Lumbee May Day Participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Barry Myers, photographer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Oxendine Elementary School, Lumbee May Day, Walkula, North Carolina

Oyster Elementary School, Hispanic American games, Washington, D.C.

Douglas Quimby, 1936-, games leader, story teller, Brunswick, Georgia

Frankie Quimby, games leader, Brunswick, Georgia

Tony Raby, Lumbee May Day Participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Scott Revels, Lumbee May Day Participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Betsy Nadas Seamans, harvest figure maker, photographer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Joseph Seamans, photographer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Keith Sims, 1962-, musician, Hiltons, Virginia

Amanda Smith, Lumbee May Day Participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Beecher Smith, 1911-1981, musician, Nickolsville, Virginia

Delane Strickland, Lumbee May Day Participant, Lumberton, North Carolina

Peter Whiteman, 1944-, carnival costume maker, Hyattsville, Maryland

Edna Faye Young, 1942-, doll maker, Westminister, Maryland
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1979 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1979, Series 3
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials