Children's Folklife
odd: label: Introduction
content: If you have ever tried to ask a group of children what they are doing only to have them run away, you have encountered the community of children. A teacher who turns to write a lesson on the chalk board to the accompaniment of giggles and flying airplanes is dealing with the community of children. Best friends, blood-bonded clubs, play groups and organizations as elaborate as the S.E. Washington Boys' Football League, are all manifestations of children bonding together to explore the unknown, to share information, to organize their play and to feel some security and privacy from the demanding world of adults. The content of their activities is made rich with children's dreams, curiosities and challenges, faced as they are with the prospect of growing up one day themselves.

At the 1978 Festival, activities familiar from previous Festivals such as children's games were complemented by attention focused on how children themselves organize their communities and institutions such as clubs and sports leagues.

Kate Rinzler served as Children's Area Coordinator and Phyllis Ward as Assistant Coordinator. Activities took place on the outdoor Festival site.
label: Participants
content: Herminia Enrique, children's games and nursery folklore, San Diego, California

Dr. William Faulkner, Br'er Rabbit stories, Wildwood, New Jersey

Marta Montanez, Puerto Rican children's games, New York, New York

Edna Faye Young, 1942-, corn husk doll making, Westminster, Maryland

Children's Folklore Workshops

Participating Schools & Groups

Adams School

Anne Beers School

Brightwood School

Clark School

Edmonds/Peabody School

Harrison School

K.C. Lewis School

Mt. Rainer School

Oyster School

Parkland Junior High School

Stevens School

Watkins School

Girl Scouts of America

Children's Folk Art Exhibit

Participating Schools

Adams School

Clark School

Deal School

Garnet, Patterson Junior High School

Gordon Junior High School

Hart Junior High School

Langley Junior High School

Rabaut Junior High School

Taft Junior School

Watkins School
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1978 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1978, Series 3
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials