DESIGN OF PARK AND RECREATION AREAS 117 



and adults. As considered here the children's playground is an area designed 

 to provide for the play needs of children from five or six to fourteen years 

 of age inclusive. 



Age Groupings. The age group comprised within the years from five 

 or six to fourteen inclusive, by reason of psychical and physical differ- 

 ences naturally divides into two groups. The first group is composed of 

 children from five or six to approximately ten or eleven years of age. This 

 period is sometimes called the "Big Injun Age." The chief characteristics of 

 this group are that its members desire to do individualistic stunts and to play 

 loosely organized games in which each child has a chance to be a "star." 



The second group is composed of die children from ten or eleven to 

 fourteen. This is sometimes called the "Age of Loyalty." The desire to 

 do stunts carries over to a considerable degree, but the chief characteristic 

 of the play of children of this age group is to form more closely organized 

 groups, such as teams, clubs, "gangs," and to play the more highly organ- 

 ized games. This group naturally divides into two groups on the basis of 

 sex. The sexes are mutually repellent and should have separate spaces 

 upon which to play, although there are certain kinds of running games 

 and organized games like tennis, croquet, and volley ball where they might 

 play together very satisfactorily. 



Out of these physical and psychical differences arises the necessity for 

 a three-division 'layout of children's playground areas a space for the 

 children from five or six to ten or eleven; a space for the older boys, and a 

 space for the older girls. Planners very frequently place the older girls 

 with the younger children. This is not a desirable practice although the 

 limitation of space very often forces this situation. If the children of the 

 "kindergarten age" and younger are permitted to use the playground a 

 fourth division will be necessary. 



Topography. The space or spaces in children's playgrounds used for 

 games and sports of all kinds should be reasonably level. If they are not 

 naturally level they should be made so by grading, care being taken to 

 ensure good drainage. There is no objection to different topographical 

 levels. Some very excellent playgrounds have been fashioned out of fairly 

 steep slopes by grading into different levels, forming natural topographical 

 divisions according to age and sex classification. There is no serious objec- 

 tion to fairly uneven tree-shaded areas where apparatus may be located. 

 In fact a broken area topographically, provided it will allow sufficient level 

 space for organized games and play, makes an even more attractive play- 

 ground than one that is entirely flat. Broken topography often presents 

 better opportunities from the standpoint of landscape embellishment than 

 a perfectly flat surface. 



