CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUNDS 
By K. L. Smith 
^ I 'HE are two or three simple principles that 
communities as well as individuals recognize 
in the end. One is that in the sphere of prevention 
no work is so fruitful as that done for children. 
Another is that much of the vice among the young 
is misdirected energy. The real problem is to 
give scope to the play instinct in every child. 
Children must have some place for air and exercise, 
but in the crowded districts their only playground 
is the dark alley and close, ill-smelling street. The 
great question with many parents is how to find 
suitable places of recreation for their children. 
Children must have some place for exercise. 
Parks are few and often inaccessible. The problem 
is to find a place where scope can be given to the 
play instinct inherent in every child. The munic¬ 
ipal playground furnishes one solution and is the 
result of deep thought on the part of humanitarians 
and reformers. This movement was born in Bos¬ 
ton, the plan being first proposed at Cambridge 
and the first playground started in Brookline, 
Mass., in 1878. The movement became iden¬ 
tified with the city when it was inaugurated at 
the Charles river bank in 1892. It is interesting 
to note that one of the prime movers of this work 
in this country has been a Bulgarian, Tsanoff, by 
name, who gave up preparing himself for mis¬ 
sionary work that be might help the street boys 
of Philadelphia. He devoted himself to devising 
ways to save boys through play. Through his 
personal efforts he obtained tbe aid of churches 
and individuals, and after interesting the city 
officials succeeded 
in getting twenty- 
three playgrounds 
equipped with sand 
piles, swings and 
playthings, and the 
work of saving boys 
in a large city was 
begun. 
Chicago can boast 
of municipal play¬ 
grounds appointed 
by the Mayor, 
u n d e r a u t h o r i t y 
given by the Com- 
mon Council i n 
1899. They are 
looked after by a 
special park com¬ 
mission composed 
of nine aldermen 
and si.x citizens. This committee maintains seven 
playgrounds in crowded districts, varying in area from 
one to five acres. Each ground is divided into two 
portions, one for large and one for small children, and 
each is equipped with apparatus, such as lawn 
swings, rope swings, teeters, ladders, climbing ropes, 
and poles, high jumps, turning poles and parallel bars. 
There is a shelter building on each ground wbich 
includes a covered sand court for babies, a direc¬ 
tor’s office, a sink and a large storeroom. In each 
plot there is an athletic director and a policeman 
who assists in games rather than in his official 
capacity. The children realize the benefits of 
the grounds and will not tolerate hoodlums any 
more than the officials. During the summer, 
trained kindergartners are in attendance to lead 
the children in games and occupations and the 
Webster ground has a running track and a field 
for football or baseball besides a trainer free to 
all. In the winter the ground is converted into 
a skating rink. 
Up to the present time over one hundred thousand 
dollars’ worth of land owned by the city has been 
used for playground purposes and ^40,000 of 
money bas been expended for maintenance. Little 
has been done to make the grounds artistic, hut 
it is planned to plant trees and flowers in the near 
future. A swimming tank and bath house are 
also planned. One playground has been equipped 
under an elevated railroad and several grounds 
are to be established in the crowded river districts. 
The social settlement of the Northwestern Uni¬ 
versity of Chicago 
fitted up in 1896 a 
large playground 
capable of accom¬ 
modating three or 
four thousand chil¬ 
dren. The police¬ 
men in that ward 
claim that since the 
j 51 a y g r o u n d has 
been opened tbe boys 
in that district have 
iven no trouhle, 
where before they 
loafed around the 
street corners, went 
to saloons, pursued 
passers-hy and usu¬ 
ally fell into the 
hands of the police. 
“We hate to do 
ROASTING POTATOES ON A VACANT LOT 
201 
