LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Gv^^v Chap. Copyright No.,._ ShellZTX. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS. & Nobel Pan of Character Builoing. The Playgrounds are most important educational factors. They build up Character as the schools develope the mind. " A child's moral culture depends upon his play." People do not practise as they know, because no attention is paid to how they play. / By STOYAN VASIL TSANOFF, General Secretary of the Culture Extension League. ML 3 PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. ^"^J I305 ARCH STREET 1897. 1 V "? ^ Copyright, 1897, by Stoyan Vasil Tsanoff. PREFACE. This little book was written for the purpose of answering a pressing need for a better understanding of the value and possibilities of Children's Playgrounds. During the four years of his connection with an association interested in the establishment of Playgrounds, the writer has been impressed with the fact that the scope of the movement is very inadequately understood, even by some of its warm advo- cates. On the other hand, the literature devoted to the Playgrounds idea, consisting almost exclusively of some articles in the periodical reviews and the daily papers, has treated them from a rather one-sided point of view, thus having failed to do them justice. Should this treatise effect a larger appreciation of the importance of the Playgrounds and a clearer understanding of the best methods of con- ducting them, it will be sufficient reward for the labor involved. The writer will welcome every sincere and intelligent criticism as co-operation in enlightening public sentiment on this momentous, but seriously neglected, ^ phase of human interests. Jf Stoyan Vasil Tsanoff. • Philadelphia, June, 189J. CONTENTS. Introductory Remarks i CHAPTER I. Present Attitude Toward the Playgrounds .... 10 How They are Supplied 12 Equipments and Regulations 15 Their Essential Value 15 CHAPTER II. What We Mean by Playgrounds 17 A Model Playground 18 CHAPTER III. What Such Playgrounds can Accomplish 28 (1) Physical Advantages 28 (2) They Bring Civil Order and Regularity ... 36 (3) Giving Comfort to the Mothers at Home and to the Children at Play 38 (4) Develop Life and Bring Happiness 39 (5) They are Indispensable to Formation of Ideal Character 46 (a) What is Character ? 46 (b) How Habits are Formed ? 48 (c) What Do We Repeat and Imitate ? . 49 (d) What are the Children most interested in and led by 50 (e) What Kind of Plays Influence Chil- dren Most? 50 Contents. v CHAPTER IV. Modern Doctrines of Character Building .... 53 (1) Claims of the Educators 53 (2) Requirements from the Home 57 (3) Claims of the Church 58 Weakness of the Above Doctrines 62 (1) Educators' Mistakes 63 (2) Impertinent Requirements from the Mother . 67 (3) Unfounded Claims of the Church 71 (4) Joint Work of the Home, the School and the Church 76 Heredity and Environments 78 CHAPTER V. Evil Habits and Tendencies 82 (1) How They are Fostered and Developed ... 82 (a) Fostering Evil in the Infant ... 84 (b) Instilling Evil into the Youth ... 87 (c) The Children on the Streets .... 91 (d) Natural Results 98 (2) Remedies 100 (a) Illustrations 100 (b) Evidences from Educators 105 (c) Difficulties in the Way 117 CHAPTER VI. Procuring of Playgrounds 121 Playgrounds in London and Other Cities .... 122 The Philadelphia Model Playgrounds Movement . 125 A Brief History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds . 128 vi Contents. CHAPTER VII. A Plea to the Responsible 144 (1) The Educators 145 (2) The Press 146 (3) The Officials 151 (4) The Charitable and Philanthropic 156 (5) The Church 1 ; 7 APPENDIX. Religion and Character 163 A Resume of Their Dependence and Independence of Each Other 163 CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS. ^Educational 'Balm of €§ilbven'B ^la^roun^. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS The writer greatly desired to begin this treatise by giv- ing a brief history of the children's playgrounds, but there seem to be but scanty materials for such a history. One finds himself practically in a desert while tracing this path of human interests. No books seem to have been written on playgrounds, no organized efforts made to regulate them, even words proper to discuss them are lacking. This but means that no regard has been paid to them in the past. Not only playgrounds in particular, but the children's plays in general, seem to have been quite neglected. Though there have been many and various provisions for the pleasures and amusements of the young who have passed the bounds of childhood, the children themselves, with whom all these things should have commenced, have 2 Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. been left to take care of themselves. Furthermore, there are evidences that, since the time of the Greeks, Persians, and other ancient nations (who deserve the credit of having had some light on the educational value of children's play, and who had given it a place in their educational systems) there have been more efforts made, chiefly by guardians, to check or suppress child's play than to facilitate or encourage it ! We find, for instance, that the Egyptians were particularly strict "that the young should be early accustomed to such gestures, looks and motions as were decent and proper, and for this reason they took care that every dance and ode, introduced in their feasts and sacrifices, in which the young took part, should be subject to certain regulations." The Persians, through " various bodily and athletic exer- cises, developed good habits, and thereby good character and moral training. Of intellectual education they had but little." The Greeks saw a good deal of the educational value of the child's play, not only as a foundation for military train- ing, but as tending to the harmonious development of the young. And they made use of their knowledge: " It was not considered sufficient for the boys to play mere chance Introductory Remarks. 3 games of childhood. They underwent careful bodily train- ing under a fixed system." Plato and others not only taught the advantages of play in preparing the young for social and private life, but also gave some directions for regulating them. Quintilian looked upon play as a sign of an active mind, and considered children who play in slow and spirit- less manner as unlikely to- show any remarkable aptitude for any branch of study. These sound ideas were due to adherence to the natural. These nations, especially the Greeks, held fast to what appeared to them to be natural. " They believed that what was natural was right." And no one who watches the natural impulse of the child can fail to notice the great part which play takes in his development. It is true that these nations did not conceive the full value of child's play; but they were on the right track, and had not those naturalistic tendencies been unfortunately perverted, the world would have been much further ad- vanced to-day ! The Christian church is charged with having ignored (when in power) and even discouraged the. teachings that 4 Educational Value of Children s Playgrounds. came from the idolatrous nations, and proclaimed that Divine help was the necessity for man's uplifting. This is regarded as having practically put aside from public notice, among other things, the interests of child's play. In its early history the church fell into the mistake which is still prevalent, name- ly, of depending for many things on being dropped as manna from Heaven, instead of considering the fact that they are already here, embodied in the natural laws of God, and that what must be done is to have these laws observed. Had the pure mission of Christianity been rightly understood, as rep- resenting the spiritual or soulsaving interests of man, and the natural laws which govern man's intellectual, physical, social and even moral development been discriminately observed, what a blessing this would have been to the church and the world ! After the gloom of the "Dark Ages " was dispersed by the light of the Renaissance and the Reformation, we again see writers touching the value of the child's play, mostly in the sense of defending it against its enemies. Luther, for instance, censures those who despise the children's play, and points out that "' Solomon, who was a judicious school- master, did not prohibit scholars from play at the proper hitroditctory Remarks. 5 time, as the monks do to their pupils, who thus become mere logs and sticks." Rabelais, Fenelon, Locke, Schiller, Richter and others all held in a general way that this " gamesome humor, which is wisely adapted by nature to the child's age and temper, should be encouraged and not discouraged, that this activity of the child alone can bring serenity and happiness, that play is the first poetical (creative) utterance of man." These however, as we said, were rather in the nature of passing statements ; their underlying ideas were not thoroughly developed, and they did not affect much the practical life. It is Froebel who is considered as having discovered the possibilities of the child's play, chiefly as it is manifested in the kindergarten philosophy. This however has been directed to regard play mainly so far as it is advantageous to acquirement of knowledge. It is but a new scheme of education. The little children are gathered together two or three hours a day, or as long as they can stand it, and, through songs, music, clay-modeling and other amusing exercises, are taught to cultivate their powers of observa- tion, to form ideas and habits of industry, thus counteract- ing the tendency toward idleness, etc. 6 Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. Now, far be it from us to depreciate in any measure the advantages of this kindergarten idea. On the contrary if we could emphasize its importance more strongly than it has been emphasized by others, we would gladly do so. One of the greatest benefits that can be derived from the child's play is undoubtedly that sought by the kindergarten system. It will be a great mistake, however, to think that this is all the mission of the child's play, or that it is even the chief one. Our endeavors in the following pages is to prove that the sphere of the child's play, especially in the play- ground, is much, broader, and that on the whole it fulfills a higher mission than even that of the kindergarten. Here we mav onlv sav that in studvinsr the kindergarten svstem, one gains the impression that, while much effort is made to get the greatest possible instructive results from the child's play, the value of play as play is far from being properly considered. To supply the needed corrective to this one- sided view one feels it cannot be too strongly insisted upon. The child's play has functions of its own, which consist mainly in supplying the pleasures, enjoyments and refresh- ments of the sturdy youthful life, and forms habits of char- Introductory Remarks. 7 acter, without which the child never can become a bright, cheerful, serene, happy and upright man or woman. These impoitant factors in upbuilding human life have been sadly neglected. Froebel did conceive to an extent the value of play beyond what the kindergarten system represents; and in the few pages which he has devoted exclusively to this "play — in free activity " as well as in the incidental hints upon it throughout his writings, he has touched some very vital points of this important subject. But after all it may plainly be questioned whether he had clear understanding of the value of this play though even he had adopted Uy in his school system. If he had, he undoubtedly would have said something more about it. If he understood rightly the value of child's " free play," he would not have required so much of the child's moral training from the home and the school ; he would not have spoken of the co- operative efforts of the home and the school without saying a word about the wide gap between them, which constitutes the chief centre of child's free play ; he certainly would have said something more about the playgrounds. " Every town," says he, " should have its own common playground 8 Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. for the boys." This is equivalent to the modern recommen- dations of providing "ball grounds for the boys," which is a very different thing from providing playgrounds for the cltildren. Had Froebel understood the inspiring and in- vigorating value of child's free play as he understood it (play) as harnessed for the purpose of instruction, he certainly would have said so and to-day playgrounds and kindergartens would have undoubtedly stood side by side with each other. As mitigating the results of this neglect of play-culture, however, the fact should be remembered that, as one writer says, the world in the past years has been considerably childish. The young people of marriageable age, and even mature men and woman, often gathered in groops in playing games or sportfully enjoying themselves on open spaces. There the children were always attracted, and picked up lessons of play which they reproduced in their own gatherings. The literature on the child's play, so far as there is such outside of the kindergarten works, deals mostly with the games and plays as they are found among the children themselves, either as their invention or copied from the Introductory Remarks. g adults. There is practically no history and no literature of efforts to teach and guide the children in their play, and thus try to make them happy. If there are any, they are hidden in the shelves of the monasteries, where it may take one's lifetime to find them. It is true that supplying dolls and toys has not been lacking, neither are occasional domestic exercises in the interest of the child's play ; but these in themselves are rather trifling matters, compared with child's broad need of play. Furthermore, on the one hand such playthings have been very quickly destroyed by the abuse to which the child, if not guided, naturally sub- jects them ; and, on the other, in many cases they have been a cause of quarrelings and disturbance among the children, thus bringing pain and trouble instead of pleasure and profit. But the playgrounds, the centres of the child's play, have been still less regarded. Parks and gardens for the grown people, however, have not been so neglected. It is due to this neglect of the child's natural needs that it has been so hard to diminish many evils in the world. fteenf Attitude Qovoavb t§t $fay%vouribB. We have chosen to speak mainly of the playgrounds or spaces for the open-air exercises of children rather than of play in general, (i) because they are the more important, and (2) because they are the more neglected and less understood. It is within a comparatively recent time that some practical awakening has taken place regarding playgrounds, as well as children's play and amusements in general. A number of articles have been written in the periodicals and the papers on the subject, societies have been organized for their extension, and some of the leading European and American cities have shown in a measure Official interest in them. The idea, as far as it has advanced, seems to be so popular that it is hard to say whether any individual or individuals deserve the credit of originating it. The authors of the articles referred to, in most cases, seem to have merely put on paper what a large portion of the people already understood and believed in. Hence it appears to me that, under the circumstances, the natural way to begin this dis- cussion will be by bringing forth the leading notions con- cerning the value of the playgrounds. Recognized Merits. 1 1 One, and the chief, merit attached to the playgrounds is their great advantage to the physical development of the young, especially the boy. In fact, it could be said that other merits are hardly considered, though some are mentioned. It is mostly claimed that there should be provided open spaces of land where the children may run, jump, play, and enjoy themselves at will in the open air, and thus gain physical strength and health. According to this notion, the children of the small towns and villages do not need playgrounds, because they have enough open country places in which to play. About the same is claimed for the children of the wealthy classes in the cities They do not need playgrounds, it is stated, either, because they have yards around the houses, which answer the purpose perfectly. Therefore playgrounds are needed only in the large cities, and mainly for their slums or densely populated sections. They are not regarded as necessary in the winter, for then the children are evidently supposed to be either at school or at home. It has been, in fact, the pitiable condition of the poor children in the narrow and dirty alleys and gutters during the hot months of July and August that awakened the deep sympathy of philanthropic people, and the resulting impetus towards ameliorative work originated and stimulated, among other forms of effort, the growth of this playground idea. 1 2 Present Attitude Toward the Playgrounds. But after attention had once been turned toward the children on the streets, other evils were easily noticed.- The constant friction between the police and the playing boys on the street also claimed attention, and gave another reason why there should be provided places where " these poor little ones may lay foot without fear of being arrested or chased by the police." Furthermore, the very numerous young victims to the trolley cars have no less stimulated the public feeling in favor of playgrounds, where the children may go to play, safe from danger to life and limb. There is also a very strong and growing sentiment in favor of providing larger yards in connection with the public schools, the stated reasons being that the children may have better exercises during recess, and thus be better fitted for their studies. How they are Supplied. — As to the ways of supplying these playgrounds, this is left to the circumstances of each case The land in the cities is counted too expensive to be devoted to such children's " extravagance." If philanthropists desire to treat them with a piece of ground somewhere, veiy good ; but to go beyond this, " does not pay." Playgrounds, therefore, are in most cases being improvised from such spaces as are opened by chance. London, which probably leads the world in this respect, has utilized many church Equipments and Regulations. 1 3 yards and abandoned cemeteries. So have many other cities. The idea of throwing open the school-yards for the purpose during the summer months is rapidly advancing. In the art of entering and using vacant lots, belonging to private parties, the children themselves are adepts. If there are no restrictions, the boys are soon using the lots " for all they are worth." Should it happen that they are fenced, however, woe to such fences! They will soon be made to resemble an old ruin. But the most often commended way of obtaining play- grounds is, by leaving parts in the small parks or squares for this purpose. As was said above, parks, gardens and other provisions for the pleasures and amusements of older people have in a measure always been in existence. The small parks idea for the cities has been very rapidly developed during the present century. They have always been de- signed to answer the tastes of older people. The children have not been directly considered. Now, however, as an awakening in the interest of the children has taken place, the idea of fitting parts of the parks to their taste and use is forcing its way into public notice. This plan is consider- ably advanced in some of the European cities, while in America it is only being introduced. Equipments and Regtdations. — There are few equipments 14 Present Attitude Toward the Flay grounds. and still fewer regulations on these playgrounds. They consist mainly of open spaces where the children may go whenever they care to, and do as they please, without restrictions. In some places the work is advanced to the extent of supplying them with such material as sand, shovels, swings, and others, which, of course, add much to their attractiveness. Supervision is provided in places like school and church yards mostly for the purpose of pre- venting damage toproperty. In connection with the school- yard work during the summer, kindergarten exercises are provided mainly for the small children. These are the leading facts to be noted regarding the present development of the children's playgrounds work. They, however, are far from showing an appreciation of the possibilities of the playgrounds. All this is dealing rather with their trifling or external than with their internal or essential value It does not do justice to the playgrounds either in estimating their mission or in the measures taken to provide them. To say, for instance, that playgrounds are needed only for physical welfare of the young is like saying that the bones alone are the body. But to go still further and say that thev are needed only for the " slum children," and only for the hot summer months, evidences an extremely superficial Their Essential Value. 15 view of the subject. To work on such ideas as these would be something like looking at the shadow, not at the subject; like speaking of the smell and not the taste of food ; like judging the melon by the taste of the rind rather than by its interior. Their Essential Value. — The mission of the playground goes far beyond all such suppositions as the above. They are most important educational factors. They stimulate and guide life in a way nothing else can do. Their relation to development of character is very similar to that which the school bears toward the development of the mind. In fact, the collective play of the children has a greater influ- ence in forming habits of personal and social conduct of life than has school or even home instructions and advices. Many practical questions for the solution of which we have been looking to the school, the home or the church, will be found to belong to the playground to solve. The time is coming when the playgrounds will be as seriously considered as a factor in the education of the young, as the schools are considered to-day. In fact,. I rejoice to say that this policy toward the playgrounds is already accepted by at least the people constituting the Culture Extension League, a new organization aiming at promoting plans for the education of the " whole man." 1 6 Present Attitude Toward the Playgrounds. It not only looks upon the playground in this light, but one of its most advanced and most active branches of work is at present that in the hands of the playgrounds committee, and the League is exerting greatest energy for the widest extension of the work. What we will endeavor to say here- after will be, practically, more or less, the faith and works of the said League in this respect. II. Before describing specifically what playgrounds can do and how they do it, it is necessary to have clearly in mind what we mean by playgrounds. As stated above, the prevalent idea of playgrounds is open spaces where the children may go at will and rather do as they please (see page 1 3). These, however, we would call rather wild playgrounds, likely to produce on the whole more harm than good. They are, of course, a direct physical advantage to the young, but highly injurious to their personal character and social life. Their effect upon the child's flexible moral and social life is similar to that which nature alone has upon the childish mind of the savage. As the latter without instruction and guidance becomes a victim to wild imaginations, superstitions and idolatry, so the child left to play without guidance, acquires habits of loose, uncontrolled and disorderly life, full of rascality, corruption and degradation. As one writer says, " The child that is brought up by himself is extremely unfortunate in his tendencies." And who has not noticed this ? Who has not seen the children gathered by them- selves on vacant lots or street corners amusing themselves with profanity and vulgarity of every sort and indulging in 1 8 What We Mean by Play grounds. every imaginable evil practice ? Indeed, it is very difficult to imagine anything more destructive to the character of youth than the prevalent practice of simply turning them loose when away from home and school. It kills many a seed of gentility and uprightness sown by the mothers and the teachers. It may be far better to confine the children at home and rear them in suppression of spirit and in dullness than to leave them free to seek play, amusement and companion- ship which will be certain to give the fullest development to their evil tendencies. No; a model idea of playgrounds, which, as we said, is already accepted by and inculcated in the Culture Extension League, is very different. By playgrounds here is meant open spaces of sufficient number and dimensions, equipped with everything that the child's nature requires in order to attract, guide, invigorate, satisfy and uplift the youth, thus serving, in their own way, as a connecting link between the home, the school and the church. For illustration let me instance the policy of the Culture Extension League, which, so far as I know, is the pioneer in this respect. For intro- duction of the work into practical life, the League selected in the City of Philadelphia a piece of ground covering about three acres, and surrounded by the dwellings of middle class of people. Its selection was due mostly to its suit- able size and feasability for cheap equipment and not to A Model Playground. 19 the class of people surrounding it, as many have thought. The plan, as recommended by the one to whom it origi- nally suggested itself and as embodied in the League's work, aims at equipping the playground so as to answer the child's need of open air or free play, recreation and enjoy- ment all the year around — for it is known that his instinct for play is about as strong in winter as it is in summer. Meanwhile the place can answer to the neighborhood almost every purpose of a small park (square). Its equipment is to be somewhat as follows : There are two pavilions, one for girls, and one for boys, with ample halls decorated with pictures and other attractions, equipped with gymnastic apparatus, steam heat, shower bath, and other necessities for wintry and stormy weather exercises. In fact, the idea is to have these, or some such pavilions, answer almost every child's need for play possible during unfavor- able weather, which the open space outside does during favorable weather. Besides this, these pavilions can serve as places for various indoor games, may contain gymnastic apparatus for young people as well as for children, and may assure a most attractive centre for personal contact between people of refinement and culture and those who need these qualities. They also may contain porches for music, offices for the management and rooms for preserving implements and other necessarv material, 20 What We Mean by Playgrounds. The space outside the pavilions is to be equipped some- what as follows : In the centre is an open circular area in- tended for plays requiring more space. It is to be flooded in winter for seating and drained off for the summer in order to furnish room for other plays. This is surrounded by a race, hoop and bicycle track. The rest of the ground, between the race track and the limits of the square, is covered with grass, trees, flowers, baby carriage and walk- ing tracks, and benches, with spaces between them for any other plays that can suitably be introduced. There are to be provided also some refreshing fountains, beautified with aquatic flowers and populated with fishes and other water animals. The baby carriage and the walk- ing track under the shady trees, surrounding the race track, furnishes convenience of witnessing all the games played. Benches are placed on every suitable spot for those desir- ing rest or visiting the place for recreation. On the one side a special place is provided for leaving babies safely while their older brothers and sisters (caretakers) are enjoy- ing themselves with other children. The responsible oversight of the exercises is to be entrusted to playground teachers, who are to teach mostly as being playmates and guides of the children. The latter are to have, within reasonable limits, full freedom in their play. Rough conduct, improper behavior or vulgarity of Equipments and Regulations. 21 any sort will of course not be permitted. They are to enjoy themselves freely, but in civil and gentle manners. Much stress is to be laid upon inculcating order and atten- tion to discipline, as well as upon making the children realize that the playground is theirs and that it can be used to the best advantage only when each individual joins in observing order, regularity and decency, respecting the rights of the others, as well as cherishing kind and friendly feelings toward them. It is proposed to introduce the various suitable games that are known, native or foreign — revive old ones, invent new ones, — and in general make that spot the most attractive and delightful open-air place a person can find in the neigh- borhood. The playground teachers are to learn the natural tendencies of the children and adopt measures accordingly, just as the school-teachers or the kindergarteners do in their work. All the exercises will be, of course, subject to constant modifications to gratify the child's impulse for novelty and interest. For over a year, discussions have been carried on about fencing this play-ground. Its author has held and still holds that it should be fenced, the entrances controlled, and no disobedience to the rules of proper conduct be allowed. This, he claims, will contribute very greatly toward shield- ing the children within from the outside influences, and 22 What We Mean by Playgrounds. make the place more like the abode of wholesomeness, re- finement and culture which it is intended to be. Without fences, it will be rather too common ; the teachers may feel in surroundings too conspicuous, unpleasantly exposed, and so less able to concentrate attention on the work, especially while it is a novelty in the minds of the people. Further- more, the children will be coming in and pass by, shouting and behaving in rough, vulgar and unrestrained manners, as they do in the streets, thus making it practically impos- sible to do anything for their betterment. In other words, without fences it would be rather a wild play-ground, little advantageous to moral good. The members of the committee which have charge of the matter easily got converted to this, some adding further that the fences will protect the property and prevent reckless running of the children in the way of the street cars. Some of the officials, however, who have the power to say yes or no, have shown quite a hard hearing toward " this fence idea." They speak as if there is no difference between a playground and a park, except that the one place is for running and jumping while the other merely is a place to sit down and look around. And as the idea of fencing the parks is abandoned, therefore the same should be done with the playgrounds. Furthermore, they say that the playgrounds have no legal standing as the parks have. Some Obstacles in the Way. 23 Whatever permission is given, it is a matter of charity ; and so, " in order to avoid complications," we must treat this as if it is a park with a part of it as a playground. The question is practically unsettled as yet. The Councils have granted the square for the purpose under the con- dition that the plans be approved by the commissioner of the city property. Mr. Eisenhower, the commissioner, has consented to have some slight wire fences and thick shrub- beries. But as it will take time for the shrubberv to grrow, and the fences will be of no account beyond merely pre- venting reckless running into the streets, it would hardly be satisfactory to the main object of the enterprise. One source of the difficulties seems to rise from the fear of some neighboring property owners who think that the full realization of the idea may injure the value of their property, and for this reason they would rather have the square be converted into a park instead of playground. Even if these fears were well founded, we would say : let the property go, only save the lives and character of the children ! It seems as if volumes could be written in des- cribing the asiatic tyranies of the modern cities which for the sake of one man's property, maybe turn whole neighbor- hoods into condition of misery and wretchedness ! But there is no reason of such a fear whatever. The playground will be of much greater benefit to the property than any- thing else. The trees, the benches, the flowers, the fountains 24 What We Mean by Playgrounds. and the hearty welcome to everybody who behaves well, will answer most every purpose of a park, while the various children's exercises would be a highly enjoyable and in- structive entertainment to all. Such enterprise should certainly be most heartily en- couraged by everybody and not be interfered with its success in any way. It is sufficiently pity that Councils did not ap- propriate money for the completion of the work, instead of leaving the financial burden to such an extent upon the Culture Extension League, which hindered veiy consider- ably its other departments of work. I quote these obstacles because they seem to be of most general nature. Having the playground thus equipped, the parents and teachers in the neighborhood are to be asked to send their children there, when they are not at school or at home, instead of letting them run wild in the streets. In fact, the plan is to make the playground attract the children by itself. As soon as the schools are dismissed, say about 3 or 4 p m., the children are expected to come to the play- ground, unless otherwise ordered by the parents. There they will be taken in charge by the playground teachers, who will introduce them into the various games or plays, or join with them, or perhaps only remain around and prevent disorder and improper behavior in the plays. Thus Children's Playmates. 25 the children will continue in gleeful enjoyment till supper time. After that, it is supposed that they must either begin studying their lessons for the following day, or go to the evening recreational places for music, indoor-games, debates, etc. (another department of the Culture Extension League's work), — or may come again to the playground, just as they or their guardians decide. During the school hours the playgrounds is opened to all for any proper use. In case any truants should come in, those in charge will get hold of such youth and try to put them to school. The ground is supposed to be closed about 10 p. m. During the vacation seasons, of course, it is to be available all the time to the children. Besides the playground teachers, the well-disposed people in the neighborhood, especially the young folks, are not only welcomed, but greatly desired to come and join the children and the teachers in the exercises. In other words, this playground will offer a splendid opportunity to those who feel a desire to engage in some form of humanitarian work, enabling them to receive as well as confer the benefits to be derived from it. I am sorry that I cannot speak of this as something fully materialized, not merely prospective ; but in substance there is no difference, so far as our object of quoting is concerned. There is no doubt whatever of its success, both in richly benefitting that immediate neighborhood, and in serving as 26 What We Mean by Playgrounds. an object lesson to any community that may desire to bring up its citizens into noble manhood and womanhood, if the plans for its equipments and management are only carried into effect. The League, at least in its present capacity, is determined to fight all the difficulties in the way, and have the end attained, not only in the establishment of this one, but in multiplying the number of such playgrounds all over the city. Difference Between Playgrounds and Parks. — Before pass- ing on, I wish to emphasize the fact that playgrounds are entirely different things from parks. Nearly all the large cities in the civilized countries have Park Societies, the object of which is to work " for the establishment of parks and playgrounds," and they seem to make very little difference between the two. Now, I believe that the first reformatory steps which should be taken regarding these matters is to separate the playgrounds from the parks entirely. To treat them indifferently, as if they were one thing, would be an expression of a very limited understanding of their nature and missions. All that they have in common is being open spaces ; but to say on this account that they are the same thing, or even similar things, is like saying that schools and libraries are the same, because in both of them we deal with books. Difference Between Playgrounds and Parks. 27 Healthful parks, equipped with beautiful zoological and botanical gardens, are of course admirable things, and they will undoubtedly be a real feature in the civic life of the future, not only for the health and pleasure they afford, but also for the instruction that may be obtained from them. Children as well as grown people will go there to enjoy the beauties of nature and of floral and arboreal art, and study them, under the guidance of competent natu- ralists. But no one can fail to see the great difference between such parks and the playgrounds we have described. Notice how, in the latter, all the provisions of beauty and equipment are made subservient to the satisfaction of the child's craving for plays and enjoyments, with final object not so much to inculcate knowledge and health as the park's equipment may do, though these are held in view too, but to show the young how to behave and live together, as well as to awake their hidden vitality into action, which play alone can do. The playground may or may not have anything attractive to the eye; but it is just what child's nature requires. The teacher here may know nothing of school teaching, neither is it very strictly required. What she must learn is how to amuse the young, and to regulate their various sports so as to make them most happy and manly. III. at Suc§ tyfayqeoimbs €