![]() The model playground concept was spreading rapidly and by 1917 could be seen across the US. Up until this time, steel had primarily been used for small objects, but the Industrial Revolution made it possible to use it on a grander scale. Model playground equipment was built using galvanized steel pipes, striking vertical and horizontal elements, ladders, and chains. merry-go-rounds, and other twirling contraptionsĬhildren’s playground, Belle Isle Park, Detroit, Michigan / image: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.the “four S’s”: swings, seesaws, sandboxes, and slides.shelters, toilet/bathing facilities, shaded spaces, garden plots, and swimming pools.separate play sections and athletic fields for boys and girls.The term “model playground” emerged as an example of the ideal playground. Early twentieth century playgrounds were not intended for free-play, and special instructors were trained to teach lessons and organize play. Supported by President Theodore Roosevelt, the association officially established the necessity for public playgrounds, and outlined their standard design and activities. Paul, Minnesota / image: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division “That inasmuch as play under proper conditions is essential to the health and the physical, social, and moral wellbeing of the child, playgrounds are a necessity for all children as much as schools.” (National Recreation Association records, “Early Days,” n.d.) Girls’ playground, Harriet Island, St. Among its founding principles, the association stated: ![]() The number of sand bergs and kindergartens rapidly increased, appearing in cities across the country (Frost, 2010).Īs public play spaces became more valued, the Playground Association of America was established in 1906 to promote the importance of public playgrounds to communities across the country (O’Shea, 2013). Its success encouraged more piles of sand to be placed the following year in the yards of the Boston Children’s Mission Parmenter Street Chapel and the Warrenton Street Chapel. Marie Zakrsewska, a Berlin native, who mimicked the ones she saw in her home city. In 1886, the first ‘Sand Garden’ was introduced by Dr. Providing a safe space for children to play off the public streets arose as a response to the rise of poverty all across America’s cities. image: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, New York Public Library Digital CollectionsĪ wave of immigration as well as expanding urbanization during the Industrial Revolution resulted in the growth of slums where homeless children lived and fought to survive on the streets (Zacks, 2012). “African American girls playing games.” 1922. The article prompted the use of sandboxes across Germany, in schools and homes. A more designed sand play was popularized in 1889 when Froebel published plans for building a sandbox (Levine, 2003). Motivated by Froebel’s ideas, sand bergs (piles of sand) were placed in Berlin’s public parks in the 1850s. Promoting the value of free and nature play, he emphasized the need for contact with natural materials such as sand and water. Building on the work of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and educator Johann Pestalozzi, Froebel recognized the importance of a stimulating environment and how it could positively impact children (Pound, 2011). ![]() The first public play space was introduced in Germany by Friedrich Froebel, founder of the kindergarten. Public playgrounds did not exist (O’Shea, 2013). Before that time, children were required to work in fields or factories and were not given designated time for play. The concept of play as a vital part of human development is newer than we may imagine, emerging only towards the end of the nineteenth century. ASLA, Children’s Outdoor Environments Professional Practice Network – Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, FAOTA, Affil. She is employed at StudioMLA in Brookline, MA. Naomi received her Master of Science in Architecture from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and her Bachelor of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College. Naomi is a playground designer focused on creating spaces and objects that provide children the freedom to think, act, and play in creative ways. We are so pleased to share this informative two-part article about the history of play, written by Naomi Heller. 1915 / image: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
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