In the light of these scientific and sociological studies it is evident that the school has a task before it. Briefly stated, this task is as follows: Nature intended that the child should play; play is a phase of the child’s natural education. The conditions of life in cities have deprived children of the opportunity for the free development of play. The educational system must take the children in hand and train them back into nature’s ways.
Surveys of Children’s Play in Cities
Evidence that the situation needs attention is furnished by studies which have recently been made. The following quotation supplies one such body of evidence:
In the hour and a half following the close of school November 10 and 18 careful observations were made in all parts of the town at the same time, by four adults selected for the purpose. They were instructed to look carefully through the streets, vacant lots, yards, parks, and playgrounds and make a notation of every child or young person up to the age of 21, observed. The information sought was what each one was actually doing, at play or otherwise, and where he was doing it. They were also asked to estimate the ages of the children observed. On November 6 a preliminary sounding was made by the investigator. Each observer was assigned definite territory so as to avoid duplication and all worked at exactly the same time. The results of these “soundings” have been carefully tabulated and summarized.
Altogether 696 children, 447 boys and 249 girls, were observed. Of the total number, 262 or almost 40 per cent of the children and young people were doing nothing. Especially significant is the fact that 168 of the 262 idling boys and girls were idling in groups. Here is where mischief usually starts. A majority of those walking (203) were in reality idling. Fifty-six or eight per cent of the children were playing football and baseball and 22 or a fraction over three per cent were occupied with other games. A play life the two chief features of which are idling and walking indicates that the community is not discharging its plain duty with respect to the boys and girls.[84]
A like result is reported in the Cleveland survey.
A play census, taken June 23, 1913, under the direction of the Chief Medical Inspector and Assistant Superintendent in charge of Physical Education in Cleveland, seemed to show this same lack of relationship between the school and the out-of-school activities of children. The results of this study are shown in the following table. [Page 272]
CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THIS CENSUS
1. That just at the age (under 15) when play and activity are the fundamental requirements for proper growth and development 41 per cent of the children seen were doing nothing. The boy without play is father to the man without a job.
2. Fifty-one per cent of all the children seen were in the streets, in the midst of all the traffic, dirt, and heat, and in an environment conducive to just the wrong kind of play.
RECORD OF 14,683 CLEVELAND CHILDREN
Boys Girls Total Where they were seen On streets 5,241 2,558 7,799 In yards 1,583 1,998 3,581 In vacant lots 686 197 883 In playgrounds 997 872 1,869 In alleys 413 138 551 What they were doing Doing nothing 3,737 2,234 5,971 Playing 4,601 2,757 7,358 Working 719 635 1,354 What games they were playing Baseball 1,448 190 1,638 Kites 482 49 531 Sand piles 241 230 471 Tag 100 53 153 Jackstones 68 257 325 Dolls 89 193 282 Sewing 14 130 144 Housekeeping 53 191 244 Horse and wagon 89 24 113 Bicycle riding 79 13 92 Minding baby 19 41 60 Reading 17 35 52 Roller-skating 18 29 47 Gardening 13 14 27 Caddy 6 0 6 Marbles 2 0 2 Playing in other ways, mostly just fooling 1,863 1,308 3,171 3. That only six per cent of the children seen were on vacant lots despite the fact that in most of the districts vacant lots were available as play spaces. A place to play does not solve the problem: there must be a play leader.
4. That even though 36 playgrounds were open and 16 of them with apparatus up, only 1869, or 11 percent, of the children seen within four blocks of a playground were playing on playgrounds. Last Friday 6488 children played on playgrounds.
| Boys | Girls | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where they were seen | On streets | 5,241 | 2,558 | 7,799 |
| In yards | 1,583 | 1,998 | 3,581 | |
| In vacant lots | 686 | 197 | 883 | |
| In playgrounds | 997 | 872 | 1,869 | |
| In alleys | 413 | 138 | 551 | |
| What they were doing | Doing nothing | 3,737 | 2,234 | 5,971 |
| Playing | 4,601 | 2,757 | 7,358 | |
| Working | 719 | 635 | 1,354 | |
| What games they were playing | Baseball | 1,448 | 190 | 1,638 |
| Kites | 482 | 49 | 531 | |
| Sand piles | 241 | 230 | 471 | |
| Tag | 100 | 53 | 153 | |
| Jackstones | 68 | 257 | 325 | |
| Dolls | 89 | 193 | 282 | |
| Sewing | 14 | 130 | 144 | |
| Housekeeping | 53 | 191 | 244 | |
| Horse and wagon | 89 | 24 | 113 | |
| Bicycle riding | 79 | 13 | 92 | |
| Minding baby | 19 | 41 | 60 | |
| Reading | 17 | 35 | 52 | |
| Roller-skating | 18 | 29 | 47 | |
| Gardening | 13 | 14 | 27 | |
| Caddy | 6 | 0 | 6 | |
| Marbles | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Playing in other ways, mostly just fooling | 1,863 | 1,308 | 3,171 |
5. That of the 7358 children reported to have been playing, 3171 were reported to have been playing by doing some of the following things: fighting, teasing, pitching pennies, shooting craps, stealing apples, “roughing a peddler,” chasing chickens, tying can to dog, etc., but most of them were reported to have been “just fooling”—not playing anything in particular.
6. We need more and better playgrounds and a better trained leadership.[85]