OCR Text |
Show Playground for Children. FjcpertK from the Unlicd State turueil Hits Into a playgruiiud such its Pnrlt. ehlldren bad neer seen before. Thcj brought strange looking ladders, bars, swings, trapces. m-cmiwh mid other gymiiiistlc eiulpmeiit from Making Little Oodles Strong. America Then filong came basketball., basket-ball., footballs, basehulls, bat and gloves. It wus a new thrill for those, children. To muny it was like a drenm come trut?. The playground has been operating nearly n year and thousand of children chil-dren have found health and happiness there. Classes for 300 were organized the nrst day nnd the children quickly fell Into the spirit of the playground. Ilaseball teams were formed and soon several small llobe Kutlis were developed. Ilnskctball be.cmno very popular with boys and girls, who formed opposing teams. Football was not overlooked and the Frewh youngsters young-sters became dceplj Interehtcd. The spirit of friendly rivalry spread to the ' schools of Pari, and football and basketball bas-ketball matches became dally features. A large barracks affords a rest room, , an Infirmary, nn ubcuibly hull and a 1 playroom where games take place In 1 bad weather. During the early period of the playground, when many undernourished under-nourished children came to play, tent wiih erected In the center of the field, where hot cocoa, bread nnd a chocolate bar were served to them In the afternoon. Training School. One of the chief purpose of the Paris playground was Its use as u training school for Instructors, a sort of open-air normal for those willing to aid In teaching children how to piny nnd obtain all the benetlts of healthful exercise. After a course here, young French women are sent to net as Instructors In-structors nt Ilhelmx, Amiens, Itelhel nnd Guise, where tunuller Junior lted Cross plnygrounds have been estal llshed. Through the Interest being niousisl mining the child-welfare organisations or-ganisations In other countries. It Is expected ex-pected thut they will establish playgrounds play-grounds patterned closely after those set tip In France by tho children of America. |