Youth & Family News - Children at Play

Last month we talked about the kinds of work that children in the 1800s might have done -- everything from chopping wood to hard labor in the mills -- which then, as now, related directly to the wealth and type of work the family engaged in. But no matter what kind of work kids might have done, pretty much every child shared the opportunity to play.

When children had free time, often their freedom knew few bounds as girls and boys alike climbed trees, jumped in rivers, walked on thin ice, fought each other with sticks and stones, and roamed far and wide without ever seeing an adult.

American novelist, William Dean Howells (1837-1920) described the freedom during his childhood in Ohio, unsupervised and engaged in wild and often dangerous and destructive games.

Free play wasn’t limited to the countryside, with city kids exploring alleys, empty buildings, and green spaces. The streets themselves became the sites of games of ball or hopscotch. Free time truly represented a world of children. This kind of free roaming childhood lasted well into the 1900s.

Many adults today, including our own ACM Program Manager Bonnie, remember playing in the streets of their home town (or city) rarely seeing an adult, racking up cuts and bruises without care, only returning home for dinner. The free play of childhood began to disappear in American lives around the 1970s and 1980s, as children’s time became more structured with formal activities and team sports, and fear (real and imagined) of the dangers of leaving kids unattended led to changing rules for free time.

Over the last 40 to 50 years, researchers have documented how these changes have negatively impacted kid’s physical and mental health, and creativity. We at the ACM believe in giving kids chances to play and actively explore the history of this city. So, over the rest of this year we’ll be experimenting with different activities for kids to do just that. First up will be Family Day on May 21st with weaving activities, hat making, and more. Please come check out what we’re up to at the Industrial History Center.

For more information visit the Industrial History Center website: www.industrialhistorycenter.org.