Jane Addams, Recreation Advocate

VOLUNTEER AGENCIES played a part in the development of recreation in the U.S. as Neighborhood Guilds introduced the settlement house movement. Jane Addams established Hull House in 1889 as a settlement house to serve Chicago's needs. Miss Addams succeeded in securing enough land around Hull House to start the first model playground in 1892. The new model playground provided apparatus and areas for playing ball and other games in addition to sandboxes. Because the playground was larger and had more varied equipment and facilities, it served older youth than the earlier sand gardens.

The efforts of Jane Addams set the pattern for many additional play areas with apparatus and equipment, sports for older youth, as well as supervised low-organized games. The Jane Addams model comprised a blueprint for like efforts in other cities. Early objectives of settlement houses were to meet the needs of the poor. However, in addition to welfare, the objectives of the Addams model were broadened to include education, health, and recreation. The Jane Addams idea was a forerunner of many programs carried out even to the present day.