In a world of iPods and video games, it is easy to overlook the profound developmental impact unstructured, imaginative play can have on a young child. For children, playtime can be a venue for creating understandings of the world and how people interact. The immediate gratification of a PS2 will never nurture a child’s mind and moral growth the way that a simple day playing outside can. As a place dedicated to the spirit of childhood, SMITH exists to provide children with much needed play experiences.
Constructed in 1899, SMITH’s operation today is just as important as it was during the Playground Movement of the late 1800s. From its inception, SMITH has offered a free and beautiful place for children to play, away from the noise of the city and free from the constraints of the classroom. More than 100 years later, SMITH’s program of pure physical and creative play remains innovative and invaluable. As a one-of-a-kind facility, SMITH serves as a role model for other play spaces across the nation. Child-oriented agencies use the Playhouse as a staff and client training facility, while other organizations study and replicate Smith’s unique, safe, and accessible play equipment.
Most important, however, is the magical safe haven which SMITH provides, offering to children of all income levels and physical abilities a safe place where they can build strong family bonds and the physical, behavioral and developmental skills that lead to a more active lifestyle and encourage life-long health and well- being.
Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, Inc.
