Changes

In 1859, in Manchester, England, the Victorian population in the city realized the difficulties they had with children running on the street and the dangers that could cause accidents. Industrialization had made cities crowded, noisy, and polluted. The city decided that year to build the first purpose-built playground that was not attached to any school. The idea was to keep children busy and give them some space away from crowded urban areas. Nevertheless, many people did not see the purpose of playgrounds, as streets were often not that busy in many other cities and there were spaces for children to play in neighborhoods. In 1886, Boston created arguably the first playground in the United States, and others followed as far as California.

In 1886, Boston created arguably the first playground in the United States, and others followed as far as California. However, the idea did not prove popular among many residents in the United States, and many saw funds for public playgrounds as a waste. Things only began to change more substantially as the automobile began to be introduced. In 1901, one of the first reports to publish accidental deaths caused on streets was published. The number of children killed astonished people and soon created a movement to create play areas designated for children. Additionally, educational theories in the United States were beginning to see the relevance of Fröbel's ideas on the importance of play and education. These two effects combined to create a playground movement within the United States in the first decade of the 1900s, culminating with the founding of the Playground Association of America in 1906 (Figure 1).<ref>For more on how playgrounds spread in the United States, see: Doell, Charles Edward, Fitzgerald, Gerald B., Bank, Theodore P. <i>A Brief History of Parks and Recreation in the United States</i>. Literary Licensing, LLC. </ref>