structors under the Recreation Commission. In Manchester 2500 attended the Playground Aquatic Meet at Crystal Lake. The nine events on the program were followed by water basketball and general swimming. In congested areas in Manchester five outdoor showers were installed this summer. Each shower was made of four inexpensive lawn sprinklers attached to piping and the platform was made from old planking used at one time in city construction work. In Nashua a "swimming hole" was under playground supervision and an instructor on duty all day. The interest in swimming by old as well as young has convinced the City Fathers that adequate provision must be made and plans are under way for a pool. In Rochester last year there was a 39% increase in the number of boys in one school that had learned to swim as the result of the instruction received at the playground beach. Dover has a municipal pool which is always an attraction. Claremont has wisely used the space under the grand stand for showers.

Story telling is an important factor on any playground program and the story teller resembles the Pied Piper of Hamlin days whenever the story hour approaches. In Nashua a volunteer committee organized a group of story tellers and one was sent to each of the five playgrounds every day. The Library

furnished the material for new stories and in co-operation with the committee arranged for lectures by professional story tellers. The little children were not the only ones who listened spellbound to the stories, the big boys and girls, and often their mothers and grandfathers came too. Sometimes the story teller came dressed as a fairy and told the beloved fairy tales or another time as a gypsy or in the national costume of another land. The children love to dramatize the stories and the make-believe fairies or the Three Bears seemed very real. The children on Derryfield Park Playground in Manchester gave a "show" every day. In Concord the Playground children dramatized their stories and nursery rhymes and then en

tertained the children and grown-ups in one of the city hospitals. The children performed on the lawn while the patients watched from their windows or from the porches. In Claremont the children. gave "The Dearest Wish," a delightful story festival as part of this summer's closing program. Many of the playgrounds presented plays, pageants and story festivals as part of this summer's closing exhibition. The Dover and Portsmouth playground children took part in the tercentenary celebration. Dover also had a special playground afternoon on the week's program. The same "let's pretend" spirit was demonstrated in the sand box play, the dwarf's castles and the fairies' gardens were models that any architect or landscape artist might envy.

Special gala days were featured all summer, some playgrounds planning a special day a week. The "specialities" were most varied, and often the fathers and mothers, big sisters and brothers, came as well as did baby sister or brother. Franklin Park in Boston doubtless never saw such a variety of animals as were displayed in the Pet Shows given on many New Hampshire playgrounds this past summer. Dogs, cats, birds, turtles, ponies, rabbits, grasshoppers, lizards, goldfish, mice and rats.

Human

were among the many shown. pets were included and the children's imagination ran riot as they planned the well known "spark plug." Three thousand children took part in Manchester's Pet Show. A Bicycle Road race in Manchester was an exciting event for the thirty-one boys who participated. the winner of the race of 42 miles was presented with a silver cup donated by the Kiwanis Club. Marble, quoit, mumbledy peg and other tournaments were run off as special events and created much interest. In one city where there was little equipment the boys made "tin can stilts" and a contest was held. Doll carriage Parades and Doll Shows are looked forward to as "the season's biggest event." The dolls are dressed in their "Sunday best" and usually costumed in the creations fashioned by the little mothers. The doll carriages are decorated and ribbon prizes awarded. Many are unique and artistic and the affair is always a festive one. In a foreign section of one city where the children had no "real" doll carriages conveyances were manufactured out of wooden and cardboard boxes and then gaily decorated.

The Playground Circus is becoming a serious rival of the famous Sells-Floto or Ringling Brothers. The "Greatest

Onward and Upward Show" of the year has a parade, wild animals, clowns, side shows, pink lemonade and all the attractions that go to make up a real circus. The playground apparatus affords excellent opportunity for daring trapeze work and the clowns. thrill their spectators with all sorts of daring stunts. Summer time means picnic time too, and many playgrounds have regular picnic days, occasionally going on long excursions, the city or public spirited citizens providing transportation, and then again going to one of the city's parks for a happy day. Picnic breakfasts have been held for the newsboys and often there are picnic suppers or lunches on the home playground. Often the mothers are special guests for the afternoon and in some cities the mothers join in a game of croquet, or a lesson in basketry while their babies are enjoying the swings and sandboxes.

Music has a universal appeal and serves as a splendid means of bringing people together. Band concerts are al

ways popular and well attended. Rochester has a boys' band which includes boys of playground age. Many of the playgrounds have daily sings and their own playground songs. In some of the foreign sections the children learn to sing the playground song but have difficulty in speaking English. Harmonica bands have been in vogue this summer and have been in demand for many of the gala events. Most playgrounds have victrolas and in addition to the records used for folk dancing, many have classical music and have "artists' concerts." One little playgrounder five years of age begs daily for "The Largo."

Health work is included as part of the season's work. Often the city nurse cooperates and makes daily rounds. Health games and rhymes are taught. Sometimes tooth paste and soap samples are given out with explanation of their proper use. A clean face and hands and teeth as well as other qualifications are demanded for the merit system.

Cities are appreciating the need for adult recreation and are providing horse shoe pitches, checker tables, bowling on the green, rifle ranges, croquet, and tennis for the older ones. Beautiful parks formerly made to look at are now be

coming "useful as well as ornamental." Cities are learning too that beauty commands respect and reverence and that beauty vandalism decreases as beauty in

creases.

Under the influence of municipal playgrounds, child crime and delinquency are being decreased in many cities and towns. Municipalities are rapidly learning that an ounce of prevention in the form of thoughtful supervision of children's leisure time is worth a pound of cure in the form of courts and jails. In Nashua the number of juvenile delinquent cases decreased almost 50% last year and the result is attributed to the playgrounds where the children are so busy at play that they have no time to get into mischief.

Successful recreation programs have not only been conducted by larger New Hampshire cities but by smaller towns and communities as well. Often when town appropriation has not been made local organizations are carrying on until such time as the budget can be included in the town warrant. The Parent Teachers Association in East Jaffrey is sponsoring the playground and raised the money for this year's supervision.

Among the many interesting methods devised for raising money a May breakfast was served from five until nine o'clock on May Morning. The Breakfast was decidedly a Community party, there were mill and factory workers, storekeepers, business men and whole. families and clubs. Three buglers from the church belfries awakened the town with "Oh How I Hate to Get up in the Morning" and then sounded the mess call. In this way all the people in East Jaffrey contributed to the playleadership for all the children in town.

Encouraging as New Hampshire's achievements have been in recent years, there are still greater opportunities ahead. The fall, winter and spring months offer numerous opportunities for organized recreation just as they do the summer months. Of the 215 American cities that boast year-round recreation under trained leadership, none is within the borders of New Hampshire. Progressive New Hampshire people will not long continue to leave any stone unturned whereby the spare time of their people may be filled with the rich benefits of wholesome and well organized recreation.