Back in a simpler time in the Post-WWII era, the City of Lorain's Recreation Department used to have a summer playground program for the kids. It gave the children something to do while school was out, and kept them out of trouble (hopefully).
And seventy years ago this week, according to the article below from the June 12, 1956 Lorain Journal, the city held the official opening of the 11 city playgrounds.
"In the crafts program, children are making woven place mats, leather billfolds, comb cases, and such items. They also are learning to make and paint molds and to braid narrow plastic strips into attractive bracelets or neck chains.
"Baseball and softball leagues are being organized at the various parks and tennis instruction and games will result in a tournament among the parks at the end of the season.
"Other activities include basketball, volleyball, badminton, paddle tennis, horseshoes, picture puzzles, checkers, table tennis, story hour, croquet, chess and ring toss.
"There are also coloring books for the very small children.
"Playgrounds all have been equipped with swings, both regular and small, merry-go-rounds, climb-arounds, teeter totters, and slides."
It was an impressive amount of activities with something to appeal to every child. It all sounds so quaint. A little more than ten years later, my siblings and I participated in a special Indian-themed Lorain Parks event at Willow Creek (which I wrote about here). It was a day that I still remember fondly.
We used to go to the Summer Recreation Program at Pawlak(City) Field back in the mid/late Sixties.
ReplyDeleteHey Dan - living just a block away from City Field(Pawlak) I remember there being a metal shed where workers would pass out kick balls and craft supplies in the 60’s. Looking back that metal shed in summer must have been a little warm inside. I bet they wished they could use the sprinkler system there. What a crazy contraption with the square pipes at the bottom of the concrete bowl spraying water everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy it being there on hot afternoons.
Todd
Back when the sunshine was still good for you!
ReplyDeleteGosh, this post brings such a happy memory, of back about 1963, going with the “big” kids in the neighborhood to the Grant St park. There, the teenage park employees helped us paint molded plaster fruit wall hangings and braid bracelets. I recall getting dizzy on the wooden merry-go-round and swinging really high on the tall swingsets that had heavy metal chains and wood seats, where you could really get some momentum. Not to mention the big teeter totter, where several kids could sit on each side…and summer seemed to last forever…
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