The Yard (also called 'Young Yardville' or 'Yardville') was the first

adventure playground An adventure playground is a specific type of playground for children. Adventure playgrounds can take many forms, ranging from "natural playgrounds" to "junk playgrounds", and are typically defined by an ethos of unrestricted play, the presence ...

established in the United States. It was opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1949, to give children "their own spot of earth and plenty of tools and materials for digging, building and creating as they see fit."

History

McCall’s Magazine, together with the United Way and several local organizations, sponsored the construction of the playground in 1949. President Harry Truman visited the site in 1949. It was popular with children and police: "'Since President Truman visited The Yard last fall, we haven't had a call out that way,' says Juvenile Officer Virgil Lenens of the Minneapolis Police Department. 'It used to be a headache, with the kids breaking street lamps and picking up stuff from houses under construction to build their shacks along the railroad tracks.'" The Yard was equipped with tools for digging and building, second-hand lumber, bricks, tiling, paint, nails, an old railroad boxcar and the body of a milk truck.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yard Playgrounds Adventure playgrounds