Teaching the Children to Play: The Establishment of the First Playgrounds in Palestine During the Mandate

The article discusses the establishment of the first three playgrounds in Palestine during the Mandate. They were founded on social and educational principles, and were among the first institutes of informal education in the country. It was from these playgrounds that clubs, afternoon centers for schoolchildren, summer camps, and, finally, community centers developed. What function did these playgrounds serve, and what were the forces that initiated them? The article focuses on the educational work carried out in the Guggenheimer-Hadassah playgrounds, examines their underlying principles, explains their unique significance during the period, analyzes what part they played in the development of informal education in Palestine and reveals the role played by the Hadassah American Zionist Women's Organization in its formation.