The Right to Play: How Jane Addams Fought for America’s Playgrounds

Jane Addams ensured that all children in the United States had the right to play.

When Jane Addams was a little girl, she had a limp that prevented her from running and playing with the other children in her neighborhood. Eventually her condition improved, and she was able to join in the fun and make new friends. But she never forgot what it felt like to be left out. Jane grew up and moved to Chicago to cofound Hull House, a settlement home for immigrant families. There, kids from different countries spent time together while their parents worked. Jane wanted to give the boys and girls in her care a place outside where they could run and play, just as she used to. So she commissioned the first model playground in the US, sparking a nationwide movement to build safe, dedicated spaces for children of all abilities to play.