Hot Days In The Big City
I came across some old Photographs (see below) of NYC kids living their best lives on the crowded streets of 1970's Manhattan.
The 70's was a rough decade for NYC. There was a high poverty rate and a massive divide between the wealthy and people living above or below the poverty line.
In working class neighborhoods, the schools fell into disrepair. So did the playgrounds and parks. Many children did not have access to structured childcare or organized activities/clubs. Adults had to work and children often had to fend for themselves during those unsupervised chunks of time. Many kids were given specific neighborhood boundaries, One-three blocks where they were allowed to play and run free. Since parks weren't always accessible, the streets, sidewalks and front steps AKA "the stoop" became the playground. Many kids figured out how to cool off in their pool-less neighborhoods by opening the fire hydrants and splashing in the water.
Its unsafe and illegal to open up a fire hydrant when there isn't an emergency (obviously), i'm not encouraging people to do that. What stands out to me in these photos, is the resilience of the children. Figuring out ways to keep themselves busy and entertained in difficult, crowded, sweltering conditions. These city kids made their own pools, baseball fields and jungle-gyms out of the resources at their disposal. Scrappy and creative!
Prompts for discussion with your art students:
The 70's was a rough decade for NYC. There was a high poverty rate and a massive divide between the wealthy and people living above or below the poverty line.
In working class neighborhoods, the schools fell into disrepair. So did the playgrounds and parks. Many children did not have access to structured childcare or organized activities/clubs. Adults had to work and children often had to fend for themselves during those unsupervised chunks of time. Many kids were given specific neighborhood boundaries, One-three blocks where they were allowed to play and run free. Since parks weren't always accessible, the streets, sidewalks and front steps AKA "the stoop" became the playground. Many kids figured out how to cool off in their pool-less neighborhoods by opening the fire hydrants and splashing in the water.
Its unsafe and illegal to open up a fire hydrant when there isn't an emergency (obviously), i'm not encouraging people to do that. What stands out to me in these photos, is the resilience of the children. Figuring out ways to keep themselves busy and entertained in difficult, crowded, sweltering conditions. These city kids made their own pools, baseball fields and jungle-gyms out of the resources at their disposal. Scrappy and creative!
- What are we looking at?
- who are the people in these pictures?
- where do the people in these pictures live?
- What do these pictures sound like?
- When it's hot outside, how do you stay cool?
- With a pencil and a piece of paper, could you draw a picture of your favorite activity on a hot day?
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