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J.L. Hammett Company

J.L. Hammett Company

J.L. Hammett Company is a family-owned internet retailer that supplies public, private, parochial, and chartered schools with core school supplies, art materials, early education products, office and paper goods, furniture, and equipment. Formerly, they also had a chain of retail outlets: Hammett's Learning World.

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jacks

Jacks

The game of jacks is a popular activity enjoyed by children. With many variations over the years, the game involves tossing small objects to be picked up in succession. The origins of the game are thought to be from Asia, although there have been many references in Greek and Roman mythology that describe games using stones or small bones. Similar games with varying names are played throughout the world, such as jackstones, fivestones, and knucklebones.1

  • 1. “Knucklebones.” Wikipedia.com. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knucklebones > 1 Dec. 2010.
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Jensen Swing Products

Jensen Swing Products

Jensen Swing Products is a wholesale playground equipment company that specializes in swings and swing set parts and accessories. They also offer playground equipment in the style of forts that can contain other elements, such as slides, tunnels, play panels, and climbing structures, as well as teeter totters and spring riders.1 With a strong commitment to safety in the manufacturing of their play pieces, they believe that “Where there is durability – strength and quality – there is safety.”2

  • 1. “Our Products.” Jensen Swing Products Inc. < http://www.jensenswing.com/category.php > 22 March 2012.
  • 2. Ciraolo, Charvet. Personal correspondence to Playground Professionals. 26 Feb. 2012.
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John Preston Playground Safety Award

The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) declares National Playground Safety Week each April as a time to focus on children’s outdoor play environments.1 Appreciation for an organization or agency who exemplifies the care and concern for children by creating safe play environments is given in the annual presentation of the John Preston Playground Safety Award. The award is named after John Preston, an engineer for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and a tireless worker for the safety of children.2

  • 1. “Playground Safety Week.” National Program for Playground Safety. < http://www.playgroundsafety.org/safetyweek/index.htm > 4 Feb. 2011.
  • 2. “Playground Safety Awards.” National Program for Playground Safety.
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Johnson, George E

George Ellsworth Johnson, a play administrator, author, and instructor of the early 1900s, believed that play was essential for children's physical development and health as well as being the precursor of later satisfying work, the means to shaping their emotional life, and the “mother of education.”1 As a teacher, George furthered the play movement with his practical and philosophical knowledge and thus influenced the next generation of educators and administrators in the recreation and related fields.

  • 1. Butler, George D. Pioneers in Public Recreation. Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing Company, 1965. pp.76-79.
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jump rope

Jump Rope

The jump rope is a familiar children’s toy on the playground. It has been a popular toy for centuries and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000. While rope skipping has been seen in many cultures around the world, early Dutch settlers brought the activity to America in the 17th century where it began as a boy’s activity. By the 18th century girls were also jumping ropes and adding rhythmic songs, such as “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground” and “Cinderella, dressed in yellow, went up stairs to kiss a fellow.”1

  • 1. “Jump Rope.” National Toy Hall of Fame. < http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys/jump-rope > 11 Nov. 2011.
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