Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse

Mission
Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, located in East Fairmount Park, has been a treasured destination for over 100 years. Smith strives to be Philadelphia's foremost resource for play by providing opportunities for unstructured creative play for children 10 and younger. Smith contributes to the development of healthy children, strong families, and safe communities by: 1) maintaining a proud tradition of free family admission; 2) partnering with community-based organizations to reach a diverse audience; and 3) advocating for the importance of play.

Vision
Smith's 16,000 square foot Playhouse was built specifically for children's use. The house and surrounding green space opened to the public in 1899 in an era when creating a space where children could play was a radical concept. In the years since, tens of millions of Philadelphia area children have treasured their time at Smith, yet play is still undervalued in our society. Whether they attend schools that have discontinued recess, or are over-scheduled in structured activities by well-meaning parents, children today have an urgent need to spend more time in play. Smith's staff and board strive to make play more accessible to all Philadelphia area children in order to help them grow up happy, healthy, and resilient. Children who visit Smith stretch their imaginations, improve their physical health through active play, and learn to negotiate and solve problems with their peers in a natural, peaceful setting. Parents and other caregivers accompany children on visits and learn how to use play to enhance their children's health and well-being.

Smith has a special commitment to building relationships with under-resourced families, particularly those in our immediate neighborhood. We believe that time spent at Smith can enhance the lives of children who may not have many opportunities to play and build the skills of parents and caregivers. From national research and personal experience, we know that this investment in children, families, and play can create lasting positive benefits.