Homebase

This is the homebase of playground association Zuiderkwartier. In the beginning of the 20th century, playgrounds were built as distractions for city children. Playground served as a kind of civilization program, intended to protect children from the dangerous attractions of the city.

Playground association Zuiderkwartier is the oldest playground association in Leiden. The association was founded in 1926 by members of two housing associations, “Ons Doel” and “De Tuinstadwijk”. The association’s goal was to support children who were experiencing difficulties at home or at school.

Head of the board Peter Elfrink explains that the board is made up of volunteers. They use their free time to take care of the playground and its visitors. “We do everything for the children,” Elfrink emphasizes. They organize trips outside of the playground, for example to amusement parks in the vicinity, and during hot summers, they even set up swimming pools in the playground so children can cool down and splash around at the same time!

The playground contains a canteen as well. Not only did the association strive for a terrain with playground equipment, they also wanted a space for cultural activities, such as music courses, parties and religious festivities. The building that currently acts as a canteen, is not the original building. The previous canteen was built in 1955 and was used for parties and meetings by other organizations and amateur clubs. The building had to close in 2018, as the deterioration was such that the safety of visitors could no longer be guaranteed. In 2019, the volunteers began construction on a new building, and in 2020, the canteen was reopened.