2020 ISSUE 1
A R C H I V E S C O R N E R : E A R LY H I S T O RY O F P L AY I N I L L I N O I S
Ashley Stoffel & Kathy Preissner
The profession of occupational therapy views
play as a primary occupation of children. Play has a
strong history in Illinois. Jane Addams, Julia Lathrop,
and other early influencers of the field of occupational
therapy saw the value of play for children and enacted
several initiatives at Hull-House. Hull-House was opened
in 1889 as Chicago’s first social settlement and helped
influence policy, services, and education in a variety of
areas including child and maternal health, art, literacy,
labor laws, and immigrant rights. Services at Hull-House
were influential in developing play as a meaningful occu-
pation of childhood. For example, Hull-House had Chica-
go’s first public playground and provided a nursery and
kindergarten.
At right: Hull House Playground; Opened in 1895 (Photo
credit: Hull House collection, Special Collections and
University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago)
About the Authors
Ashley Stoffel, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA is Clinical Associate Professor in the De-
partment of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She
teaches courses related to pediatric occupational therapy and is the director of
the UIC OT Faculty Practice: Children, Youth & Families which provides occupa-
tional therapy services to children and families in the Chicago area. Dr. Stoffel's
scholarly interests include promoting family engagement with young children and
families in diverse Early Intervention and community settings. Dr. Stoffel is the co
-chair for the ILOTA Archives committee.
Kathy Preissner, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA is Clinical Professor and Academic
Fieldwork Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Uni-
versity of Illinois at Chicago. Her clinical experience has been in hospital set-
tings including inpatient rehabilitation and acute care. Dr. Preissner conducts
research in the areas of teaching and learning in occupational therapy educa-
tion and fatigue management interventions for people with multiple sclerosis. In
addition, she has a particular interest in the history of occupational therapy, es-
pecially the early years of the profession. Kathy is the co-chair for the ILOTA
Archives committee and the chair of the Education Special Interest Section.
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