Muller Orphanage Playgrounds, 1880ish

But will they have as much fun as these kids?

The Victorian playgrounds of the Muller orphanages, Bristol, England, where from 1836 until 1898 Rev. George Muller and his staff cared for 10,024 children, reaching 2,050 at one time, most orphaned by tuberculosis. On donations. Without asking for money. The playgrounds (there were indoor playrooms as well) were nicer than those of most Victorian schools, and quite unusual for poor children, who by the standards of the time only needed to work. Muller was critized for giving them advantages above their station in life.

Courtesy of the George Muller Foundation, the last vestige of the work, though the sturdy orphanage buildings still stand on the hills overlooking Bristol. Some of the playground walls survive.