Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-12
TRAINING YOUNG CHILDREN.
The Value of Hygienic Rules in Their
Physical Development.

From the Ia Revue Scientifque
II would be a great mistake to apply, in the
physical training of children. the same princi-
pies as those by which gymnastics for adults is
adapted. And as recognize different grades
! in the intellectual teaching of children. cores
pOndng with their different ages. so the ex-
ercises prescribed for them should vary to cor
respond with the different degrees of their
bodily development The child's gymnastics
should be quite distinct from that which is con-
sidered best suited TO mature age 1t should
not look to utility, but should serve an exclus-
lively hygenic end. The first object should be to
give good carriage. to aid the pupils in reach
ing full maximum of growth. and see
that they are developed regularly with
out detOrmity ana without bl,mishes. All
these conditions are within the domain of
hygiene. 4 second feature OF the exercise
adapted TO children regards the cerebral con-
dltIons which result from their being ut school,
They require diversion from the mental work
that Is put upon them. and such diversion can
be obtained only by giving them the pleasure
of recreation. Hence We have the two essential
features that should be secured in infant GYM
nasucs-the hygienic and the recreative.
THE USUAL SCHOOL GYMNASTICS
lack much IF being irrcproachable from the
hygicnic point Of view. Some of the methods
seem to have been chosed rather because they
were convenient of application than on account
Of any hyEtulc value. They are not adapted
30 much 10 the requirements of the child as to
the accommodations of the school premises
Methods have been sought by which they could
he appI' If IN narrow spaces, and considerable
muscular effort called ont i'll very short time.
II may be convenient to collect class of chill
dren once or twice a week and make them per-
form vigorous move ontS. but il is hardly
what their hygiene demands To measure ont
approximately the amount of exercise that
ought to be taken in a week and administer it
all at once is no more valid than it would be TO
give food for several days at a single meal.
The child's exercise should be carefully al
lOtted to him as his food. and excessive fatigue
as scduOusly avoided as indigestion. The form
of exercise that comes
NEAREST TO NATURAL EXERCISE
is playing. 1t Is nothing else than IA more or
less methOdical regulation of the instructive
motions. such as every living being is prone to
execute spontaneously when he feels the stress
of the want OF exercise. 1t may be called
natural exercise. for We see the young of every
species of animals playing with one another
and may even observe their parents melting
them TO play. The teaching of games which
We find III all countries and ages, originates
we may suppose. in this tendency of the living
being to educate his progeny physically by ex-
citing him TO enjoy himself in motion.
Play. in the progress of civilization, has
taken various forms. and has been sub
jected to methods that tend more and
more to introduce into it an artif-
cial element. Hence. sport has been developed
from games: the exercises called sports are in
general simply games that have taken a more
methodlcal form. permitting greater display
of muscular force. eXactng more complicated
motions and longer apprenticeship. 1t is
sometimes hard to draw a clear line between
sport and play. Fencing. equation and can
ooing are varieties of sport. Cricket is as
much play for children as an exercise of
sport; IN short. in the hygienic view. sports
arr halfway between. gymnastics and play and
are therefore more suitable to youth than to
children.
GAMES
give the form of gymnastics most congenial to
the conditions of social life. for they are at
the same time hygienic and recreative, and are
as well adapted to the physical requirements Of
the child rs to his moral needs. Physically re-
garded, they demand neither very intense eff
forts nor localized muscular contractiOns Even
the most complicated of them call out nothing
more than combinations Of simple moveme uts
and natural attitudes. while gymnastics neCcs-
state abnormal combinations i'll the associa-
ton Of the muscles with movements which the
child, having never prdcticed, has to learn la
I bOrIOuslv. Play presents no difficulties com
/ parable to those offered by gymnastics. II the
| child has not yet become adept III the game he
| will play badly and lose his part; but he will
] tages OF exercise. But when he is dealing
/ with the abnormal motions or turns OF
| gymnastics. if he has not yet learned the way OF
/ executing them. or acquired the knack. which
/ 1t often takes a long time to gain. he only
makes pretense of exercising, and his effort il
/ limited TO d fruitess tentative, without any eff
/ fectiye activity. Besides the support of reason
| and observation, the method of exercise by
I playing has the sanction of acquired facts. 1t
was the only childrens gymnastics at the be.
! ginning of this century, and even now some
nations have no other settled method of physi.
! cal exercise. The English have never taken to
/ gymnastics with apparatus; and the Belgians
/ after having tried them, are abandoning them
| and returning to play. No one can question
/ the excellence of the results of the English
method; the vigor and endurance of English
/ youth are universally recognized, and theil
school games constitute their whole gymnas
| ties.