The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-10-05
THE MORTAL KINDERGARTEN.
Everyone who visits at the Normal

Everyone who visits at the Normal
school now manages to spend as much
time as possible in the kindergarten,
and much delight is always expressed
with the many interesting things that
can be seen going on there. 1T is a
new experience for most people to see
school work carried on under such
happy conditions, where children and
teachers seem not to be conscious OF
the fact that they are working at all,
but that they are having the best OF
times and the greatest pleasure every
minute that they are in the school
room. The children frequently say to
the parents that they love to go to the
kindergarten because sit is just play
all the time" and many parents who
watch the little ones as they are en-
gagged in the games, gifts or occupa-
tions are inclined to agree with the
children that all is play with no work
accompanying it. One mother said
recently, 81 think it is very nice to
call it kitten garden, because the lit
tie ones are just as happy and frolic-
some as kittens, and then they are
Just as free in their rooms as they
would be in the garden"
1t is to be hoped that the mothers
of our city may come to appreciate
what wonderful meaning there is be-
hind all of this play that the children
indulge in so freely. What seems to
be for the child entertainment and
amusement is very cheerfully arrang-
ed so as to develop all OF the faculties
of his mind and all the qualities of
his heart in the most speedy and safe
manner possible. Every game, gift,
song or occupation appeals to the
highest and best in the child-nature
and affords it opportunity through its
own self-actiyity to work out into visi-
BILE form the thoughts that are within.
Froebel taught that the child devel-
ops through his own activity, which
is always of the nature of play. He
comes to know the world round about
him in all it's truth and beauty through
his incessant, eager, 0delightful play;
and he always makes external his be-
liefs and conceptions of things through
this same great passion, play. Play is
the God-given birthright of the child
to enable it to become an intelligent,
unselfish, moral being ;and the Kinder
garten recognizing this, bases all of
it's work upon the freest, spontaneous
activity.
But it is not random play by
any means. The childs activities
are put upon those things which
are educating him in wonderful
way. He learns to know the forms,
the qualities, and characteristics of
the things all about him; heis grow
ing unselfish, kind, thoughtful, and
self-controlled through his perfectly
free intercourse with the other chill
dren, and the most gracious qualities
of his emotional nature are being cul-
tivated through the songs and games
and many other pleasant features
that are characteristic of all his work.
When he enters the primary school
he will have a very great advantage
over the one who has not been in the
gifts and games, and had the associa-
tion of other children for year. The
time is past when school work must
be made so stiff and formal and life
less that child must sit still all day
in his seat, and be merely passive
recipient. Such treatment of child
life is directly contrary to the design
of the Creator in making the one
great, grand passion, self-activity,
which in childhood takes the form
that we cali play. And when this
play is unconsciously directed by
trained experts who so order the
things upon which child Shall act as
to make it all highly educative, it can
be seen that truly beautiful infiu-
ence school life of this character must
have upon the child.
In the Normal school the kinder
garten principles are being applied in
the other grades and there is very
gradual transition from the kinder
garten to the primary department.
Everywhere the thought is to lead
the child through his natural longing
for activity to the highest intellectual
and moral development. It will be
very great privilege for any child to
begin with the kindergarten and con-
tinue through the grades-a privilege
which the children of dozen years
ago could never have offered them.