The Washington times., 1895-06-19
Playing Postma ster.

have little trouble in enforcing these
[ restraints.
/ The inexorable law of change has al
( lowed the child world to remain unmo-
/ Tested. Boys are still devoted to bah play
| ing Some tolerate the Innovations OF foot
! bailand have baseballiu the school grounds
, but the average small boy employs his
| recess in the old-fasliOned throwing and
| catching, after the manner OF our grand
| fathers
| Many of the children are partial to
| tag" or ''catChins," as it is variously
called and which is only our old friend
catch her" in an embellished name. Leap
| frog, cross fox, mumblepcg, and the time
| honored top are popular in their season.
just now it is the season of marbles. as
dusty knees and tattered trousers bear
ample testimony.
Girls are more sedate in their anu Sements
Some are given 10 rope jumping and throw
ing the beanbag, while off in quiet cor
ner n group OF pretty little maidcns can
be found playing Jacks" Others find
solace in bouncing ball, but as a youth
said contemptuously, looking into the
girls ay-ground:
They never have any fun. All they
want is to walk up and down with their
arms around each other and tell secrets"
Perhaps slight feeling of envy actuated
this withering criticism.
The growing period is essentially the
time to form habits of health and to in
still a reverence for the sanctity of the
body. The care and training of the physi-
cal being must be more cautiously guarded
during the hours of play than those of
study. For this end the teacher OF to-day
strives in the most earnest manner TO in
spire in pupils minds a sort of body wor-
ship, love for the fine and the beautiful,
The teacher who succeeds in making
boy comprehend the commercial value that
the world setsupon a good form, a courteous
bearing and healthy body is providing him
with an all-Powerful safeguard against bad
habits and penicious associations.
Girls, with the vanity popularity ascribed
to the SEX, are always desirous 70 attain
high degree OF grace aud beauty. Moth
ing, according to Mr. Powell's idea, is more
conducive to both qualities than proper
amount of healthy play, andgentle, amiable
manners to their playmates.
A most Innocent form of child amuse
ment is seen in what little has been intro
duced of the Kinae fgarten. A visitor who
strolls in during school hours-for the
Kinderga gartensysfem tsdignified by thenam
of school, would think the little ones Were
having merry time over their games.
But the teacher soon explains in how
many ways theirSnall brains are being cult-
waited. 1t is work. in the garb of Joy"
During all the exercises, an assistant teacher
plays pretty brightIpusic, and if music has
the power to soothe even the savage breast,
its refining influence, on the child mind is
limitleSs
Besides the obvious advantage of teaching
the children to march in correct time, and
thus form the foundation Of a regular easy
gait in walking, it has an inspiring, glad
dening effect of unquestionable advantage
TO the success Of the lessons.
In selecting games the teacher uses the
greatest discretion They must be inter
esting but not tireSome They must teach
the little folks some useful knowledge
while they think it is only good romp.
Each child participates in all the plays,
and each is assigned part that will rem
edy its natural defects without the appear
ance of correction
For instance, game is played which rep
resents landscape A figety little tot
is stone and must sit quietly in corner;
timid child is a bee, and must fit
around INCREASINGLY; an awkward CHILD is
given part which requires lightness and
rapidity.
Some of these games are beautiful in the
completeness OF thought and the ease with
which the children carry out the idea.
One is called the game of the caterpillar,
and is 80 complex that it is almost a
years can comprehend it.
Six or eight children lie on the floor and
represent crawling VOTE. Three or