New-York tribune., 1903-02-02
T4LCE OF GAMES.
Children's Bnthr1gM Denied Them
When Then Cannot PLAY.

Games of children are surely hallowed. if any
thing in the world can be- said Dr. H T. Arnoio'
for they old the race itself planted III
the heart of the child by Nature herself for his edu-
cation and development"
Or. Arnold, who is in charge OF the Physlcai
culture classes at the New-Haven Normal Sehooi-
began a of lectures the subject OF
Games under the auspices of the Anderson Gym
nastic Club
"AH children play games he said. provided
they given time and space They play Iheh
naturally, without instruction or direction NO
knows where they learned them NO one
knows where the games came originally
They are passed on from one generation OF emit
dren to another And yet play is a form OF WORK
There is nothing more sure than that play Is not
rest. Children will play games until they crop
with exhaustion What purpose, then, had Nature
planting this absorbing love of play in the child
mind? For student doubt that Nature mas
a purpose in everything she does
The reason is that games and plays are Nature s
first provision for the education of the young
child. They develop him mentally, morally and
physically and keeping pace with his advancing
years by their increasing difficulty, they continue
assist his development until adult years
ONE GREAT DIFFICULTY.
You cannot compel young child to give voun-
tary attention. WiIfuI attention. the determined
fixing of the mind upon any given subject. is one
OF the last and most complex powers attained by
mind. It is often impossible secure 1t from
adults. As for children they can never be taught
anything through attention which they are driven
to fix upon anything. They learn only that IN
which they interested 1t is for this reason that
games with which they enraptured are so
full of education for them. They learn with per-
feet Inconsistencies. Their senses are being
trained. ttei- Imaginative powers developed. keen
observation and power Of concentrated attention
are being taught them. while their moral sense
is being developed by the enforced observance OF
the rules Of the game.
'-One must be very careful not to introduce chill
dren to any game that is old for them Boys
Of seven cannot play baseball. They will try to
hit the ball with the bat. but they can't get
through the first half Of the first inning. Boys of
twelve or thirteen have no success with football
They don't take in the spirit of the game.
In villages and small cities. where there is
plenty OF to play, the children naturally take
up the games suited to their years, and there are
also special games for every season Of the year
Marbles and tops come in when the snow goes off.
and all through the year But in large
cities. and pre-erninently in New-York, the chill
drens birthright has been taken from them They
I have been deprived OF any place to play and mod
ern life is busy robbing them Of any time play.
Among the very poor the child must work just as
soon he can find any money earning occupation.
And throughout the school system the tendency is
TO eliminate the old time recess is true that
the recess nterferes with the days schedule; that
/ II is sometimes hard quiet the class down after
fifteen minutes hard play. But the remote benefits.
physical and mental. 10 the clIld more than com
pensate for that.
ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS.
No loose, unorganized public sentiment IS going
to win back for the children their right TO play in
the cities Only determined organized effort can
secure the purchase Of IInd for a playground
around every school, There are schoolhouses in
New-York which when they built stood on
country roads, in the midst OF fields and groves,
! and yet foot Of that cheap land was bought
for the chiIdrens playground. AS a consequence,
New York children 70 large extent nave forgot
which have been passed on by children since the
childhood Of the race Under these artificial con.
supply the deficiency as well as possible; TO teach
Of the anlIess racing and yelling the gambling
the mean teasing cruel jokes which may be all
The frst plays Of childhood are little: almIsss 1Itas
games mainly hopping which cannot De taQgnI- t
Of them. They seem to have no plan or system;
given time and space. and we may be sure they
serve some good purpose in the childs development
GAMES OF IMITATION.
The next is the group OF games Of imitation, the
most interesting Of all to Young children
have no idea Of games of competition. That is for
older minds and stretches far into the adult years
But little children will initiate everything under
the sun. And they should be encouraged in this
imitation BY it all their powers OF observation
are being trained. The child who initiates best
is the keenest observer. For this whole group OF
imitation plays occupylng the chllo ~ IaInd LOT
the child in the country, and he will fur
nish his own apparatus He will build his BOARD
PLAYHOUSE or find for himself the ROSTERS feather
| which transforms him into an Indian, =, -.,-
piled simple lengths Of cord will enable whole
class to play horse with the utmost joy and benefit
| to themselves.
x while ago they examined some children in
! ever seen COW. They certainly could not Play
they were cows. when they had never seen one.
in New-York viii be found who have ever seen
now That's eli right They must play something,
a-d they initiate what they have seen You re-
steamer. the river. the captain. the pilot and the
wharf AL in one.
There is a whole group Of games that sharpen
the senses, and the way these old games train the
senses of children is wonderful example OF Their
fetal for their development. First come the games
Iasr Vs-fafv whose basic principle consists of the
hiding and finding of something. Infants first dis
-. ..E4ida the Thmble' and Hide and Seek
games The latter a very famous same among
usually is is Il good training in quick recognition;
and with its in free running to the g2al and al,
educational game. involving quick thought good
Judgment measurement Of distance estimation OF
! time and a number Of other things
THE WORTH OF BLIND MANS BUFF.
The simplest form Of this game in the class for
young children is for the children 10 blind their
eyes. and the teacher place any common object
| in plain view The child who sees it first has the
Wien the child is bIndfolded and compelled to
find The desired object by sound instead qf SlGLt
B, the GT1 hgSr9d ola 'it and eea5rate game a1o
| -HiI5ren Is fhe great exempar of this group of
/ games of Blind Mans Buff in childhood has
! different sort of from the one who hasn't Il
! shutting out undesired souncs, ana h&ing nse'l
Thers is another group Of SamsS that deSfL4n }
! ..4,T,7 W+n.s Emf as well a. that o. bearing
D. Arnold then called up TOUR untortunaIs y0atS y
| them illustrate his methods by having them play
/ ffa-q of yQ1nE~