The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-19
PLAY Is GREAT FACTOR
INsCHILD EDUCATION
BY MRS. J. H. PHILLIPS.

paper read before the Alabama Educa-
tionai Association at Tuscaloosa, June 16).
/ T Is welcome task to talk of "Play
as a factor in Education because it
is like treating life from its holiday
side. rather than from its every day,
work side. Besides the subject opens
the flood gates of memory, and once
more 1 am in the school room. In front
of me sit fifty children, fifty hands
are waving in the ali, fifty pairs of eyes,
brown, blue and gray, are spark
ling with delighted expectancy; for
has not the question Just been
asked: a Who would like to play
'snowhall?' " and doesn't every blessed
one of these. children want to play7 Yes,
and it is a generous game. too, where
every child can take part. At one all
bend; two" the imaginary snow is gath
eredi three" It Is rolled into the imagi-
nary ball. and -four it goes speeding
after the imaginary passerby. OF course
this is a poor substitute for the actual
game in the frosty air, but the brighter
eyes and the roster cheeks convince me
that the little ones have made believe"
right heartily. Again the game is "Ro-
man Candles Through the counts tone"
and two we circle the candle in the air
and at three" the arm is thrust forward
and elevated. when the "z-z-z" of the
candle makes us fairly see the sparks
falling in showers to the ground. The
object of these games? Recreations pure
and simple, after mental effort. These
and other games of like nature are es-
pecially recommended for use on rainy
days, when a frequent vent for the pent-
up energy is needed an escape for that
surcharge of electricity, which displays it
self in scraping the feet persistently upon
the floor, and an unusual tendency to keep
up with ones neighbors affairs, even at
the complete neglect of ones own prog
ress.
In approaching the subject of "Play as
a Factor in Education" we are met at
once with a difficulty. What Is play?
Have our leading educators those who
decide for us what is what. have they
settled upon a definition of play. or have
they decided in what way play Is differ
entiated from work? One says, Play is
the work of childhood" Another, "Play
is the heart of life, work Is life's brain"
A kindergarten says "Play-work," con-
Meeting Them while others still place
them as distant opposites. l asked
rather tired looking mother of several
strong, healthy looking boys and girls
what play was and she replied "Oh,
its wasting time, but they've just got to
do 1t, 1t seems" l asked one of her boys
and he said. Its doing what you don't
hafter.'' This boys answer has sug-
gested a definition that pleases me. and
l hope it may please and satisfy you as
we'll It Is this: Play is the expression
of the joyous spontaniety of childhood"
Real play must be spontaneous, and we
quite agree with James when he places
play in his list of prominent tendencies
which are instructive in the human spe-
cies." 1t Is an instinct planted in both
man and animals and has distinct func-
lions. In many ways 1t is undoubtedly
natures plan for the preparation for real
work in maturity These scientists who
advance this theory will have many fol-
lowers among those who are fond of
watching the young Of animals as well
as children in their play. Although this
same observation convnces us equally
that much play Is simply a joyous out
pouring of exhuberant spirits.
Play is the child's life from babyhood
to the school age. His physical develop
ment and in no small degree his mental
life as well. have peen forwarded by
this process alone / refer to the av-
erage child in Alabama which has had
neither the experience of a kindergarten
nor the training Of the dancing school.
1t is through play that he has acquired
the mastery of his body and what grace
he may possess. BY rolling, jumping,
kicking and climbing, he has developed
those muscles that he is to use now and
later in efficient work.
But is 1t wise that too much steady work
be thrust upon these muscles and brain
tissues at once? Can the primary teacher
afford to ignore play as still an important
factor In the cnild's best development?
The normal child comes from the home
of the kindergarten as nature intended
he should be- an active creature, and we
strive at once to force him into passive
state. He must sit quietly for long pc
RODS with folded hands, not turning or
even glancing from right to left. When
he is allowed to move it is to initiate us
in the movement of hands, arms and legs
And call this recreation We thrust
formalities too quickly upon the child
we mould him after our own pattern
when heaven knows sometimes 1t were
we'll that the pattern were lost, rather
than spend time and energy searching for
our thought to developing that
Physical culture or some form of gym
nastics we do substitute, but one wiser
than I has said, "On account of their
joyous, refreshing influence the place of
games cannot be filled by gymnastics, )"
while others have placed play as depart