New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-01
KINDERGARTEN EXHIBIT
Work from Many Lands at Museum
of Natural History.

When the doors open this morning upon the
exhibit of kindergarten work in the Museum
Of Natural History displayed there in connec-
tfon with the convention of the International
kindergarten Union now in progress at Teach
ers College child lovers will have a. fine chance
TO stud-- child minds expressed through child
ssh fingers. Children in ell parts Of the world
are represented There are clay figures mod
eIled by tiny Filipinos and there is folding
book worked with all the different kinds Of
stitches which a little mind in Germany did for
her doll. There are exhibits from England. from
Mexico and from any number Of American kim
dergartens, including Indian one in the far
West But the same principle unites them ALL
the same development Of endless uses from few
simple primary forms.
Here is the beginning of everything in the
kindergarten said Mrs. NJ. 3. Longzettel. chair
man of the committee in charge OF the exhibit
ZION. taking up some balls from one end Of
the table filed by the New York Kindergarten
Association These are the first things given
the baby TO play with. The point is to put the
child in possession Of certain forms and Ideas
30 that when he goes out into the world he
may have standards by which TO pick out the
things that are best and most beautiful Or
eanization IS always in the teachers mind. but
of course It mustn't be imposed on the CHILD"
Nothing, Judging from this exhibition. is i'm
Quaint are some OF the forms this quality
takes and curious II is TO note how the child's
mind Is influenced by his surroundings Further
along on the table Of the New York Kinder
sarten Association is a group of buildings made
OF blocks One little chap Of five. evidently a
commuters son, has made neat suburban
station" Another, who must be fond Of bed
time stories, has constructed an imposing
knights castle" In the things made Of paper
and cardboard there is a wide range of selection,
all the way from clothes reels hung with gar
rnents OF startlngly realistic cut to circus wag-
ons filed with raging, romping bears.
Some OF the specimens OF 'freehand tearing"
gre wonderfully artistic. A small child, with a
few pieces Of paper. torn across without guide
and pasted on a cardboard foundation, can pro-
duce q really effective picture. One marine view
OF three shades OF green, with bits of white
paper for waves and sails. might have been
done with paint, and not unskilfully-
Here are long strings Of beads. strung in ones
and twos and hrees OF contrasting colors. in
doing which the child unconsciously learns to
count Here are big cards, which children
have pasted pictures expressing some funda-
mental idea pictures selected by themselves
One called the mother idea" has Miets pict-
IRE of the peasant father and child in the
middle and around il prints Of mother pig
and mother bird and a mother squirrel. each
surrounded by her young family Thanks
giving card, done by girl OF five, shows big
round pumpkin cut out or coiored paper, with a
turkey and various vegetables. and one Easter
card bears some most effective chickens, which
upon examination prove TO be made OF two per
sectly round pieces of yellow paper. small one
for the head and bigger one for the body,
with beak and legs Of crayon. There is also an
exhibition OF mothers work, things made Ey
mothers TO arnuse their children al home
The children who are taken 10 this exhibition
Will hang entranced before the big cardboard
house, a house furnished more completely than
most real houses There is a rolling
pin on the kitchen table. This house comes from
the Normal School in Washington and the
makers have thoughtfully left the windows
open, so any passer-by may view the rooms.
Every kindergarten enthusiast must look with
reverent attention at the contents of a certain
case in one OF the hall. These are
Froebel relics, sent from the German
museum.
Here" Mrs. Longzettel said, pointing to
some dingy little worsted balls. ARE the very
toys Froebel used to take out Of his pocket for
the children TO play with he went about
trying 10 interest people IN his idea. Here is
the original chart he used. with his little wooden
blocks. IL is quite wonderful that Fraulen
HeerWart, the aged German kindergarten work
err who has these things In charge, and who
cferishes them the apple OF her eye, should
have allowed them TO be sent here. The
German collection is interesting histori-
calIy than artstically Germany was the birth
place of the kindergarten. but has not developed
the idea They still have the children do the