The sun., 1908-05-10
cHILD LIFE TOLD IN TOYs.
A LOndon ENhIbltiOn Of PIarhhsS With
q Moral Purpose.

LONDON, May THE study OF the ohiic
70 one of the important devolopmsnts ol
this generation In England. The htesi
manifestation Of II Il the toy exhibition d
the London County Councils Day Training
College.
Thls show y the rSsult Of inhnits hbol
on essentially scientific lines. From the
toy oat With which the Egyptian child
played 1000 years ago, 10 the puppets d
Caran dAohe. the toys Of childhood aF'
shown French Spanish. Italian. Dutch
Burmese, KAhlr-ln fact the paythineI
Of the little ones Of ell peoples.
The whole is arranged from accumulated
instances Of child study in FIVE depart
ments or periods. as folloWs;
/. Period Root and grub. Age.i-l. Charao-
terlstics Ruled by the mouth. whether a
thing tastes nice or nasty. Games:
Biting and tasting.
2. Period: Hunting and capture. Age: i--i2.
Characteristics: Fear Of strangers stalk
ing; indifference TO pain; hero worship,
cruelty. Games; Bo.peep. hide and seek,
gangs Indians.
s. Period Pastoral Age. s-lL characteristics;
Keeping Of pets; desire for own posses
sions, Games Pets. building Of huts,
and digging Of caves.
T. Period Agricultural Age; I2-ie. ChArao-
terlstIos: Development Of foresight,
gardening. Games Gardening, interest
in weather signs
8. Period Commercial. Age: Ills. CharAc-
terlstlos: Bulslng pockets; demand pay
for services values recognized; Games:
Swapping and selling; collecting,
In the same way as the child develops
its games change in type. This table. hung
upin the exhibition, explains the change;
oHnDS oAHEs,
~. TVps Of Game Erdmpb.
- PnmiuyssoCl'l Little pig goes 70
market
- Individual interest In Mulberry bush.
control OF the body. Ring Of roses.
- Intelligent interest 10 Indians. Bows
control Of environ. and arrows.
ment. Tom fiddler.
l0-i2 Competitive. the lndi. Races swimming,
viduAl must win. jumping.
i3-is Cooperative the team. Cricket football
side, house or school hockey.
must win.
The whole object il the endeavor TO
understand and amplify child life as a
thing in and for itself No longer lie child
hood TO be merely a stage TO the adult; II is
TO nave an absolute value
The educative value Of the show is two
fold 1t is intended 10 awaken the parent
to the fact that toys are the chief material
upon which the tendency Of children to
project their own inner life upon the out
side world operates" and that ii is a mis-
take TO assume that playing with a toy is
no more than looking at or handling il.
Consequently there Ia great deal in
the choice OF toys and the unlimited posi-
bilities in the way Of informing and de-
veloping the minds Of children by these
means are 10 be impressed upon parents
The other side Of the show is for the student
OF race and stages Of culture
For the ordinary visitor, and certainly
for any child that may be taken to the show,
the interest will lie in the most magnificent
Of toys ever gathered together.
Mr.. Lovett's collection OF dolls OF all nations
and Of knucke bones from many different
placer Is one Of the most curously inter-
esting features Of the exhibition.
Some Of these dolls are doubtless fetish
or ceremonial objects. such as one made
Of nuts from the Pembe Island and weird
looking doll from the Arizona Indians. A
ghost doll from Gironde France, is prob
ably the only sample Of the kind known in
Europe. The dress is Of a pale coffee color
and the face clearly suggests a ghost
A rudmentary flint doll with cloth joints
a Saxon. The knuckle bones section shows
Dundee 'chuckies,' Dutch brass astragals,
'dibs' OF broken pottery from Whitby.
'hinese and Japanese astragas, and eT-
lmples from many other countries, proving
,learly that a child cast away in any foreign
and would have no difficulty in entering
no one popular pastime Of the country
The English would appear to be the most
militant Of children, for there seems to be no
oreign equivalent Of the English toy SOL
lier, The baby Japanese seems to begin by
earning about useful things, and the neat
less and method Of the race are indicated
~ the adroit stowage Of all the doll furniture
md musical instruments in pretty boxes
No other nation does this to any extent,
Though the Russian egglike men and leg
ess beasts nearly all contain other toys
Iiiss Jane Hay shows a fine collection OF
indian aud American toys. but the whole
how 10 too diverse for detailed description.
{ was a good idea and has been well carried
,tit