New-York tribune., 1910-11-06
"DO-WITH' TOYS
They Dire Ready at 4ny Time
to PIay zcith Children.

Because she once knew little boy who
him with the remark that "AH these toys
play for me, and I'd like some that play
with me- a certain enterprising young
woman went to work and invented some
toys that would play with children.
The reporter who visited her in her work
shop, where she makes the models of her
toys, which she then sends to factory TO
be duplicated found a slight little woman
with big blue eyes that looked as though
they could see behind the looking glass;"
clad in an aII-enveloping painters apron.
On all sides of her studio were piled wood
en- horses. cows. cartwheels, shafts and
What-nots, and at one end OF the room
stood high deal table. covered with cans
OF paint and a varied collection of brushes.
WELDING one of these for the purpose of
applying bright blue paint TO a jouncing
two-wheeled gOcart, this inventor of the
| "do-with" toys gave expression to her
views on education and art in the realm of
playthings.
Every one knows that children are imi-
tative,' she said, ''and that they want TO
do things the way the grownups do them,
but we don't give them the chance with
give them dolls that don't stand or can't
walk, or that have to keep on their clothes
all the time. Then we. give them houses
for those dolls. into which they don't fit
at all, and expect the children to enjoy
playing with them"
/ From reflections of this sort the do
with" toys were born. First a father and
mother doll were constructed, and when
they were perfected in all their parts and
| joints, boy and girl doll with striking
resemblance to their parents. and bearing
the right relation to them In the matter
! of stature. were added to the family-the
centre Of all social existence. BY and by
like the farmer in the dell,' the family
took a horse. 1t wasn't fancy trotter
but a good. aIl-rOund Darby that could be
harnessed to cart or carriage, or saddleu
! for a cross country ride BY degrees the
stable filled up with a kindly cow a grunty
| pig and a few meek little lambs and finally
@ calf and a colt arrived to make the
| happiness complete.
| To shelter the family a house was built
| that had four sides, with windows all
around and a door front and back, through
! which the dolls could pass without bunking
! their wooden heads. The furniture that
went inside was solid and strong. and lust
dolls could sit on it, lean back In the chairs
4 and touch the floor with their feet They
| could sleep in the beds. too, without Ior.
ping over at either end, and eat OFF the
| table without standing up, as though IL
were a free lunch counter. For the four-
| footed members of this we'll proportioned
menage a barn was constructed. with a
| place for each member-except for k'ido
the faithful hound. who naturally wanted
the stable.
| The house and barn are Iuxurfes. how
| ever, because children who had been
brought up on "do-with" TOYS would buiId
| their own houses and barns out of blocks
instead of waiting tor their parents 10 pro-
wide them.
1t is part of the purpose Of the ''do-with',
toys to encourage constructive ability and
| resourcefulness. The children begin nv
making clothes for the family and fo- +,,,
the inventor has provided paper patterns OF
simple cut and design. Then they will
probably want to build houses for them
and after while they may want more
dolls. III so. they will find II nuite n
| simple matter to make them. The TOYS are
made OF flat pieces OF wood fully ioinrad
with heaVy wooden dowels, and can eas,Iv
De copied by a boy or girl who has had
some practice with the scroll saw and the
use of paints. 1t is not the invantor.s idaa
that the dolls shall be very nfenke in ap
pearahce III Is IN their capacity for action
'hdC she suggests the world OF reality