Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17

getting ready for the children..
christmas, mothers in New York
city who have had the opportunity
q or visiting the exhibit OF Christmas
gifts for children held in the Educa-
tional Museum at Teachers College hav.
received many illuminating suggestions
sure to bear good fruit. The exhibit was
gotten up under the auspices OF the Kin
dergarten Primary Association of the
Horace Mann School and the department
OF kindergarten education of teachers. I'm
the selection OF the material. artists.
craftsmen, musicians. librarians. teach
ers and parents have all co-operated.
Most people" explained one OF the
members of the Kindergarten Associa
ton. don't know what to give children.
Every Christmas the poor youngsters are
hooded with inartistic and useless gifts.
Parents wish to secure the best "A the
way OF pictures. books and toys. bue they
do not know which Is best, why il In best.
nor where 1t may be obtained. All toys
ought to be disable. durable. es,hetic
helpful and of a nature to stimulate
social cooperation. In selecting a toy
the important questions to he asked
are: What can the child do with this?
Does II arouse imagination, invention,
originality and industry Does the toy
do for the child what tho child should do
for himself? A good toy is a stimulus to
call forth activity, invention. industry and
| skill. Aside from finished toys. every
child should be provided with good tools
and play materials with which he may be
helped to make his own. This will en-
| courage self-improvement. The playthings
| of the country child are often infinitely
more satisfactory than the elaborate
equipment of the city youngsters nursery.
A cornstaIk flute and q home-sewn dolls
dress represent more actual pleasure and
development than their expensive proto-
| types in the shops
| or such examples the Christmas gift
exhibit was full and running over. Me-
| chanical toys were barred from che ex-
! hibit for the reason that they do not en-
courage the child to acquire skill All the
| toys represented were good In workman
ship and material. A point was made OF
having everything sanitary. and there was
large proportion of gifts which would
encourage play in the open ali.
| A special recommendation waa given 10
such playthings as make possible tire re-
| living under make-believe conditions OF
| the domestic. social and industrial fe
! Of society. For little girls there were sets
| OF all kinds of housekeeping furnishing
A
Lilliputian coal range an exact copy OF
mothers big one. draughts and all. On 81
were tiny copper kettles and dolls kitch-
enware of blue enamel. There was the
| coal-f1od the tiny broom. sweeper. dust-
pan and brush, and even pair OF Kitchen
scales along with the bake tins. to teach
the little housekeeper to watch again&
short weight from tradesmen.
Here, too, were all the proper Laundry
fittings including a galvanized iron wash
tub and washboard. q shining boiler.
clothes basket. clothespins. laundry bag.
ironing board, sad irons and pulley
line. With such an equipment, the en-
bryo housewife can learn the ms and outs
of the laundry business. from start to nm
ish. great thing this, whether In days
to come the real housekeeper has to do
the work herself or direct ignorant and
incompetent help.
Nor was the more esthetic side OF house
furnishing forgotten, for a dolls house
made and furnished by the children who
owned ii showed what could be done by a
little ingenuity coupled with good taste.
1t was divided into q living room and
sleeping room, and furnished in mission
style, each piece being made OF small.
square, implanted blocks In the living
room was a dining table, a sewing table.
chairs a couch and even q tiny telephone
on the wall. the receiver and transanitter
being the small spools on which silk twist
comes. In the bedrooms were twin beds.
q dresser. a wardrobe and chairs. Couch
covers and portieres were of soft green
material that harmonized with the art
squares on the floor made of green blot
ne