The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-07-20

able times; converted into chairs
tables, and windows, horses and
houses. Soap bubbles, chalk, mark.
paper, picture books.
An old shawl suggests a covering
for bed, a tent, hiding place, /;
house.
An old tin spoon makes a fine
drum; broom handle, gun.
few beans In box, an excellent rat
tie.
If mother co-operates occasion
ally coming out to taste the mud.
pies or pronounce the cup excellent
wraps a bit of colored paper abou
the clothspin for a little girl; fold:
a soldier cap from a newspaper fol
the young recruit: creeps into the
tent house constructs from bricks
stable for the toy pony, content
ment will envelope that household
such as it has never known before
For the children of school age
the nature of the materials supplied
by the home should be such as would
lend themselves to experimentation,
invention and construction. Odd bits
and shapes of wood. stones or ham
mer, nails. glue, string rope, card,
board. boards, wooden packing
boxes, other wooden boxes.
1 saw eight children, boys and
girls, each make. a horse, supplying
their own material, with which they
played for week. The horses were
most crude, but seemed perfectly
satisfactory to the riders, who were
between the ages of ten and twelve.
The body of the horse was a piece
of board, four legs of unequal sizes
were nailed to the body. rope tail,
cardboard ears, and a whitfield nose
completed the beast. Reins and whip
furnished every incentive to ride to
battle, race for a goal or trot to
market.
A feather in the hair will change
a boy into wild Indian: a shaving
curl or an old skirt. transforms a
little girl into a visiting lady.
In a lot used as storage by a con-
tractor, were old doors. boards and
ladders. Every day after school, boys
lived in that lot. They built houses,
barns, elevated structures, toboggans
flats, trains. sidewalks, bridges, with
unfiageing interest.
IF fathers could give a little time
and, interest in helping their boys
make things. what q stimulus it
would be to work. Birdhouses, dove
cotes. chicken eoops. rabbit hutches.
a doll house and furniture, the con-
version of box into an auto, Irish
mail cart, with the addition of
wheels from an old baby carriage
good work and for a purpose, leading
to habits Of industry and possibly to
future inventiveness and selection Of
a vocation.
The desire every boy has to build
a fire and cook outdoors could be
easily controlled by the father. re-
quiring but little space and few
Goals: potatoes, eggs, corn, molasses
candy could be managed.
Tn a tiny yard I saw eight bottles
suspended by the neck, attached to
heavy string, and a boy was absorb
ed in striking these bottles with a
stick. working ont a melody.
The cover of a cigar box can be
easily converted into an Eolian harp
by the addition of elastic bands, and
makes satisfactory tinkle for child
rem. Cigar boxes are great asset
in construction work. Sets of fur
niture, machines, wagons, cupboards,
and innumerable other toys are cas-
ily made. Chalk. blackboard, heavy
paper, paints, books ARE encouraging
factors In a small space. and can
better be used out Of doors than in.
Old pictures or magazines of any
kind, and a pair of blunt scissors,
give occupation for hours
A mother of my acquaintance used
to put her Youngest in a high chair
on the small porch by the window.
where he could get the fresh air, and
she could nod to him occasionally as
she bent over the tubs. the source OF
her income. On the window sill was
saucer Of flour-and-water paste and
scraps of papers and pictures. The
baby would paste these on the win
dow and take them off again re-
peatedlv. The mother said II took
but minnie to wipe of the window,
and it kept the baby interested.
These are only few of the many
simple, inexpensive, materials within
reach Of. the maior;fv of families.
that ccnld be utS II i . snail
space out of doors. eS t'.as you'd
bring the family life les ssg rela-
tons and make for healthier, hap
pier homes. training the grow
ing bows and girls. through interest.