The evening world., 1911-01-20

'a'%N
TTafI TIs76 KzfTtEyN YOU absentmindedly
happen to put one OF them In your
mouth. But OF tourse you are not In the
habit OF putting your friends In your
mouth any way: 30 ] suppose you can
scarcely be blamed for wondering why
I impgine you would under any circum-
stances behave thus familiarly with the
family Of Dowith.
II 10 jus, because the Dowith family
Is in truth made OF little wooden mannl-
kim that are part OF the toy shop dis
play In the New York Child Welfare
Exhibit being held In the SevenIy-hrst
Armory. The toys. Including the
"Dowiths.'. have all been approved by
experts and are on exhibition to demon
strste the ethical and educational value
OF properly selected p%laythings.
Experts. who understand the proper
amussments for children. strongly dis
approve OF mechanical toys OF n
kind explained Miss Agnes Kent. who
Is In charge OF the toy booth. "The
simpler a child's toys the better. The
best plan Is to encourage a child TO
make his own toys"
(. How" ! asked her.
"WtelL. we have here the Dowith tray"
replied Mas Kent. holding that article
toward me. You see. II is a nat-rimmed
box top containing the various imple-
ments which would enable a child 10
make his or her own playthings. There
Is a pair OF scissors with rounded points.
a box of crayons. n o OF paints. a
small basin In which to mix tho paints.
a pencil. n pad and some glue.
with these tools any child ought TO
be able to construct toys. Miss Pratt IL
Che originator Of the Dowith tray and
the Dowith playthings."
Work Of a Genius.
And believe me, Miss Pratt is q genius
In her line. There are the Dowlth ant
mails. which are. ! think, quite as fascl-
mating as the German wooden toys.
They are constructed OF thinner pieces
Of wood. but two and three thicknesses
are used 10 give perspective TO the limbs.
There Is the Dowith COW. a lovely docile
creature with leather ears and a tail
that moves on hinges. The Dowith dog
Is. I should say. not strong on ancestry.
but none the less a likable canine with
dclectably webbing ears. All the Do
with animals are carved from plain. un-
colored wood, given a light coat Of var.
nish and adorned with one black splotch
upon any portion of their anatomy
where 1t would seem most liable 10 I'm.
part additional chic.
The idea OF all properly selected toy
10 20 encourage the child to hin for
ITSELF" Miss Kent continued. ono way
10 10 give the child. let MS say for OK
ample. a pair Of scissors. Then thu
child must be encouraged to think wha
he needs TO complete his toy. Is
paper to cut with The scissors? Plainl!
he should be able to reason that a pal
of scissors are not amusing unless Their
10 something TO cat; n so he Is laugh
70 play and to think at the same time.
But suppose the scissors only sugges
20 the child that the fringe on the par
Tor furniture needs to be CUT ! pro
tested.
WELL, OF course, hat sort Of thin
IL quite a problem admitted Miss KEN
"A child needs the mature judgmen
always near to guide II. A child has I
he taught that to destroy a complete
article Is not in the least the same a
shaping raw materials into completion.
why DO child experts object TO me
chanicai toysT" ] sked.
experts dsapprove Of mechanics
toys, frst. because there is noth!n
about them to stimulate the brain
the child" replied Miss Kent. THE to
is finished; there Is nothing for the chill
to do but stand and watch Its gyration
+. Then mechanical toys do not really al
peal TO child nature. The natural chi
Is simple on taste. Most Of the elabol
etc mechanical toys placed on the ma
ket have been evolved to please the rio
old uncle rather than the child.
Liked Her "Piay" Train.
.sThere Ia a little tale written by Q
author which has insight into child n
ture. She tells how a child was give
. most elaborate mechanical railwt
system as a Christmas present. A
Christmas afternoon the relatives WI
mad assembled for the holiday were
busy with the railroad they forgot q
little one to whom 1t had been give
Toward evening they found the chili
the back yard contentedly playing wi
a train Of cars made from three piec
OF GOAL and a spool on the end OF
string."
Bat II child nature Is, as experts 4
w not complex. Il would seem to a ST.
pie mIndeu person like myself that sor
Of the games In the toy exhibition .
quire an appalling eruditlon. There
:or example. the merry little game
Shakespeare 10 be PLAYED by childr,
between the ages OF ten and fourtee
There are nfty-slx cards In the gan
esch adorned With . shssssossstl