Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-05-10

lie in having legitimate pleasuie'
hrt IN missing it. The leaders of
noinion everywhere, including pro-
sressive ministers, are clamoring to
NV. people all the innocent joy
MANNED for them by a wise Provi-
dence. II there are many preachers
lat that still insist ON wasting their
ammuni fen In attacking dancing and
theaters and outdoor sports and the
other pleasures that promote happi-
ness and health and grace, why so
much the worse for them. They may
20 on playing the roles of joy-killers
as long as they like; but they will
soon have no audience.
The Importance of Play.
Play is the most characteristic ex-
preston of the joy of living. An
octogenarian ought not to be too old
to play, If only to play sedentary
game. 1t sbecause most fathers
and mothers do not know how to play
with their sons and daughters that
they do not know how TO make them
selves companions to their children.
Play and the Child.
With the child play is more than a
luxury; it is an absolute necessity.
That is his business; school is only
q sida-line in his interests. 1t
should be so because this is the law
of his growth and development pre-
scribed for him by God through His
visible agent, Mature. The child
grows only through activity. THE
creature becomes what he is as re-
suit of what he does says Joseph
Lee, close student of child-natura
1t is because the child can grow
only through activity that he IS 50
absorbed in his games. Playing is
"a more serious matter for him than
we imagine.
Play Needs Supervision.
There are many people whip, while
acknowledging that play is neces-
sity, contend that children find
enough opportunities to play without
encouragement and guidance on the
part of adults. They can take care of
themselves without help-some even
cali it "meddling the grown
ups, it is argued. This theory of
hands off" play cannot stand the
test of examination.
Firs. of all, the instinct of play
may remain dormant forever, if it
be not drawn out. This is true of in
stincts of animals as we'll as of hui
man instincts DR.. Luther Halsey
Gulick, President of the Playground
Association of America and Director
of Physical Culture n, the public
schools of New York, tells of an ex-
pertinent with Baltimore orioles (not
the Orioles of Baseball fame) r1ught
up to adulthood without being per-
m1tted to mingle with their kind
Though endowed with the instinct
to build a nest like other birds. they
did not know how to proceed after
they had piled up the pieces of strins
and straw that had been provided
for them. The instinct was Their,
but it had never been drawn out an(
developed; hence it could not operat
So, too. is it with the play instinct
1t the child is not taught how to pla,
he will not know anything but tn
crudest games and these only in tn,
most bungling way.
Again, the play instinct needs di
rection, curbing. Otherwise it ma,
go amuck. WITHOUT guidance tn
child's pent-up and verbubblin
energies seeking some ways of ex
pressing themseles may assume anti
social and destructive forms. Georg
r. johnson Director of the Publ
Fairgrounds of Pittsburg, describe
an interesting case Of Little Tim VIII
was brought to the Juvenile Court fo
the third time for stealing apples
Notwithstanding his previous pronis
to the judge and the probation office
that he would desist. Despairine G
curing hi moi the habit, the probatio
officer took him aside and said mo,
Tim, tell me honest, Why do You stea
these apples? Do you get SO hungr
for them you just can't help it?.
The DO yappeared surprised, hun
his head a moment and then sale
why, don't care much about cal
ing sem, but it is such fun t, hay
old Smudge chase me-" Smudga wa
the policeman. Little Tim, not b,
Ing given the opportunity to enis
the pleasure of being legitimate
chased, took the best substitute /
could find-pursuit by policeman.
Public Fairgrounds Versus Private
10 ~