Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-09
Finding Toys in the Wood Box.

Your child wants a new toy. OF course
he does. His greatest joy in the world
comes when you give him something
that will help him. to play. But what
shall this new plaything be; mechan-
ical toy that selfshly does all its own
playing and then breaks down, or crude
material with which your child can make
his own toys and learn finger skill at
the same time? Suppose YOU help him
to do his own toy making.
Children love TO play with wood blocks.
Your boy ran away the other day to the
place around the block where a car
penter is mending stoop He wanted
to pick up the shavings and the blocks
tina. are left when the work Is done.
Look up this fascinating carpenters
shop and ask him to send around a
bushel of waste pine blocks of different
sizes Give your boy a corner of the
kitchen and a box to keep these blocks
in. Supply him with a good hammer, a
stout jackknife, a package of assorted
nails and then just watch the creating
genius in him rise. genii fashion.
BY selecting long sticks just the shape
that We waste for kindling wood your
boy may be shown how TO carve little
round heads on the end of each, making
a set of quaint tenpins with which ne
can play for hours. As he gains greater
skill in handling his jackknife he can
use these kindling wood sticks in carving
wooden dolls for little sister and making
himself set of soldiers.
Another toy use for these kindling
wood sticks is to lay them, ends crossing
i'm log cabin fashion. fastening them AT
the corners with wire nails and con-
tinuing this building until a little log
cabin results. Three or four clothespins
with features penciled on their tops and
dressed in black paper hats and round
capes made of black muslin will be the
family OF Puritans who live in this
realistic cabin. To protect them from
the assaults of make-believe Indians the
little architect may knock together a
kindling wood stockade.
Among these waste blocks there Will
be many small square and oblong pieces
of wood. Some of these may be utilized
TO make the toyland express. Selecting
the longer blocks to represent passenger
and freight trains. the shorter ones for
the coal ears. glue TO the under side OF
each block two wooden meat skewers as
wheel axIes- On the ends of these that
extend beyond the blocks slip empty
spoois for wheels. A fine wire nail driven
carefully through the extreme end OF
each skewer holds the spool wheel and
still allows it to turn. One longer block
with an empty basting thread spool
glued to one end for smokestack
makes the engine. The wire staples that
are used for lacking down mating
driven IN the ends of these block cars
hold loops OF string and couple the cars
together. No toy train which YOU buy
will please your boy much this
wood train that he makes himself.
Other of these blocks may be fitted to-
gether to make small beds, tables chairs
and other bits OF furniture for the dolls
house. The beds may have tiny sheets
and other coverings made from scraps,
and bits of gay cloth upholster the
chairs.
This play material will cost less than
the price of one toy. With il your child
VIII make enough toys TO NIL his play
room.