Evening star., 1914-03-20
Simple Toys That Amuse Children.

Down on New York's East Side, where
a new sky building is going up, overtop-
ping the tenements, a big pile OF SAND
has been left by the workmen. Every
evening this sand heap looks like a huge
anthill. AS soon as the 6 o'clock whistles
blow and until clock hands point to Il
pm. the sand is covered with children
children eager to play. but having no
pIaythings Out of the doors Of the tene-
ments they troop, armed with spoons and
paper bags. Crowding, pummeling. jos
ting, they struggle for place on the
sandpile and fill their bags with sand to
carry home and help them in their play
Every child loves, wants, needs to dig
in the dirt. Your child is a little savage
son of Adam, longing to feel the earth.
and the happiest playthins with which
you can provide him is an indoor sea-
shore-a tray Of sand in which he can
model.
Let him have your largest agateware
dripping pan and fill it with white sea
sand, which you will be able to buy by
the bushel at feed store or florists.
Set this homemade sand on a low table
covered with oilcloth, SO that scattered
sand won't matter. Dampen the sand
that it may be easily nodded by small
fingers Then show it to your child. He
will be happy playing il it for months.
Baby fingers may be taught to make
balls of the damp sand, smooth it down
into fairy roadways, set in a row or sea
shells to make a miniature beach, where
the dolls may play at swimming, or shape
sandhouses, modelled after the fashion of
the architecture of the mound builders.
The little girl will find delightful
pastime in making sand landscapes to
illustrate her favorite story book tales.
Twigs stuck in the damp sand to illus
trate trees and little cardboard house
set at one end of the sand tray will tell
the story of Red Riding Hood if tiny
china doll dressed in scarlet cape and
hood stands at the door of the house. The
beloved old story of the Town Mouse and
the Country Mouse may be pictured by
setting blockhouses in one end of the
sand tray and twig orchards and paper
flower gardens in the other end. con-
Meeting these bits of country and town
with d little pebble-outlined sand road.
Along this road scamper two toy mice.
The story of Little Boy Blue may be il
lustrated by making a miniature straw
hay NOV in the sand and cutting out of
white paper little sheep that browse in
the other end of the sand tray.
Your boy may make real his school
lessons in this home sand play. Model
moundlike houses in the sand. cover
them with bits. of cotton batting on
which frost powder Is sprinkled. cut out
Of cardboard small sled and a pair of
dogs to stand in front of one of the huts,
AID your boy sees the northland that he
only reads about in school. So too, he
sees the desert when his eager hands
smooth down the sand and cut out of
cardboard and paint little palm trees and
gayly garbed camels to stand in the
sand. Mountain ranges, canals, harbors,
islands, tunnels. all the strange and Won
derful formations of land and water that
he must define in school without, perhaps,
ever seeing, will take form under his
hands in this home sand tray.
And the children will invent hundred
other plays. Give them some sand to-
morrow and let them find out its fun.