Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-08
Mother Nature Teaches Her
Children Through Play

Towering and unfolding Of their natures. They
like little animals. It is just natural for
them to laugh to romp and play, it Is to breathe
We might as well try to suppress bobolink to
suppress a child bubbling over with merrment.
The suppression of the normal activities of chill
dren is a crime They learn by play This is their
great school; Gods kindergarten. They learn many
more useful things in their play than they do at
school, although both necessary
Yet many parents wonder why 1t is that chill
dren not more serious why II is that they want
10 play from the moment they get up in the morn
ing until they go to sleep at night. have been In
ZONES where children were treated like adults and
expected to act like them. They not allowed
to make noise. They had to creep around the
house on tptoe in constant fear of waking the baby
or disturbing some recall especially the
father OF large family who is cross, irritable
and ouchy about the house that the children do not
dare to play when he is at home. II he cannot stop
them In any other way, he whips them. He tells
them he won't be disturbed by noise that they
have too much play, that they ought to be doing
something important than fooling all the
time" Whenever company is present they are
obliged to sit still in their chairs like little
mics. They forbidden to speak or move until
the company has gone. They are coerced and re-
pressed until they almost afraid to breathe.
Now, is II any wonder that these children all
have long, sad faces? Is II any wonder that the
blighting dwarfing effects of the lack of play IN
their lives are written in their expression, their
movements their whole attitude? One has only to
look at them to know that all their natural in
stinets have been crushed and the childhood ground
cut Of them. Nothing more completely and forcibly
illustrates the tremendous part that spontaneous
fun and play were intended to have in our lives
than the results we see in the blighted prematurey
old lives of those who knew what real joyous
childhood means.
Nature is a wise teacher II we cooperate with
her we shall make fewer mistakes in bringing up
our boys and girls. She knows how to teach chill
dren thousand valuable lessons, not only without
any coercion, but with supreme enjoyment The
time will come when shall continue the child's
education in play. Educators are becoming aware
OF this great fact Instead Of shutting young peo-
pie up In close, badly ventilated school rooms we
shall educate them in the open out in the sunlight
and air.
Play is not only developer but a great self
discoVerer. We cannot tell so very much about
boy during school hours when he is busy with
routine work. But watch him in his leisure time
In his recreation hours. See what they call out of
LIS inclination when he is from restraint and
not under any ones eyes supervision. 1t is then
that the natural tendencies OF the boy will show
themselves. They find outlet during his play
When fathers and mothers understand that not in
suppressng, but in guiding and directing their chill
drens play. lies the great secret OF child training
We shall have happier efficient race a
brighter, more Joyous world.-Orison SWEET Mar
den in The Mothers Magazine