New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-07

towns, from the petty small-talk tha'
emanetes from the porches and the
front stoops and passes along the side
walks from house to house and from
child TO child.
II is well for you TO decide upon
your destination before you call the
children with Let's go to the pond
to-day" or This is a great day ior the
woods" A playmate or two taken
along occasionally (and frequently II
you have but one child will lend ad.
ditional zest TO the walks, and VIII
enlarge your opportunities OF getting
better acquainted, not only with the
playmates. but with your own children
in relation 10 their playmates.
Search Mystery of Roads
In the case of very young children
places very near home will serve as
we'll as the more distant goals, which
are usually more attractive TO the old
er children. The pond or the stream
under the bridge. or the waterfront,
the beach or the rocky powders that
can be scaled, or the woodstock them
out in your vicinity. Try every road
and see where it leads to. The adj
joining town. if it be within two or
three miles, makes splendid OBJ
iectivc point with older children. and
trolley ride will bring you back
should time or fatigue make 1t neces-
sary.
Try to forget all your grown-up dig
nifty on these walks especially II II
be country road, and have as much
fun and laughter as the children are
ready for. Wear only stout shoes and
"roughing" clothes. Sometimes permit
the children TO take skates, or bicycle,
or velocipede, wagon, or Jauntlng
cart. or sled. hoop. or horse reins.
All these will provide additional attrac-
tions when the children seem 'oath TO
leave their street play.
These walks will develop your chill
dren physically fully as much as any
systematic exercises, and the variety
OF stunts" that will be initiated along
the road will astound you. In some OF
them YOU may join; others will teach
YOU TO have control of your nerves,
while the children develop strength and
independence thereby.
So far as the physical activities are
concerned. you need suggest very
little; the children will initiate as
much as there is time and energy for.
There will be walking forwards and
backwards, sometimes with eyes smut.
sometimes on stone walls and IN
bitches: there will be running, skip
ping, hopping. jumping from different
heights. whistling and singing, games
of follow master" racing, stone
throwing and stick throwing into ponds
and trees. and tree-climbing.
Will know NeighborhOod
That the walks and Talks" are a
great mental stimulus is readily APP
narent when one reflects for "A moment
upon the opportunities for asking ana
answering questions that seldom arse
in the schoolroom; the opportunities
10 observe public work that Is gong on
AWAY from ones immediate neighbor-
hood; the bodybuilding, the digging
Of trenches and laying OF mains. the
setting and taking down Of telegraph
poles, the operation of the switch
! towers near the railroad bridge, the
regulation of traffic and the construc-
q ton of buildings.
/ There Is a deepening of sense impress
/ sions; there is training IN the correct
/ use Of good English in conversations
and storytelling by the wayside; there
/ is reading and dramatlzation IN the
woods and in the shady hooks and on
the rocky heights, that aid so much in
creating congenial atmosphere for
+ the play of the Imagination, and last,
but not lcast-perhaps the most valu-
able feature there Is a tremendous
field for developing a knowledge Of ma
lures workshop.
( Perhaps some concrete illustrations
will serve to good purpose:
SENSE TRAINING
Stand still few moments with eyes
shut; listen intently, then tell what
was heard.
Look intently in all directions; close
/ eyes, and tell what was seen.
Name objects seeds, flowers, twigs,
etc. By touch alone. with eyes shut.
Point TO every birds nest observed
on the walk.
Find all the maple trees along one
/ road. BY taking one tree at time you
will soon be surprised TO discover how
many trees you and the children can
name.
These walks will also contribute to
spiritual growth in no small measure
3 They will afford basis Of companion
ship that with the older years is not
readily outgrown, and many fond mem
. cries will cluster around these little
trips. Perhaps the same walks, though
less frequent in the sdoescent years
may afford opportunity for the conf
dences, the ideals and ambitions, that
are so often poured into some one
else's ears because the mother seems
so busy in the home.
At any rate, you will not stop the
walks and talks when the kinderga rten
age has passed. You will keep them up
from year to year, and each year will
make them seem more worth while
You will have TO increase your knowl-
edge of natures story as the years 20
by, but with your interest to spur you
on, and the many books on the library
shelves that are now ready to help you
this ought not to be difficult nor bur
densome.