The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-05-05
MAKING PLAY
A DELIGHT
Prof. McKeever Points
Out What Can Be Done
with Little Material.
By William A. McKeever

INVENTORY: Fifty old sseond-
hand bricks. four old pipe
cracker boxes. thirteen loose
boards, cheap box material three
pieces old carpet, two small chairs,
three lengths OF baiunE wire and
broken dishes, bottles, spOolS and
other such bric-a-brac.
The foregoing is list OF the raw
materials used by an eight-yeGr-
old boy and his sIK-year-old sister
in the construction and furnishing
Of a complete home" on q grassy
back lawn. At odd times during
the past week I have watched this
childish pair in their happy occupa-
ton.
Nearby the violets were bloom
ing, and from the rear I heard the
clear notes Of the robin; but to me
these things Of the wild out-of-
doors were far less significant than
the constructive play Of the chill
dren. The robin and thu yiolstH
came out OF the bosom Of nature
relatively finished, but the two
young builders were merely In the
beginning of working out two inter-
ettinE human caEeerG
How much TO be preferred above
. complsts carpentsr-built play
house II this pile OF brick and
boards when once We catch the sig
nihcanes OF a life in the making.
Every time we give a child a ready
made playthiRg We are likely to rob
him Of certain amount OF valuable
growth through loss of the appiica-
tion OF his own inventive genius.
We are wrong in expecting a child
either to see things perfectly or to
do things perfectly.
There was no necessity Of these
two children constructing their
own house in any certain way, al
though suggestions would not be
out OF order. The real achievement
was for them to build It in their
way. and TO tear down and build
again as often as they pleased.
Here was an actual case OF a living
interest and a charming growth in
skill and practical ideas. As you
would expect, the boy did nearly all
the work OF building the house,
while Little Sister arranged the
furnishings daintily.
Now the conclusion Or parents 10
this: Expensive. rsady-made play
things are not so good for the or
binary child as crude materials,
which give exercise to the natural
ingenuity. Another extreme to
avoid. and a distressfully common
one. Is Giut Of giving the little ones
nothing to play with, so that they
are prone TO run away or fall into
evil practices.
have known a group OF boys in
a barren alley to put in practically
an entire Summer season engaged
in the exciting game Of nEhting.
The energy thus turned into saw
aEery might have been used in con-.
GtructInE a dozen things useful and
interesting TO the members OF this
youthful gang.
Why be a lazy. Indifferent parent
II IL especially a fathers Job that
am pointing out here. II there Is a
young American growing UP in your
home. provide the raw materials.
somewhat as listed above. for the
construction OF a playhouse. and
you will thus start him on the
building of life character. ideals, q
forcefuI personality. These things
do not merely. happen-thsy grow.
and the experience OF much patient
trial and error Is their chief agency
OF development.
Father. bring homo some cheap
boxes tomorrow. some old brick or
two-by-four blocks the next day,
and a cheap hammer and saw the
next Other materials will readily
be thought of, while the necoSsGry
cost Is merely nominal. Little girls
s. well as little boys can and
should use these crude materials Of
construction. But in Quitting the
Eirl the mother should have the
leading part.
Let us not forget that the chill
dren are In the greatest school OF
life during this vacation period.
They will not. cannot stop growing
and learning. And while the pro-
feEsIonal teachers are gone and the
school building 10 closed, We parents
are now the responsible teachers.
And the greatest text books which
we can possibly furnish the little
ones are the simple materials out
OF which they may fashion their
childish ideals.