The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1919-05-27
Suggestions by Mothers Who have
Been Kindergartners.
Enter Into the Play Spirit of Your
Boys and Girls; Teach Them that
Sometimes Work can be Made in
to Play.
BY Mrs.
Len0re r.
Ranus.

1T is natures own
method for developing the senses,
the muscles and all bodily growth.
Play is even more than this; it is the
outlet of expression of the child's
inner life. Many faults as well as
virtues may be discovered while
watching children at play. Perhaps
mother will find that her child is
selfish or rude, and it is easy to dis
cover a generous disposition and
good temper in the course of play
hour.
Games are the expression of the
play-spirit and toys are the instru-
ments necessary for the expression
of this activity of child-life. As a
farmer needs garden tools to do his
work, so child needs toys for his
play-or work, which play really is
to him. And if toys are not provid-
ed ready-made, he will invent them,
in order to be able to express his
play-spirit.
All play depends upon the physical
condition of the child. A normal,
healthy child plays all the time, is
easily interested in his toys and as
he growers older invents games with
them. If child plays but little,
cannot easily be interested in his
toys, will not play alone and is cross,
look first to his physical condition,
then begin a course of training, or
directed play. Start with a sugges-
ton, "Why not build high steepe?"
or snake mother a train of cars
with your blocks" Often, especial
ly in the case of an only child, if
mother can enter into the play spirit
and play hide seek, or march and
sing, or even build with the blocks, it
is such a treat and often a real help
in promoting a readiness to play
alone when mother must go back to
her work.
Almost every child wants to help
mother sweep, dust, make beds, wipe
the silver, or run errands. Make
play out of the work and yet let the
little one feel he is really doing
something. With tiny babies too
little even to walk, a mother can
make play out of work. Have the
high chair or the bassinette or car
riage in the room where you are
working and keep baby busy with
tons. For instance, if you are work
ing in the kitchen, let the baby have
a big spoon, clothes-pins, tin covers,
or anything new and safe, but al
ways keep these things for the kitch-
en-. If he is allowed to have them all
the time they soon lose their inter-
est and he becomes restless and un-
happy.
A sense of newness even with old
toys makes them desirable to
child. Children need change and
variety because their power of con-
is not fully developed.
This is the plan l use with success
with my own little girl. Her box of
lominoes, her nest of blocks and her
box of building blacks composed
If sixteen cubes), l keep ON a shelf
n a closet out of sight. / also keep
some picture books and toys out of
'ight. Then when the time comes,
Is it does so many times a day,
when Little Girl says, "What I do
low, muvverq" go to the closet for
! surprise. If / give her the blocks,
is always with a suggestion for
making something with them. She
low comes to me and asks for ga
prise, muvver." When she tires of
he blocks l have her pick them up
eady to put away, before she can
ave another surprise" Sometimes
avs at time she does not ask for
surprise, and then when l do bring
ut the dominoes, for instance, she
as delighted as if they were brand
ew. Her dolls separate in groups.
she has four, ! put away two and