The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-07-21


rake and watering pot.
BY WALTER ID. HICKMAN
IIOW 10 supply children with
Il Il beautiful make believe plays
for the four seasons Of the year has
been a problem that fathers, mothers
and teachers have faced for years.
II Is not difficult TO find games
for children. because we all know
now easy II is for the very little
girl 10 play house with her dolls.
And | can remember back many
years even when crude mud-pi
ceased 10 be wet dirt but became
marvellous pumpkin pies like mother
made for Thanksgiving.
The thing We have all been look
ig for and YOU have asked me many
times Is for collection of plays
that the very young and the older
young children can act out of doors
IN summer and fall and in the liv-
ing room in winter.
or a mother as well as a father
may sit down and read the plays 10
the children with the result that
the children start acting before
chapter is completed
After years of hope and search 7
have found such collection II Is
Indoor and Outdoor PLAYS For
Children by John Farrer published
by Noble and Noble. rs Fifth avenue.
New York CITY.
Let uS approach this human book
for children Just as We did for Fun
DAY Farrar IN his introduction
states. The sense of play-acting is
developed very early in children and
springs quite naturally from the
sense OF play They enjoy their own
mal-e-up games and play themselves
they enjoy acting them out for
their elders.
With the memory of his grand
mother s costume trunk in ;he attic.
Farrer has written these simple
plays that do not take much re-
hearSIng. Even a victrola. as the
author states may furnish the mus
zeal background.
because Of Farrars fine under
ID standing of what children like
to do. he has "sprinkled rhymes
along the way of dialogue because
children love to recite verse.
And he has solved the costume
problem His words are-"For cos
TUNES? Simple or elaborate. as you
wish It's extraordinary what effects
can be achieved with scarf and
few flowers
The reason for writing these plays
Is given by the author as follows:
Many of these Mosques we're writ
ten some years ago IN the Connect
cut farm country for a group of Us,
children and their parents. too.
playing through the summer time
And the author asks YOU TO write
TO him when the plays are produced
and he also says. Il should indeed
like 10 be invited TO a performance.
As for the book II has been beau
tifully and individually illustrated
rs Winlfred Bromhall and Mary NJ
Ludlum The illustration showing
imaginary unborn children trying to
trOt through a big gate so they may
be born in February is a master
piece.
The book contains the following
PLAYS The House Gnomes.
play for Christmas tree: God Pan
Forgotten play for , forest
space: The Kingdom Of the Rose
Queens. = play for a summer gar
den. the Magic sea Shell. play
for The ScaShore. Grandmother
Dozes. a play for a winter evening:
BIRTHDAYS Come N February a
play for birthdays one of the
sweetest IN the book Worship the
Nativity. z maSque for Christmas.
Swing High. a PLAY for the gar
den. and Sand Castle" a play for
the sandboX on the lawn.
"TITH such natural settings as
w living room in a winter eve
ming. a SanoboN on the lawn. a sum
mer rose garden and even a Christ
mas tree-well. nearly every home
possesses some OF these natural set
tings.
The children may range in age
from SIX 10 sixteen and that Is an
other accomplishment of the author
because OF the wide range.
The publishers State-"These PLAYS
arc fully protected by copyright. but
non professional performances NAV
be given without fee. providing only
the consent of the author IS Sc
cured. who may be addressed in care
OF the publisher
AS I understand il. any father or
mother may take their children and
the neighborhood children and pro-
duce these plays for their own en-
Joyment without any cost in their
own backwards or house. To me.
that is one OF the most wonderful
things OF this book
You remember how We all rsved
over "FunGay" when I introduced
that book TO YOU Well. YOU will
rave as much over Indoor and Out
door PLAYS for Children.
IL sells for 81
IVES. there Is new edition COM
Il ing out Of the late John Gals
worthvs The Forsyie Saga" Mrs.
Galsworthy just has turned over to
Scribners the manuscript OF her
preface for the forthcoming memo
nal edition OF The Forsyte Saga