Evening star., 1941-10-17
Playthings
A Baby
Everyday Items
May Be Varied
Frequently
By Lettice Lee Street,

Too sleepy to stand it another
minute the curly-headed little boy
| toppled over on his fat tummy and
took a snooze in his play pen on
the porch. Clutched in one chubby
hand was string of spools and in
the other a large kitchen spoon
Around him, on the floor of the
! pen, were scattered a small metal
bell, the celluloid top of a cold
cream jar, and pie plate as well
as a rubber airplane and a toy
dog.
A neighbor, coming to CALI dis
| covered the sleeping little man and
tip-toed over to admire him. Just
| then the mother came out onto
the porch and the two women stood
| looking down at the appealing pic
ture he made. After the visitor had
whispered her admiration of his
curly top and the long lashes that
| swept out over his pink cheeks, she
asked, why don't you buy him
some nice toys? Those are such
queer, ugly things you give him to
play with"
They do seem So" answered the
mother with good humor, but he
likes them the best. Besides, !
want him to learn about everyday
things, so I give him a new selec-
| ton to play with almost each day"
Many babyhood activities that
seem like play to our adult eyes
are in truth serious business to the
young child as he examines some
simple article in his effort to learn
its meaning. The world, and every
thing in it, fills him with wonder
ment, and he has constant yearn-
ing to explore, and to touch the
things about him that he sees.
A baby's hands are more sensi-
tive than any other part of his
body. They teach him a great deal
of the knowledge that he is so
rapidly acquiring, for he is learning
much more quickly than we realize.
From his sense of touch he discov-
ers what various objects feel like;
their consistency, their surface tex
ture and their weight. Through the
skin senses Of his tiny fingers he
learns the meaning of many words
such as cold. hot, rough, smooth,
wet, dry and so on.
1t is great help to the baby in
learning to talk if his mother will
describe objects that she gives him
to play with by saying dog, cat,
spoon, hard, soft" and the like.
1t is a great mistake to allow a
baby to play with the same toys
day after day, as he not only tires
of them and is thus more apt to
seek other diversion and develop
bad habits such as biting his nails,
sucking his clothes and so on, but
he is not broadening his knowledge
of ordinary objects.
The babys ceaseless activity trains
his senses and teaches him how to
use his muscles in proper Co-ordina-
ton. and the young explorer should
be allowed to creep about the room
at will so that he may find out what
a chair leg is really all about, how
rug feels and a hundred and one
other details in the room that ex-
cite his curiosity. Naturally the
creeping baby or the toddler must
be closely supervised lest he get in
harms way, but while he is on such
an adventurous trip it is best to
put dangerous objects cut of reach
for two reasons: One so that he
may not hurt himself. and two, so
that the mother will be obliged to
say, mo. no, don't toucn" as seldom
as possible.
Lettice Lee STREET. has COM
piled a Classified Food Tables of
Average Foods Suitable for Young
Children which will be sent to
you upon request. Address Mrs.
STREET., care of The Evening Star,
and inclose a SC stamp and your ;