Milford chronicle., 1942-04-17
| % 0 M e ED WGATI@M
"The Child's First School is The
Famiiy-FRoEBEL
Issued by the National KinderRarten
Association, West 40th Street,
New York City
HOME GROWN GAMES
HILDA RICHMOND


A visitor looked on with interest
as a group. of little children play
ed a game with marbles on the
back of an old map probably thirty
inches square. 1t was a map of a
state, mounted on heavy cardboard.
Having hung on the wall until old
and faded the center bulged out
slightly, and there were some other
defects though the surface was not
broken. Each child had six or eight
common marbles, classics" they
called them, and by laying the map
face down on the floor and fitting
the corners dexterously they could
make the flock of sheep-the mar
bles-rush round the edge, or hud-
die together in the middle at will
Sometimes the whole flock went
into stampede owing to some
child setting an elbow on the rim,
and sometimes they tilted the broad
surface in such erratic ways that
the sheep dashed back and forth
and round and round like mad. 1t
was great fun, even to the visitor,
watching the skill with which the
older children could keep the flock
together and moving.
The mother of the children said
that she and her husband had al
ways encouraged the little ones to
invent their own games. In sum-
mer they made little dams in the
brook that flowed through the back
yard, floating, chips for boats on
the water as it rose, and then with
one grand gesture opening the
middle of the dam to let the ships
crowd to the waterfall. The first
boat to reach the opening won the
race, Of-course.
"They like their own games bet
ter than toys from the store, in
many instances" said the mother.
Some of them are crude, but the
fact that they thought of them and
with a little help constructed the
things they use to play with brings
them real delight"
when l saw them racing down
hill on that old barn door for a
sled l was afraid they would hurt
themselves" said the visitor, "but
Jack understood his steering gear
and pulled hard on the strap lines
and landed his crew safely at the
foot of the hill"
Their grandfather sent a new
and shinging sled at Christmas"
continued the mother, but they
like the big door better because
they can all pile on it. On Sunday,
they pull little Dorothy, seated on
the fine new sled, to Sunday school,
but on week days, it stands on the
side porch most of the time. They
even persuade me to join them on
the barn door occasionally and
rush to the foot of the hill. Some
how they seem to get more fun out
of anything they think up or make
themselves.
Come to think of it," said the
visitor, there are some children
in our neighbOrhood who get more
enjoyment out of the remains of
an old auto when they visit their
uncle than they do out Of expensive
toys. They have little tricycles and
wagons to play with in town but
when they can go to the country
and play with that old wreck of
car and push or pull it around they
shrek with JOY"
Our children call their games
homemade games, and we en-
courage them to think up new
ones" said the hostess. Just now
they are working on wonderful
set of sand sifters made out of old
wire screen, discarded colander
and a few other things. They spill
a lot of sand and have great deal
of trouble arranging their sits as
they call the screens, but what fun
they do have!"
"Well, I've learned something.
think 1 won't try to discourage my
grandchildren any more when they
work at their store-box dollhouse,
though they do litter the side yard
said the visitor, rising.
1.-THE thing looked so crude and
ugly that l tried to persuade them
to throw it away, promising to get
them a real dollhouse. But it is
still standing there. They didn't
want to give it up but said that
they would, of course, if l insisted.
But they may go back to the car
tons and boards and the rest of
their treasures since l see how
ingenious this constructive play is
making your children. Thank good