HoTne Makers' Conference. 369 



laughs; ever with increasing vigor and noise, until we are forced oc- 

 casionally to say, "sit down and be quiet." Cannot children play with- 

 out all this activity and noise? Yes, but he cannot get the expansion 

 of lungs that he needs if he makes no noise with his mouth except in con- 

 versational tones. He cannot develop the fundamental muscles of the 

 trunk, and legs, and arms by sitting do^vn and using his fingers and 

 eyes. If he uses his fingers and eyes too much, his nerves and eyes 

 must suffer. He must have general activities of the body before he 

 specializes. So do not restrain him in his free, spontaneous play, unless 

 he is doing something injurious to himself or to some one else. If we 

 deprive him of play, we rob him of physical development, of motor 

 ability, of youthful joyousness and enthusiasm. The physical training 

 of a child is gotten through play. With careful directing, much intellec- 

 tual and moral training can be gotten through play, as well. Very 

 young children can be taught to observe, and take an interest in nature ; 

 to know birds and to recognize their songs; to know plants and flowers 

 and grains; to know animals and their habits, their uses, and how they 

 serve us. As they observe they ask questions, they begin to think, to 

 reason about things. The country bred child has the advantage over 

 the city bred child in his familiarity and intimacy with nature. 



The tendency of young children is to make use of all their knowl- 

 edge in their plays. They imitate the movements and sounds of animals; 

 they hop like bunnies, gallop as horses, bleat like sheep, cackle and 

 crow like chickens. They impersonate the people they know, and live 

 their lives for a time: "You be the mother, I'll be the father, you be 

 the baby," or "You be Mrs. A and I'll be Mrs. B." They are the 

 postman, the milk-man, the maid-servant — every person they know in 

 the home and community; they keep house, they wash and iron and 

 cook; they care for the sick; they pack up and take journeys; they 

 play soldier. When they have exhausted the world about them they 

 want to know about the outside world. You tell them a story about 

 fairies, or giants, or foreign peoples; they impersonate these. What a 

 wonderful imagination? It is well trained in their play. With a 

 little assistance they dramatize, they play Santa Glaus, "The Three 

 Bears," "The Shoemaker and the Elves." As a child thinketh, so 

 is he. Should we not take advantage of this natural tendency in chil- 

 dren to carry over their knowledge into action, or conduct. If they 

 are trained to think right, will they not act right? Give them the 

 knowledge they should have : It is the guide, the staff of the will. 



In all play with other children there is moral training — there is 

 good discipline. He must learn to take his turn, to play fair, to be 



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