what simple way we may make use of these as a point of departure. When kindergarten opens in the Fall we must have in mind the interests both of the older children who have been in kindergarten the previous year and are likely to be active both in mind and body; also we must think of the newcomers who may be timid, shy, inapt, homesick. What subject can we talk about on the circle which will at once interest both groups? We can talk over the experiences of the past summer, or we may perhaps find the baby of the family an alluring subject; and if perchance there may be no baby in our family there is one of a neighbor to call forth our interest and tender ness. What does baby need? Food, milk, cereals, orangejuice, crust of toast to bite on when the teeth are coming. How do we keep milk sweet? Where does ice come from? Sometimes from ponds in winter. Sometimes it is manufactured. Baby also needs a drink of pure water. Baby also needs shelter. Shelter from cold, from heat, from too much hot sunshine. Need of protecting eyes from brilliant sunlight or electric light. The writer was passing one evening a shop, the shopkeeper's wife sitting outside, with her baby in its carriage, the electric light shining full upon the sleeping child. We apologized for interfering in what might not be considered our business but called attention to the probable effect upon the child's eyes, and the thoughtless mother was most appreciative and grateful, and at once changed the position of the carriage. Baby needs much fresh air and so we manage to keep it outdoors much of the day but carefully sheltered from bleak winds. Baby needs clothing. We keep it warmly clad in winter but are careful to allow freedom for the little arms and legs to kick and push and pull. What kinds of garments does it wear? Little shirts, socks, dresses, sweaters, caps, leggings, mittens. How baby loves to be taken out. Baby also needs a daily bath and enjoys so much splashing in the water. We give our dolls a bath sometimes if they are made of china or celluloid. What would happen if we gave a bath to a cloth doll or a sawdust doll? Baby needs sleep. We try to keep quiet when baby is sleeping. We walk on tiptoe and use our gentle voices, and don't rattle our toys. Baby needs a few playthings and needs a little play but we must not excite it too much. It needs much time to rest quietly and get accustomed to our big world with all its many things to see and do. Can he squeeze the hard sphere? Which is safest for baby to play with? Second Gift-Tie a string to the sphere and put it through the cylinder, forming a crude doll form. Wrap a piece of cloth around this and the imaginative child will derive much pleasure from it. Give it a ride in the doll-carriage or hold it in one's arms and sing a lullaby. Or put it to bed in the crib. Make a doll carriage of the box and take all the blocks to ride. String necklace out of Second Gift Beads. Building Blocks-Make baby-carriage, crib, baby's bath-tub, porch where baby takes its nap. House with porch. Make trains, docks, wharves, boats, fountain, etc., and other things suggested by summer experiences. Make sidewalks on which to wheel paper carriage described below. Draw things seen on way to kindergarten; and during summer. Draw crib, baby-carriage, baby, baby's tub, etc. Cut on folded paper; then open and fold babycarriage pictured herewith. By Alice G. Shirley (student in the Mount Vernon (N. Y.) High School.) Grandfather Frog told me that today I am a fullgrown frog, just one year old. But I would like to tell you something of my life just as Grandfather told it to me. Some parts of my life I remember of course; others you will learn from the conversation we had on this subject as we sat on the big green lily pad. "After you came out of the egg you were the funniest creature I ever laid eyes on, but then so were your brothers and sisters," drawled Grandfather. "You were very tiny and your protruding gills look ed like what humans call Angle's wings. You immediately clung to some aelgi to feed. And certainly you were a hungry young one. In a little while your gills were no longer external but internal, though you still fed on aelgi, then-" "Oh, Grandfather!" I interrupted "I can almost remember that felling when-" "Now young one," said Grandfather crossly," remember your manners, and wait until I have finished speaking, then you can talk all you want. Well, to resume where I left off, your hind legs appeared; after that, your front legs, but you still kept on feeding. Then later your tail disappeared, and you underwent a fast for about ten days. During this fast your mouth grew ever so much larger and wider, spreading from ear to ear. Don't be vain, young one," he said, looking at me attentively," when I tell you that your mouth was quite decent looking; you had such a nice curving mouth, you know. Then your fast ended and you began to learn how to eat again. But even then, though you always managed to get a good supply of food you always seemed to be hungry. Yet, for all that, your looks are quiet passable." Grandfather having finished, I began, "Grandfather, do you know, that I don't quite remember the feeling I had when I lost my outward gills, but I do remember the joy the appearance of my hind legs gave me, because then I could walk about on them, or if I got tired walking I could swim away with the aid of my tail. Then, when my front legs appeared, I found that I could use them for a good purpose too, because when I got tired of stalking around on my hind legs, I could drop on both pairs of legs for a rest. When my tail began to disappear, my fright, anger and distress knew no bounds, for I thought that I would never be able to swim again. Then, dear Grandfather, you came along and taught me how to swim and jump. My, but I was happy and proud to know that I could swim once more, though in a different way, and really and truly jump almost as well as you. When I had to undergo my fast I was so hungry that I could have cried, so angry that I could have fought anyone if I had been strong enough. Then, after my fast was over, and you taught me how to go to the top of the water to breathe, and how to get my food I was very happy indeed. "There is one thing I shall never forget. It was when I first tried to speak to you after my fast was over. I opened my mouth to speak but it opened so wide and so fast that I thought it was splitting and began to cry. But when I saw you laughing at me, I was reassured and started to talk. Then there was another thing I distinctly remember. It was when I first tried to catch my food. I went so slowly about it that my food got away and I had to go hungry, for I was unused to my long tongue. After constant practicing I managed both that and my 8 breathing, with which, if you will remember, I had a little trouble at first." Then, having thanked Grandfather, I swam away to play tag with my brothers, sisters, cousins and friends. LIFE STORIES FROM THE OLD AND NEW By Jenny B. Merrill Pd. D. New York City. The title of this book is intended to indicate that only such Bible Stories have been chosen by Dr. Merrill as have a direct bearing on the life of the child in the development of character. The book was written especially for the Daily Vacation Bible Schools and Week Day Religious Schools but will also be found as helpful to mothers in the home. It is of Junior grade but by slight modifications, the stories can be used with any grade above the Kindergarten, say from seven to twelve. One of the interesting features of the book is the introduction of dramatizing the Bible story in a very simple way. This may be done in the home as well as in the school. Pictures to illustrate the stories have been carefully chosen and are listed. Suggestions are given for Memorizing and for Bible games. The book is in touch in its development method with the best in modern educational thought. Motive, attitude and appreciation of Bible literature and of the artist's work in aiding the child to follow the story, were all evidently in the writer's mind. Net Price $1.00. 60 Pictures, 6x8, furnished by W. A. Wilde Co., Boston, $1.00. 40 Pictures, 3x3 1-2, furnished by George R. Brown, Beverly, Mass., $0.20. TOOTHACHE IS A DANGER SIGNAL Toothache is a signal of danger which should never be allowed to go unanswered. It usually means that a cavity has begun in a tooth and is endangering the life of the pulp. Steps should immediately be taken to discover the cavity and to repair the lesion with a suitable filling. Moreover, the health of the child may be seriously affected by the neglect of his temporary teeth. Open cavities in the teeth harbor many disease producing bacteria and offer a favor. able opportunity for their growtth. Such a mouth is always unclean and septic. The child suffers from pain of tooth ache which may seriously disturb bis nervous system. Abscesses are frequently formed on the roots of diseased temporary teeth. Not uncommonly severay abscesses may be found in a child's mouth actively discharging pus and infectious material which the child swallows. These all contribute to undermine the health and vitality of the child and constitute an important menace to his normal development both physically and mentally. -From Public Health, Lansing Mich. HELP EACH OTHER. That is the thought. If you know a good thing-have actually tried It out in your school room---PASS IT ALONG through the columns of this department. Of course we desire NEW IDEAS, but will accept old ideas worked out in NEW WAYS. Strive to be ORIGINAL. WRITERS FOR THE "HELPING EACH OTHER" DEPARTMENT BLANCHE S. S. BLACKWELL, Brandon, Manitoba. BLANCHE CHAPIN, Wolcott, N. Y. MARY E. COTTING, Waltham, Mass. MABEL HELENA CROFTS, Public School No. 23. Richmond Borough, New York City. HELEN P. DAVIS, Portland, Me. MILDRED DONALDSON. 1020 Dovercourt Road, Toronto, Ont. JESSIE S. EASLEY, Ringgold, Texas. ROTHA E. GATES, 73 Fayette St., Palmyra, N. Y. JENNIE F. GRIMES. 190 Madison St., Brooklyn, N. Y. MARY MOORE, 501 Lincoln St., Hibbing, Minn. MRS. ARTIE R. KRIBS, New Lathrop, Mich. FLORA MARGETTS, Shandon, Calif. ORPHA A. HILLMAN, Stanley, Iowa. MINNIE A. HOGAN, 660 Crest Road, Chattanooga, Tenn. PEARL JONES, Orting, Washington. AMY KAHN, 375 Central Park, New York City. MRS. MAME BRADFORD HAMPTON, Durango, Colo. MRS. G. N. HINDSON, 336 Broadway, Winnepeg, Manitoba. CLARA L. PENN, Rockford, Ohio. FLORENCE PEASLEY, R-4, Kenosha, Wis. P. E. REYNOLDS, 3336 Central Court, Niagara Falls, N. Y. MABEL L. STRAUB, 1137 Arrot St., Frankford, Philadelphia. HARRIET L. SHAFTER, 156 Chestnut St., New Bedford, Mass. GERTRUDE VAUGHAN, Logan, Iowa. JOSEPHINE WEAKLEY, Liberty Centre, Ohio. LOUISE WHITCOMB, 4228 Winnetka St., Dallas, Texas. MARY YARBROUGH, R. 12, Farmington, Tenn. ANNIE N. PIKE, 141 Bracewell Ave., North Adams, Mass. MISS ROXIE MARTIN, 2250 Fulton St., Berkeley, Caif. MRS. HATTIE KNAPP, 470 Hamilton Ave., Aurora, THURSA WASSON HARGITT, Bloomington, Ind. EDNA GENE MCGEE, 116 East Tenth St., Oklahoma City, Okla. MARION E. ADLINGTON, Queensboro, New York. F. G. SANDERS, Oakville, Ont. Can. J. M. NIVAN, Toronto, Ont. OLIVE WILLS, Cheyenne, Wyo. SUSAN SMEDLEY, 401 So. Church St., West Chester, Pa. TELL YOUR TROUBLES Every live Kindergartner or Primary Teacher has PROBLEMS to solve. Write to this department and some of our many writers may be able to help you KINDERGARTEN DOLLS By Jessie S. Easley, Ringgold, Tex. The most fascinating, inexpensive material which the tiniest tot can help make into dear little, cute little, soft little dolls-that I have ever used in my kindergarten is old white stockings and a big bag of cotton. How to make a doll: Cut one child's white stocking leg 14 inches in length. Turn wrong side out, gather across one end with strong thread, taking long stitches, pull together and sew firmly. Turn right side out and stuff with cotton. Tie a cord loosely around the neck and stretch out the stocking for the shoulders. Tie a cord around the waist and split the lower part of the stocking up six inches. Sew overcast stitches- each side together for the legs. Stuff and sew across the ends. Tie cord around ankles. From the remainder of the stocking cut two pieces 4 inches wide and 6 inches long for the arms. Sew up the side seams, gather ends and sew firmly. Turn right side out and cut the other end bias. Stuff and sew to shoulders. Tie a cord around the wrists -the hands will look like little fists. Paint a "Kewpie" face. It's easy; just two circles 1-2 inch in diameter half filled with paint for the eyes, two dots for the nose and a tiny red curve for the mouth. Make the cheeks pink. In using water color paints-have the paint rather thick. Too much water will cause it to spread on the stocking. Bobbed hair is the easiest to make. It is just straight strokes of the brush. Make a cap from the toe of the stocking or pin a bow of ribbon on the top of the head. Make the little girl a pretty dress. Make the little boy doll a sweater suit out of a colored stocking. The baby's striped socks make the cutest dolls, using one sock upside down for the doll and the other sock for sweater and cap. It is scarcely possible for one, who has never seen one of these dolls, to imagine how beautiful and use able they are. it is well to develop its making most carefully. For such a lesson each pupil is supplied with a square of manilla paper, with 8 inch sides. Have each girl and boy place it on the desk with an edge facing them. How many sides has this piece of paper? (Insist on full answers to every question.) How many corners? Are the sides all the same size? Measure them. Compare the corners. Yes they are all alike. Now this figure that has four sides all the same size, and four equal corners is called a square. Write the name on Black-board. Point to the R. hand side of the square Pick up the paper by the two lower corners. How can we divide the square into 2 equal parts? By folding. Pickup the paper by the two lower corners and fold so that the lower edge of the square lies on top of the upper edge, and the lower corners lie on the upper corners. Crease, using the thumb nail. Open out the square and look at the crease. It looks like a straight line as straight as if it had been a ruler. How does it divide the square? Into two equal parts. Each part is how much of the square. The crease has also divided the right and left edges of the paper. Take rulers and measure the length of each half side. Yes, it is now four inches. It was eight inches before the fold was made. How long is the crease? Eight inches. Open out the paper and fold the bottom edge to the crease, then fold the top edge to the crease. Into how many parts is the square divided? Four. What is the length of each long side? 8 inches. What is the length of each short side? 2 inches. Fold the R. hand edge over to the left hand edge. Do this without turning the paper. Into how many parts is the square now divided? Eight. What is the length of the long side of one of these eighth parts? Four inches. What is the length of one of the short sides? Two inches. Fold the Right and Left edges to the crease last made. How is the square now divided? Into sixteen little squares. Measure with ruler and find the size of these. How many little squares on top row? How many little squares on each row? 10 ing. Distribute colored crayons-two colors for each pupil-and let them color the squares alternately. The children will enjoy doing this. See that it is done neatly. A HELP IN WRITING By Elsie Forsythe, Hebron, Ont. A plan to help us with our writing is as follows: Each month the written work is kept. That is our spelling, dictation, number work, and writing lessons. These are kept in large envelopes-each child having his own envelope. At the end of the month these are tied together at the top or side whichever seems the best. Use construction poper for the covers. I like gray as it harmonizes with most anything I wish to use. For our January cover we used a snow scene made of white chalk. A snowman, a tree, (of black crayon), and an orange moon (made of orange colored crayola.) All these were outlined with black. For February we each had a picture of Washington, brought from home. This was mounted on red and then on the gray. For March we colored a tulip red with green leaves. Cut it out and mounted it on the front cover. For April we will use an Easter scene. A white rabbit in the green grass. Our May cover design will be a landscape of colored paper. These books are very attractive. They also make us very careful of our writing as mother will see these booklets. Teaching the Tiny Tots to Spell With Aid By H. B. Adriance, Westerlo, N. Y. I know of a mother-teacher who taught her babes to spell and write by giving each child a new box of regular toothpicks to play with, this mother noticed the children making little houses, fences and furniture with the toothpicks by laying them on the table in the different designs, so Mother-teacher using some toothpicks spelt some simple words and told the babes what they were, for instance, she would draw a HOUSE with the picks, and then spell house with the toothpicks. By breaking some toothpicks the curved letters can easily be made, and its lots of fun to watch the children, make some object with the toothpicks then ask what letters to use to spell it. USE FOR OLD BROOM STICKS By Gertrude Vaughn, Logan, Iowa Physical Culture exercises may be varied and calisthenics practiced in the spring time, if each child is requested to bring to school a broom stick sawed from an old broom. The teacher can experiment with one or two and decide on the length. On pleasant days a few minutes of exercise with these in the open air will help to control much rest Drill on this in various ways by careful question. lessness and disorder, SEPTEMBER By F. G. Saunders. September days are here once more The school bells londly call; Come children throw your tops aside, And answer when they call. The holidays are over now We had long days of play, But now the school days start again "Ding, dong, ding dong" come children come The little ones must learn to add If one should grow up as a dunce Some days the children learn to draw As up the scale and down they go. To day no little boy or girl Need to grow up without For education's free. a school CONSTRUCTING MAY BASKETS By Gertrude Vaughn, Logan, Iowa. The use of gummed paper tape, such as is used to fasten packages in drug stores will be found very practical in the construction of May Baskets, in primary and kindergarten grades. It is quite inexpensive and might be obtained from the local druggist. This tape can also be used to mend torn leaves in books and in a number of other ways. He that never changes his opinions, never corrects his mistakes, and will never be wiser on the morrow than he is to-day.-Tryon Edwards. 11 BEANS AND BOXES By Mary Collins Terry. It is often hard for the mother to find lasting and pleasant pastimes for her little child. He may be too young to play outdoors alone. During the winter months many hours a day must be spent indoors. My knowledge of a two-year-old child's play instincts and the use of some very ordinary household material, have developed several occupations which might be found useful and helpful to others. There are his beloved "Beans." He has already spent days and days with them and still shows a ready interest when they appear from the shelf in the pantry. A little cup of beans, the hard red kidney beans, and a glass dish were the extent of his occupation for as long as thirty minutes at one time. Later I added a glass fruit jar, and mixed with the red beans some large white navy beans for him to sort out and drop into his jar. This also was found to be a successful experiment, giving training to his powers to discriminate in color and size. Our "Beans" lend themselves to many occasions. They were the means of keeping two little visitors happy while the mother, who had left them in my charge, went to town. She told me afterward that she had borrowed the idea for their playtime at home. My son's irrepressible desire to pound the chairs and tables or hammer on the furniture with almost any article he could get hold of led to another occupation. The material this time consisted of a box which the grocery boy had left, a good sized nail, and the coveted household hammer. Although he does not do anything so far but fit the nail in an old nail hole and pound, he is safely giving vent to a growing instinct to handle and wield, in imitation of his elders. Later two or three nails could be given, and still later a bit of board to nail to the box, anticipating future crude but effective toy making and carpentry. mention our "toy Speaking of boxes, I might house' which was made by nailing together two boxes of the same size, one above the other. This is kept in the kitchen because the children are often playing here during the time that meals are under way or kitchen work being done. This low and convenient place having been provided for them, toys formerly left discarded on the floor are kept picked up and stowed away in the toy house. One shelf holds a large basket of little things, "jim-cracks" of all descriptions so easily lost and so dear to every child's heart. The rest of the space is given to a box of blocks, dolls and balls, while a few old magazines and picture books are kept on the top. The house is enjoyed by the children, and is a big help to Mother in keeping her rooms in general good order. Contributed by the National Kindergarten Association, 8 W. 40th Street, New York City. |