Show kindergarten helps for parents A articles issued by the th department erit of the iha interior bureau of education and the ii WORK VORK AND arad PLAY TOGETHER by MRS preato PRESTON F very little children of if two anil and three years B require the companionship of other children in work anil and play piny at as much ns as those of recognized kinder ani g arten ten aye age 1 the child af two Is in tensely interested Inter ted in n the s of children four five and six learnold ye yeam arnold old and kiil Is able to it in imitate enlarge his knowledge edid idid experience and ev even n lit in their activities the acrivi besof tho the about him while they van lie he and in giue measure uie asuru shured liy by hith cannot have tho the same barne value in lils ills mental or physical devel lit when heri daddy saws a ii large boned with ft large saw the two year old ol d 1 Is interested but when the four year uld old saws it a inlall bonard with a pos milking some toy that will bo be ul u l ly by the little one he Is I 1 niort morg than interested he saws sawa wood as won as lie can watch an adult try to amuse tills old with a tc iiii tox box of blocks invariably the blocks are piled high for steps towers and so forth anil and the little child finds great delight in ending the blocks tumbling with it a crash to the floor tie ile takes mims no particular pleasure plea suie lit in the building of it one ic block upon another and wo 0 think lit tins has not et reached rea cheil the ago o for building now the group if older I 1 children making structures with ti aliese iese paine blocks do not pile thein oho ohe upon another but lay them side by side to forin fonn tin walls of a house for the toll doll or n burn forthe for tho woolly dop dog and immediately the little one Is interested not in tumbling the he bioc blocks town down however tut but in laying akin in beside enell ench other one after another in any horne home 11 many mot matheis liers realize this need 0 of f their child to hove have group activity but know ano way in which to bring the until they tire lire ready for the regular kindergarten it can be e accomplished in utmost vav any home lip however wever it if the he mother Is willing to devote it taw few hours a day tv to working and playing alth v ith the children in the neighborhood under s school c hool ngi age jr those itt at home for the long summer vacation whenever the weather will permit activities ire are best carried oti on out of 0 doors and very little equipment Is nee essary a sand pile it pos possible gible nn an unused Rit kitchen cheli table ot or wide licad laid 0 on n any available foundation with vath boxes e for or tho little chairs 4 ilitch ench each antly bring from dionio ciomo the already on hand for use by the he child children reli in the home suh such nd balls I 1 hean lings hags blocks locks li mother goose und tind other story books will serve the whole group the ali other mothers of the neighborhood are sure to be willing to contribute tr bute for the use pt all materials which their own children possess and rach child can bring some of his pennies for the purchase of paper paste ern mul aud so forth fortunately when we built 0 our ur six room bungalow we provided a nursery for our little ones a barge arge practical room with fireplace and built in sh helves elves so that our group found sp space ace for nil jill indoor activities there any room not needed for other purposes at the time of the lie school session might le he ud well As a center for outdoor work and play piny we tied had a under th the e trees this had been left by the builders and to close it in the children dug trenches on four sides into which wo inserted planks baby center of attraction for pets we had goldfish a mother bunny with little ones and our own tiny aln baby of three months the baby served ns Is a center tor for many olour of our doings many times our songs were sunato sung to him our houses of blocks made foi or heinit mm blur our table tabie constructed for or him tho the children watched him grow I 1 I 1 through the months and he was the real mainspring of our group life since the tha group was made up op of children of varying ages each younger i child depended on an older for leader ship assistance and consideration 1 thi the five and an ds learned to lei lend I 1 d a hand to the four year olds and 1 to be patient and kind with the littlest ones iones lafving a neighborhood nursery school has han a R tremendous advant Hgo for the boisr mother who has haa difficulty tit in finding time ime for uninterrupted work and play with her own child children will play contentedly together tor for long li burs issei especially bially if they are provided with a few materials to work with and as the hours of the nursery school are known in the vicinity the children confine their visits more and more to this time the whole routine of hous house e i work Is accomplished more quickly and in better spirits when at the same time the ill inland ind Js Is oce occupied I 1 11 led w with I 1 th the learning of stories finger plays songs games and so forth and on the planning of work for the children the th nursery neighborhood school not only the busy mother in the ordinary home a weans means of giving tie the right kind of training to her own child ahll d but it provides the opportunity for knowing in an intimate and unusually happy relationship the children who arii are to be his bis playmates for a number of years |