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Show Amusement for Small Guest Supply of Trifles to Occupy Attention Will Tend to Make Visit Enjoyable for Both Caller and Hostess, and Please the Child. By LOUISE H. MARSHALL, National Kindergarten Association, New Tork City. When friends have called on you and brought along their children, have you often felt shocked at their lack of manners because they would not sit down as stiff as automatons and keep quiet while you and your guest chatted of things that held not the least interest for them? However, If a child has not been "well brought up" he Is very apt to prowl from one thing to another until un-til you are ready to scream from thinking every minute he will tip over that vase of flowers, surely break Into the bookcase with the glass front, or explore library table drawers, the contents of which are frail and precious. We can eliminate nervous apprehension appre-hension on our side, overcome "enoopiness" on the part of the little lit-tle visitor, and secure peace and quiet for his mother and ourselves ln which to enjoy each other's company com-pany if we have a hospitable disposition dispo-sition and do a little planning beforehand. be-forehand. We take particular delight de-light In showing some treasured piece of art, a new lunch cloth, or a recent book to make the mother feel we are happy to have her come Into our home and want her to share ln our latest possessions, bo why should we not exert ourselves to display dis-play a like hospitality to her youthful youth-ful companion? With that Idea ln mind I secured a large cardboard carton In which I store, In boxes, trifles that are sure to amuse young minds. I give out one or more boxes at a time according accord-ing to the need. In the collection I ! have drawing books and a box of ; crayons, some large cardboard dolls with cutout coats, dresses and hats, a bag of marbles, a set of tiny chairs (that were left from a parlor suite my own children used, a pair of kindergarten kinder-garten scissors, and a smaller set of paper dolls and clothes to be cut out If the player chooses, several rubber ducks and fish for very tiny callers, a toy truck, and a small wagon, wag-on, a tin tea set and an aluminum baking set, a fairylike stove, a falr- sized doll that has seen much nse, and a box of clothes for her, a top, some puzzles, and dozens of othe trinkets. I am always running across something new to slip Into one of th boxes of my "treasure chest" Nowadays so many pretty card, and novelties come home In the way of advertisements that one need not go to the effort and expense of buying buy-ing elaborate games and articles, because be-cause all these will be new to the little explorer and different from his supplies at home. I endeavor to put Into this box only toys and trinketa that do not create confusion, for If drums, horns, pianos, trains, rifles and the like were Included the purpose pur-pose would be frustrated there would still be as much clatter and tumult as If the youngster were scampering from room to room helping help-ing himself to whatever took his fancy. In the collection are boxes of toys that appeal to the boys and others that charm the litle girls, or, If there happens to be more than one child at a time, two or more boxes furnish fur-nish just the things needed for a session of school, to play housekeeping, housekeep-ing, or some other interesting game together. If you show thoughtfulness for the little guests, they will enjoy coming to your house and not have to ba dragged protestingly along just because be-cause mother wants to go. My chest has served not only as a safety valve for pent-up vim during calls but has also proved a drawing card as well. Many of the boys and girls come to "visit" with me by themselves, them-selves, for they realize they will receive re-ceive a hearty welcome and find a; sympathetic understanding of what little folks need and like. |
