--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 33 number: 9 published: 1930-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Recreation in the Home: Constructive Play and Games,” *Improvement Era* 33, no. 9 (July 1930): 634–636." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3309unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3309unse start_page: 634 end_page: 636 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1930-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3309unse publication_year: 1930 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1930, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Recreation in the Home: Constructive Play and Games Recreation in the Home Constructive Play and Games ^CISSORS and Paste: The ^^ child of three or four is ready for a pair of small blunt scis- sors under a certain amount of supervision, and paste may follow soon after. For a while paper and cardboard need be the only ma- terials. A carton from the grocer makes an ideal doll house and old manila filing folders furnish first class ma- terial for furniture. A few shoe boxes, writing paper boxes, cereal cartons, etc., will furnish all neces- sary building material for a whole farm or an entire village, including buildings, fences, trees, bridges, etc. People and animals are to be cut from magazines. Clothes pins pro- vide gate posts, bed posts, table legs and the like, while spools and corks are useful as flower pots, tree stands, bridge underpinnings, etc. A piece of mirror makes a beauti- ful lake for boats, ducks, geese, swans, frogs and turtles. Walnut shells or raisins with clove legs make realistic turtles as well as boats which will really sail. Paper cut the shape of a turtle is pasted on half a shell. A match or tooth pick stuck in candle wax dropped into a half shell makes a mast. Paper sails complete the boat. Paper dolls (H inch long) cut from tissue paper can be made to dance by rubbing a piece of wool- en cloth or silk briskly over a piece of window glass placed directly over them. The dolls should be laid on a table and the glass sup- ported on two books about one inch and a half thick. This works best when there is considerable "static" electricity in the air. The room should not be too warm. Things Girls Like to Make: Girls enjoy making many of the things boys make. By an early age the girl develops a dexterity with the fingers superior than that of the boy. It is therefore in the finer handicrafts that she finds one of the best avenues of expression — in sewing, embroidery, stenciling, weaving, bead work, basketry, play handicraft in crepe paper and wax. The girl's ability with the V needle will develop more rapidly if she is allowed to make things such as dolls' clothes. Basketry is an art acquired and there are many books telling how it may be done. A Few Sources of Help: Among the many books containing sug- gestions for making toys and other articles are the following: "American School Toys," Charles A. Kunou, The Bruce Publishing Co., 204 Montgomery Building, Milwaukee, Wis. "Bird Houses Boys Can Build," by Albert F. Siepert, Manual Arts Press, Peoria, 111. "Box Furniture," Louise Brigham, The Century Co., New York City. "Cork Toys," Jane T. Hoxie, Kinder- garten Review, December, 1912. Dennison's Instruction Book. How to Make Paper Costumes. Weaving with Paper Rope. Sealing Wax Art. Tables and Favors. How to Decorate Halls, Booths and Automobiles. How to Make Crepe Paper Flowers. "Educational Toys," by Louis C. Pe- tersen, The Manual Arts Press, Peoria, 111. "Home Handicrafts for Boys," by A. Neely Hall, George H. Doran Co. "Making Tin Can Toys," Edward Thatcher, J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, Pa. "Suggestions for Hand Work in School and Home," by Jane T. Hoxie, Milton, Bradley Company, Springfield, Mass. "Toy Patterns," by Michael C. Dank, The Manual Arts Press, Peoria, 111. "Manual Training Toys," by Harris W. Moore, The Manual Arts Press. "Coping Saw Work, by Johnson, The Manual Arts Press, Peoria, 111. "Kitecraft," by Charles Miller, The Manual Arts Press. "Toy Making in Home and School," by R. K. and M. G. R. Polkinghorne. Things Boys Like to Make: The boy may begin at an early age with soap carving. Ivory soap will provide the foundation mate- rial for ducks, boats, fishes and turtles which will make useful floating toys. Cork will provide good whittling material and all sorts of toys may be made from it. Old corks are most satisfactory, but sheet cork may also be pur- chased. With the aid of a coping saw and boxes of thin wood he may further develop his ability. Puz- zles may now be made — and more toys — as well as many other use- ful articles. Wood one-quarter inch thick, obtainable from a lum- ber dealer, serves as good material. Among the many articles which can be made are the following: Bird Houses: This is a worth- while activity for boys and girls and at the same time will provide homes for the feathered friends. In building bird houses, it is better to build simple houses used by wrens, bluebirds and robins. Secure boards from an old soap- box, a wooden starch box or even shingles, a hammer, a saw and a few nails, and you are ready to be- gin. A wren-house is one of the simplest to construct. The di- mensions are, floor cavity, 4"x4", with a depth of 7"; diameter of entrance, circular 7/%"', entrance above floor 5"; thickness of boards Vi " or yA ". A small hole should be made in the floor for drainage, and holes may also be placed just beneath the eaves for ventilation. These add greatly to the comfort of the birds on hot days. All houses should be easy to open, so that they can be cleaned at the end of the season. When mounted on a pole, white is the best color. The color of the bird house should be similar to the object to which it is attached. The wren house should be placed from six to ten feet above the ground. Woodpeckers like a home made like the trunk of a tree. Wren houses must have an opening not larger than a quarter of a dollar, and Martens insist on a tenement house, with neighboring families in each room. There are many birds, however, that will gladly make their nest in any shaped house you may build, provided the place is safe. A shelf, with or without a roof, nailed to your window ledge, makes a good feeding station. Have a wire cage with large meshes to hold suet, a corn hopper arrange- ment to fill with suet or an auto- mat that replaces the food as fast as it is eaten. The Department of Agriculture issues a bulletin (Farmers Bulletin No. 1456) called Bird Houses and How to Build Them, which gives many good ideas on this sub- ject. Kites: Kite making and flying The Improvement Era for July, 1930 635 are interesting to the boy and oftentimes to the girl. There are many designs, but the tail-less bow kite is the most easily made and most successful flyer. The specifications are few and if carefully followed the kite is al- ways successful. It requires very little wind, and can be flown in a minimum of space and with a minimum of effort. Two strips split from a bamboo fishing pole make the best frame. These should be the same length and notched at the ends. Next bend one of the sticks in- to a bow with an arc having a radius about one-eighth of its length; then attach the bow, at its exact middle, to the other stick at exactly right angles and at a point one-fifth from the end. Run a string around the frame not too tight but tied securely at each of the four points. Paste paper loose- ly on convex side of frame. Lap about one inch of paper over string all around. Paste around edges only. For a kite three feet in length, newspaper is about the right weight, for smaller kites a thinner paper is better. Attach belly band to upright stick at point one-fourth of length above cross bar and one-fourth of length below. Belly band should be on convex side of kite. Make small holes through paper to at- tach. Flying string may be tied to belly band at point opposite bow or may be left as loop sliding freely on band. If properly constructed, this kite should rise directly from the hands of the one holding the string. If it does not, place on ground convex side down and top toward wind. After carrying string ten or fifteen yards to wind- ward, draw in few yards of string and kite will rise. This kite avoids the necessity of running or having another person hold the kite. By alternately jerking and paying out string, kite will readily rise above tree tops and houses and into steady current of air. Pushmobiles and Scooters: A pushmobile is very easy to make. All that is necessary is four wheels, two axles, a little lumber and some string. Set the wheels on the axles, get a 6"x2" piece of wood 8 feet long and attach wheels to this, taking care that the front wheels are placed so that they will turn either way. Tie string to the front wheel on each side of the body for steering purposes. To operate, one boy rides and another pushes. Of course a pushmobile can have a much better appearance and be made to look like a racing auto if a little more time is given the project. Parts of boxes may be made to look like a hood, and a regular steering wheel instead of a string will give the effect of a real auto. It is possible, ■ too, to put a pipe along the side to repre- sent the exhaust pipe. A good pushmobile can be made from a coaster wagon. A scooter is really much easier to make than a pushmobile, but only half the fun to operate. The equipment consists of a set of roll- ers from a skate, a piece of 6"x2" wood about 3 feet long and a piece of wood 2"x2" and 3 feet long. Place the rollers at each end of the 6"x2" wood on the flat side. At one end put the 2"x2" piece up- right. Attach a little cross-piece at the right height for handle bars. To operate, place one foot on and push with the other. Stilts: Stilts are readily made from two sticks the size of clothes poles (I"x2"x6"). Cleats for steps may be found ready made in the pieces usually cut from rafters in the building of a house. Radios: This is a step which holds the interest of a great ma- jority of boys at the present time. The Bureau of Standards, Depart- ment of Commerce, Washington, D. C.i has published a series of in- expensive pamphlets on the mak- ing of radios. Because of the in- novations which are constantly be- ing made, it will be well for the enthusiast in radio construction to consult radio magazines. Many of the larger daily papers also con- tain information on radio mak- ing. A good many of the parts for homemade radios may be pur- chased at the ten cent stores. A. Neely Hall's book, Home Handicraft for Boys, contains four chapters on this subject, as well as ideas for many other projects. Published by George H. Doran Company, 244 Madison Avenue, New York City. Airplanes: Making airplanes is a recent development which has caught the imagination of the boys of America and which is laying the foundation for the development of future scientists. A book entitled Building and Flying Aircraft, issued by the P. R. A. A. (price $2.25), con- tains detailed information on mod- el airplane making. It is profuse- ly illustrated with plans and dia- grams. Many other toys and articles may be made by boys. A num- ber are suggested in Handcraft, a book of patterns with directions for making toys, favors and useful articles published by the P. R. A. A. ($1.25). Other helpful books will be found listed under A Few Sources of Help. Gaines Around the Table SCOUTING for Words: Select **-* some class of words such as ani- mals, birds, trees, girls' names. In the case of animals each person in turn tries to name an animal be- ginning with A until there are no more. The first person who can- not name another animal begin- ning with A has a point scored against him, and the letter B is treated similarly. This goes on through the entire alphabet and the person with the least number of points wins. Progressive Stories: Thrilling tales are frequently the result of this pastime. One player starts telling a story and after a few min- utes (perhaps in the middle of a sentence) he says "next!" and the next person must take up the story where he left off. This goes around the circle until the last per- son caps the story with a fitting climax. Trades: Every player, except one who holds the office of leader, selects a trade or profession which he must retain throughout the game. The reader opens a book at random and reads a passage aloud. When he comes to any common noun he looks at one of the tradesmen, who must instantly name some article that he is sup- posed to have for sale, or some implement connected with the ex- ercise of his craft. By this substi- tution of one noun for another, the most pathetic passage is converted into an indescribable jumble of ab- surdities. The Four Elements: The party is seated in a circle. The player who commences the game takes a knotted handkerchief and throws it suddenly into another's lap, call- ing out at the same time, "earth," water, air, or fire. If "earth" is called out, the player must respond with the name of some quadruped before the other 636 The Improvement Era for July, 1930 can count ten; if "water," he must name a fish; if "air," a bird, and if "fire," he must remain silent. Should a player name a wrong ani- mal, or speak when he should be silent, he must take his turn at throwing the handkerchief. But should he perform his task prop- erly he must throw the handker- chief back to the first player, who repeats the action with some other person. Beanbag Games: These are many and varied and can be adapt- ed to home conditions. Frequent- ly the making of a board or other equipment for these games can be made an interesting recreational ac- tivity for the whole family. Some beanbag games are: beanbag circle, toss, fox and squirrel, duck on a rock, beanbag throw, catch basket, criss-cross goal, fetch and carry, and jump the beanbag. Five in a Row: For this sim- ple game mark on a paper or board any number of squares. Each player adopts a special mark, a cir- cle, a cross, a star or a check. The object is for each player to get five of his marks in a row, up and down, across or diagonally. Each plays in turn and tries to block the others from getting five in a row. Marks may be put anywhere on the board. Tissue Paper Race: Each play- er cuts a square of tissue paper and puts upon it some initial or mark by which it may be identified. Four inches is a good-sized square. At one end of the row, two book ends or other solid objects are set up about a foot apart. A two- foot space is good for the first game. At the other end of the room the players are lined up, arm- ed with fans. When the word "go" is given, each starts to fan his square the length of the room and through the goal posts. The first to waft the tiny paper through the goal posts wins. This game can also be played on a table with eggs from which the contents have been blown. In this case no fans are used, each per- son blowing his eggshell across the table. For other social games see the M. I. A. Handbook. Pets and Objects of Affection Z^EEPING Pets: "The child who is starved for the lack of pets," Dr. William G. Vinal has said, "has failed to that extent in developing his own personality. His sympathies have failed to de- velop that much. One great source of social play has been amputated. To have animals in his environ- ment is in his blood. Animals have been a part of his family life ever since dog and man took to hob-nobbing. They are a great moral influence. He seeks them as his muscles seek tools, his stomach food, and his eyes light." In an informal study which is being made among several hundred young men and women, of activ- ities and relationships in early life which in their opinion did most to create stability of home ties, it has been interesting to learn how many of the activities mentioned were recreational in their scope, things which the family did to- gether in their leisure time. The keeping of pets ranks high in the list. Many of the young people recall vividly the influence this had on their early life. There are few children who do not desire some kind of pet — a dog, a kitten or a rabbit. Noth- ing is more important than the de- veloping of the mothering instinct and the instinct of comradeship through play which very early in life takes this realistic form. Cruel- ty to animals and fear of them are often times overcome if children can have an early acquaintance with them. Entire care and re- sponsibility for the pets may rest with the children, thereby giving them a real education in the life and habits of animals. If there are boys in the family the construc- tion of a house for the pets will be an interesting project. Dogs are probably the most popular pet and it is a distinct ad- vantage to have the dog grow up with the child from babyhood. Cats are popular with many chil- dren and rabbits rank near the head of the list. If there is a very limited space, canaries and gold fish will suffice although these can- not take the place of the pets the children can actually play with. Gardening TJEAUTIFY your home sur- roundings. Make your spot of earth a delight to the eye and a joy to all who enter or pass. The eternal miracle of the Resurrection is repeated each time you sow the seeds and they germinate and grow and bloom. To feel the breath- ing of old Mother earth as you put your eager hands into her bosom and prepare it for the seed; to watch the earth, eager for the rain, open her pores and drink like a thirsty child; to see the plants quiet, intent, leaves expectant and flowers longing for the coming rain; to walk in the garden in the early morning to watch it waken with the dawn, the flowers gently shaken by the dawn breezes; to see the last misty haze of night dis- appear before the rising sun — then the soul is too full for speech. Only unutterable adoration and appre- ciation of God fills the heart. Do let some of us make a garden. Learn the nature of plants, what they like to eat, how much water they need, where they like to grow, the varieties that live under the same conditions. Learn about soils, nature of the plants that thrive in different soils. Children, taught to recognize the first two leaves of Asters, Mig- nonette or Zinnia from chicken weed and dandelion, are given a capacity for future joy in their en- vironment. Almost every child has a desire to plant seeds and watch them grow. ' Nothing can give him a much better occupation than to de- velop his own garden. A little plot should be given the child for his own private use. The vege- tables he grows he may sell to his parents for the dinner table at the prevailing market price, or they may be a special gift to the family from time to time. In any case, raising flowers and vegetables will be a liberal education to the child, as well as giving him good physi- cal exercise. If a piece of ground is not available, a wooden box will be better than no garden at all. The book, "When Mother Lets Us Garden," published by Moffat, Yard & Co., New York City, price $1.25, contains considerable mate- rial which will be helpful to the children in making gardens. The Automobile 'T'O leave home seems to be the paramount issue in the hearts of boys at a certain age. Many parents have this problem to face, and, because they do not realize that the boy is acting under a nat- ural urge of youth too many at- tempt to face it by keeping him even closer at home. This funda- (Continued on page 643)