,transcriber's note3 ,for the benefit of
 certain readers1 explanatory names have
 been added to some illustration tags   
and these have been identified with an  
asterisk4    ,bulletin ,number ,eight   
,price ,thirty-five ,cents   ,a         
,,catalogue ,,of ,,play ,,equipment     
,compiled by  ,,jean ,,lee ,,hunt       
,,bureau of ,,educational ,,experiments 
#af ,,west #h,,th ,,street1 ,,new ,,york
 #aiah   ,illustration3 ,wooden         
wheel-barrow and cabinet499             
,illustration3 ,children at play499     
,,introduction   ,what are the          
requisites of a child's laboratory8     
,what essentials must we provide if we  
would deliberately plan an environment  
to promote the developmental            
possibilities of play8  ,these questions
 are raised with ever-increasing        
insistence as the true nature of        
children's play and its educational     
significance come to be matters of more 
general knowledge and the selection of  
play equipment assumes a corresponding  

importance in the school and at home4   
,to indicate some fundamental rules for 
the choice of furnishings and toys and  
to show a variety of materials          
illustrating the basis of selection has 
been our aim in compiling the following 
brief catalogue4 ,we do not assume the  
list to be complete1 nor has it been the
 intention to recommend any make or     
pattern as being indispensable or as    
having an exclusive right to the field4 
,on the contrary1 it is our chief hope  
that the available number and variety of
 such materials may be increased to meet
 a corresponding increase of intelligent
 demand on the part of parents and      
teachers for equipment having real      
dignity and play value4  ,the materials 
listed were originally assembled in the 
,exhibit of ,toys and ,school ,equipment
 shown by the ,bureau of ,educational   
,experiments in the ,spring and ,summer 
of #aiag1 and we wish to make           
acknowledgment1 therefore1 to the many  
who contributed to that exhibit and by  

so doing to the substance of the        
following pages4 ,chief among them are  
,teachers ,college1 ,the ,university of 
,pittsburgh1 ,the ,ethical ,culture     
,school1 ,the ,play ,school and other   
experimental schools described in our   
bulletins1 numbers #c1 #d and #e4  ,the 
cuts have been chosen for the most part 
from photographs of the ,play ,school1  
where conditions fairly approximate     
those obtainable in the home and thus   
offer suggestions easily translatable by
 parents into terms of their own home   
environment4  ,while this equipment is  
especially applicable to the needs of   
children four1 five and six years old1  
most of it will be found well adapted to
 the interests of children as old as    
eight years1 and some of it to those of 
younger children as well4  ,,bureau ,,of
 ,,educational ,,experiments4  ,new     
,york ,city1 ,june1 #aiah4              
,illustration3 ,children at play499     
,,out-,,of-,,door ,,furnishings         
,out-of-door ,furnishings should be of a

 kind to encourage creative play as well
 as to give exercise4  ,playground      
apparatus1 therefore1 in addition to    
providing for big muscle development    
should combine the following requisites3
    ,intrinsic value as a toy or        
plaything4 ,the play of children on it  
and with it must be spontaneous4,a      
,adaptability to different kinds of play
 and exercise4 ,it must   appeal to the 
imagination of the child so strongly    
that new forms of   use must be         
constantly found by the child himself in
 using it4,a    ,adaptability to        
individual or group use4 ,it should lend
 itself to   solitary play or to use by 
several players at once4  ,additional   
requisites are3    ,safety4 ,its use    
should be attended by a minimum of      
danger4 ,suitable   design1 proper      
proportions1 sound materials and careful
 construction   are essentials4         
,durability4 ,it must be made to        
withstand hard use and all kinds of     
weather4 ,to demand a minimum of repair 

means also to afford a   maximum of     
security4  ,footnote ,a3 ,dr4 ,e4 ,h4   
,arnold1 ,some ,inexpensive ,playground 
,apparatus4 ,bul4 #bg1 ,playground      
,association of ,america4               
,illustration3 ,the city yard equipped  
to give a maximum of exercise and       
creative play  ,illustration3 ,an       
outdoor play area499     ,,the ,,outdoor
 ,,laboratory   ,in the country1        
ready-to-hand resources1 trees for      
climbing1 the five-barred fence1 the    
pasture gate1 the stone wall1 the       
wood-pile1 ,mother ,earth to dig in1    
furnish ideal equipment for the muscle  
development of little people and of     
their own nature afford the essential   
requisites for creative and dramatic    
play4 ,to their surpassing fitness for  
laboratory purposes each new generation 
bears testimony4 ,if the furnishings of 
a deliberately planned environment are  
to compare with them at all they must   
lend themselves to the same freedom of  
treatment4  ,the apparatus shown here   

was made by a local carpenter1 and could
 easily be constructed by high school   
pupils with the assistance of the manual
 training teacher4  ,the ground has been
 covered ,with a layer of fine screened 
gravel1 a particularly satisfactory     
treatment for very little children1 as  
it is relatively clean and dries quickly
 after rain4 ,it does not lend itself to
 the requirements of organized games1   
however1 and so will not answer for     
children who have reached that stage of 
play development4  ,a number of building
 bricks1 wooden boxes of various sizes1 
pieces of board and such odd lumber with
 a few tools and out-of-door toys       
complete the yard's equipment4          
,illustration3 ,,the ,,see-,,saw499     
,,the ,,see ,,saw  ,,board--,straight   
grain lumber1 #a-a_/h x #i x #ab'-j4    
,two cleats #a-a_/d x #i bolted to the  
under side of the board to act   as a   
socket on the hip of the horse4         
,,horse--,height #be4 ,length #bb-a_/b4 
,spread of feet at ground #bj4 ,legs    

built of #b x #c material4 ,hip of #b x 
#c material4 ,brace under hip of #g_/h  
material4  ,,note--,all figures given   
are for outside measurements4 ,apparatus
 except see-saw board and sliding board 
should be painted1 especially those     
parts which are to be put into the      
ground4  ,illustration3 ,,the ,,stand   
,,and ,,slide499   ,,the ,,stand ,,and  
,,slide  ,,stand ,,or ,,platform--#bf   
wide1 #cj long1 #e'-d high4    ,top made
 of #a-c_/h tongue and groove material4 
,uprights or legs of #b x #c material4  
,cleats nailed to front legs #f-a_/d    
apart to form ladder are of   #a-a_/h x 
#a-c_/d material4    ,cross bracing of  
#g_/h x #b-a_/d material4    ,apron     
under top made of #g_/h x #e material   
nailed about #a-a_/h below   to act as  
additional bracing and provide place of 
attachment for   iron hooks secured to  
sliding board4    ,the stand is fastened
 to the ground by dogs or pieces of wood
 buried   deep enough 7about #c'7 to    
make it secure4  ,,slide--,straight     

grain piece of lumber1 #a-a_/h x #ab x  
#ab'-j4    ,two hooks at upper end of   
sliding board are of iron1 about #c_/h x
   #a-a_/b1 set at a proper angle to    
prevent board from becoming loose4      
,hooks are about #a-a_/d long4          
,illustration3 ,,the ,,swinging         
,,rope499   ,,the ,,swinging ,,rope     
,,upright--#c x #c x #f'-i4  ,,top      
,,piece--#c x #c x #b'-i4    ,upright   
and top piece are mortised or halved and
 bolted together4    ,bracing at top 7#c
 x #c x #bj-a_/b at long point of mitre 
cuts7 is   nailed to top piece and      
upright at an angle of about #de        
degrees4    ,upright rests on a base    
measuring #c'-j4 ,this is mortised      
together   and braced with #b x #c      
material about #bj long1 set at an angle
 of   about #fj degrees4    ,unless     
there are facilities for bracing at the 
top1 as shown in the   cut1 the upright 
should be made longer and buried about  
#c' in the   ground4    ,the swinging   
rope 7#c_/d dia47 passes through a hole 

bored in the top   piece and held in    
place by a knot4 ,successive knots tied 
#h to #i   apart and a big knot at the  
bottom make swinging easier for little  
folks4  ,illustration3 ,,the            
,,trapeze499   ,,the ,,trapeze  ,,two   
,,uprights--#c x #c x #f'-aj4  ,,top    
,,piece--#c x #c x #b'-aj4    ,ends of  
top piece secured to uprights by being  
mortised or halved   and bolted         
together4    ,uprights rest on bases of 
#b x #c material1 #c'-g long1 connected 
by   a small platform in the form of an 
,h4    ,bases and uprights are bolted to
 dogs or pieces of wood #b x #d x       
#e'-h set in the ground about #c'-j4    
,adjustable bar 7round7 #a-c_/h dia4    
#c holes bored in each upright provide  
for the adjustable bar4 ,the   first    
hole is #c'-j above ground1 the second  
#c'-e1 the third   #c'-aj4    ,swing bar
 7round71 #a-c_/h dia41 is #bj long4    
,should hang about #af   below top      
piece4    #b holes #e_/h dia4 bored in  
the top piece receive a continuous rope 

attached to the swing bar by being      
knotted after passing through   holes   
7#e_/h dia47 in each end of the bar4    
,illustration3 ,,the ,,ladder ,,and     
,,support499   ,,the ,,ladder ,,and     
,,support  ,,ladder--#ad x #aj'-b       
,sides of #a-a_/b x #a_/b material      
,rungs #a_/d dia4 set #aj-a_/d apart    
,at upper ends of the sides a u-shaped  
cut acts as a hook for   attaching the  
ladder to the cross bar of the support4 
,these ends are   re-inforced with iron 
to prevent splitting4                   
,,support--,height #d'-f4 ,spread of    
uprights at base #d'-b4    ,uprights of 
#a-a_/b x #b-a_/b material are secured  
to a foot 7#a-a_/b x   #d x #bj-a_/b7   
with braces 7#aa-a_/b x #b-a_/b x #ab7  
set at an angle   of about #fj4    ,tops
 of the two uprights are halved and     
bolted to a cross bar #a-a_/h   x       
#b-a_/b x #aj long4    ,the uprights are
 secured with diagonal braces #a-c_/h x 
#c-a_/b x   #c'-i fastened together     
where they intersect4  ,illustration3 ,a

 pretend airship499  ,a borrowed step   
ladder converts this gymnastic apparatus
 into an airship4  ,illustration3 ,a    
borrowed ladder helps the game499  ,the 
ladder detached from the support is an  
invaluable adjunct to building and other
 operations4  ,illustration3 ,the       
,parallel ,bars499   ,,the ,,parallel   
,,bars  ,the two bars are #b x #b-a_/d  
,x #f'-aj and are set #af-a_/b to       
#ah-a_/b apart4 ,the ends are beveled   
and the tops rounded4  ,each bar is     
nailed to two uprights 7#b ,x #c ,x     
#e'-j7 set #e' apart and extending #cd  
above ground4 ,an overhang of about #f  
is allowed at each end of the bar4      
,illustration3 ,the sand box499   ,,the 
,,sand ,,box  ,the sloping cover to the 
sand box pictured here has been found to
 have many uses besides its obvious     
purpose of protection against stray     
animals and dirt4 ,it is a fairly good  
substitute for the old-time cellar door1
 that most important dramatic property  
of a play era past or rapidly passing4  

,illustration3 ,sand box with cover     
closed499  ,illustration3 ,box          
village499   ,,box ,,village  ,the child
 is to be pitied who has not at some    
time revelled in a packing-box house big
 enough to get into and furnished by his
 own efforts4 ,but a village of such    
houses offers a greatly enlarged field  
of play opportunity and has been the    
basis of ,miss ,mary ,rankin's          
experiment on the ,teachers ,college    
,playground4,b  ,in addition to its more
 obvious possibilities for constructive 
and manual development1 ,miss ,rankin's 
experiment offers social features of    
unusual suggestiveness1 for the village 
provides a civic experience fairly      
comprehensive and free from the         
artificiality that is apt to            
characterize attempts to introduce civic
 content into school and play procedure4
  ,footnote ,b3 ,see ,teachers ,college 
,playground1 ,bulletin ,no4 #d1 ,bureau 
of ,educational ,experiments4           
,illustration3 ,of interest to          

carpenters4  ,illustration3 ,a boom in  
real estate4  ,illustration3 ,boy       
playing pretend piano499     ,,indoor   
,,equipment   ,the requisites for indoor
 equipment are these3    ,a ,suitable   
,floor--,the natural place for a little 
child to play is   the floor and it is  
therefore the sine qua non of the play  
laboratory4    ,places to ,keep         
,things--,a maximum of convenience to   
facilitate habits   of order4    ,tables
 and ,chairs--,for use as occasion      
demands1 to supplement the   floor1 not 
to take the place of it4    ,blocks and 
,toys--,for initial play material4      
,the ,carpenter's ,bench--,with tools   
and lumber for the manufacture of       
supplementary toys4    ,a supply of ,art
 and ,craft materials--,for the same    
purpose4  ,illustration3 ,the ,indoor   
,laboratory4     ,,the ,,indoor         
,,laboratory   ,the floor should receive
 first consideration in planning the    
indoor laboratory4 ,it should be as     
spacious as circumstances will permit   

and safe1 that is to say clean and      
protected from draughts and dampness4   
,a well-kept hardwood floor is the best 
that can be provided4 ,individual light 
rugs or felt mats can be used for the   
younger children to sit on in cold      
weather if any doubt exists as to the   
adequacy of heating facilities 7see cut1
 p4 #cb74  ,battleship linoleum makes a 
good substitute for a hardwood finish4  
,it comes in solid colors and can be    
kept immaculate4  ,deck canvas stretched
 over a layer of carpet felt and painted
 makes a warm covering1 especially well 
adapted to the needs of very little     
children1 as it has some of the softness
 of a carpet and yet can be scrubbed and
 mopped4  ,second only in importance is 
the supply of lockers1 shelves1 boxes   
and drawers for the disposal of the     
great number and variety of small       
articles that make up the tools and     
appliances of the laboratory4 ,the cut  
on page #bd shows a particularly        
successful arrangement for facilities of

 this kind4  ,the chairs shown are the  
,mosher kindergarten chairs1 which come 
in three sizes4 ,the light tables can be
 folded by the children and put away in 
the biggest cupboard space 7p4 #bd74    
,block boxes are an essential part of   
the equipment4 ,their dimensions should 
be planned in relation to the unit block
 of the set used4 ,those shown are      
#ac-c_/d ,x #af-a_/b ,x #dd 7inside     
measurements7 for use with a set having 
a unit #a-c_/h ,x #b-c_/d ,x #e-a_/b4   
,they are on castors and can be rolled  
to any part of the room4  ,the low      
blackboards are #e'-e in height and     
#b'-j from the floor4  ,all the         
furnishings of the laboratory should    
lend themselves to use as dramatic      
properties when occasion demands1 and a 
few may be kept for such purposes alone4
 ,the light screens in the right-hand   
corner of the room are properties of    
this kind and are put to an endless     
number of uses 7see cut1 p4 #dj74       
,illustration3 ,the balcony in a room   

with high ceiling4  ,illustration3 ,the 
balcony and a low ceiling4  ,the balcony
 is a device to increase floor space    
that has been used successfully in ,the 
,play ,school for several years4 ,it is 
very popular with the children and      
contributes effectively to many play    
schemes4 ,the tall block construction   
representing an elevator shaft shown in 
the picture opposite would never have   
reached its ,singer ,tower proportions  
without the balcony1 first to suggest   
the project and then to aid in its      
execution4  ,drop shelves like those    
along the wall of the gallery 7p4 #bb7  
can be used for some purposes instead of
 tables when space is limited4          
,materials for storekeeping play fill   
the shelves next the fireplace1 and the 
big crock on the hearth contains        
modelling clay1 the raw material of such
 objets d'art as may be seen decorating 
the mantlepiece in the cut on page #bj4 
,illustration3 ,a place for everything  
,illustration3 ,the indoor sandbox499   

,,the ,,indoor ,,sand ,,box  ,the indoor
 ,sand ,box pictured here was designed  
by ,mrs4 ,hutchinson for use in the     
nursery at ,stony ,ford4 ,a box of this 
kind is ideal for the enclosed porch or 
terrace and a great resource in rainy   
weather4  ,the usual kindergarten sand  
table cannot provide the same play      
opportunity that is afforded by a floor 
box1 but it presents fewer problems to  
the housekeeper and is always a valuable
 adjunct to indoor equipment4           
,illustration3 ,the ,carpenter ,bench499
   ,,the ,,carpenter ,,bench  ,the      
carpenter equipment must be a           
sure-enough business affair1 and the    
tools real tools--not toys4  ,the       
,sheldon bench shown here is a real     
bench in every particular except size4  
,the tool list is as follows3           
,manual training hammer4     #ah point  
cross-cut saw4     #i point rip saw4    
,large screw driver1 wooden handle4     
,small screw driver4     ,nail puller4  
,stanley smooth-plane1 ,no4 #c4         

,bench hook4     ,brace and set of twist
 bits4     ,manual training rule4       
,steel rule4     ,tri square4           
,utility box--with assorted nails1      
screws1 etc4     ,combination ,india oil
 stone4     ,oil can4     ,small        
hatchet4  ,choice of lumber must be     
determined partly by the viewpoint of   
the adult concerned1 largely by the     
laboratory budget1 and finally by the   
supply locally available4 ,excellent    
results have sometimes been achieved    
where only boxes from the grocery and   
left-over pieces from the carpenter shop
 have been provided4 ,such rough lumber 
affords good experience in manipulation1
 and its use may help to establish      
habits of adapting materials as we find 
them to the purposes we have in hand4   
,this is the natural attack of          
childhood1 and it should be fostered1   
for children can lose it and come to    
feel that specially prepared materials  
are essential1 and a consequent         
limitation to ingenuity and initiative  

can thus be established4  ,on the other 
hand1 some projects and certain stages  
of experience are best served by a      
supply of good regulation stock4 ,boards
 of soft pine1 white wood1 bass wood1 or
 cypress in thicknesses of #a_/d1 #c_/h1
 #a_/b and #g_/h are especially well    
adapted for children's work1 and stock  
strips #a_/d and #a_/b thick and #b and 
#c wide lend themselves to many         
purposes4  ,illustration3 ,boy painting 
toy499  ,illustration3 ,girl playing    
with dolls house499     ,,toys   ,the   
proper basis of selection for toys is   
their efficiency as toys1 that is3      
,they must be suggestive of play and    
made for play4    ,they should be       
selected in relation to each other4     
,they should be consistent with the     
environment of the child who is   to use
 them4    ,they should be constructed   
simply so that they may serve as models 
for other toys to be constructed by the 
children4    ,they should suggest       
something besides domestic play so that 

the   child's interest may be led to    
activities outside the home life4       
,they should be durable because they are
 the realities of a child's   world and 
deserve the dignity of good workmanship4
  ,illustration3 ,children re-create the
 world as they see it with the equipment
 they have at hand  ,illustration3 ,a   
house of blocks499   ,,floor ,,games    
,there comes back to me the memory of an
 enormous room with its ceiling going up
 to heaven4444 ,it is the floor ,i think
 of chiefly1 over the oilcloth of which1
 assumed to be land1 spread towns and   
villages and forts of wooden            
bricks444the cracks and spaces of the   
floor and the bare brown surround were  
the water channels and open sea of that 
continent of mine4444  ,justice has     
never been done to bricks and soldiers  
by those who write about toys--my bricks
 and my soldiers were my perpetual      
drama4 ,i recall an incessant variety of
 interests4 ,there was the mystery and  
charm of the complicated buildings one  

could make1 with long passages and steps
 and windows through which one could    
peep into their intricacies1 and by     
means of slips of card one could make   
slanting ways in them1 and send marbles 
rolling from top to base and thence out 
into the hold of a waiting ship4444 ,and
 there was commerce2 the shops and      
markets and storerooms full of          
nasturtium seed1 thrift seed1 lupin     
beans and such-like provender from the  
garden2 such stuff one stored in match  
boxes and pill boxes or packed in sacks 
of old glove fingers tied up with thread
 and sent off by wagons along the great 
military road to the beleaguered        
fortress on the ,indian frontier beyond 
the worn places that were dismal        
swamps4444  ,i find this empire of the  
floor much more vivid in my memory now  
than many of the owners of the skirts   
and legs and boots that went gingerly   
across its territories4  ,h4 ,g4        
,,wells1 ,the ,new ,machiavelli1        
,chapter #b4  ,illustration3 ,the       

unsocial novice  ,nowhere else1 perhaps1
 not even in his ,floor ,games and      
,little ,wars has ,mr4 ,wells1 or any   
other author succeeded in drawing so    
convincing a picture of the             
possibilities of constructive play as is
 to be found in those pages1 all too    
brief1 in ,the ,new ,machiavelli where  
the play laboratory at ,bromstead is    
described4 ,one can imagine the eager   
boy who played there looking back across
 the years strong in the conviction that
 it could not have been improved1 and   
yet the picture of a child at solitary  
play is not1 after all1 the ideal       
picture4 ,our laboratory1 while it must 
accommodate the unsocial novice and make
 provision for individual enterprise at 
all ages and stages1 must be above all  
the place where the give and take of    
group play will develop along with block
 villages and other community life in   
miniature4   ,,floor ,,blocks  ,in his  
reminiscences of his boyhood play ,mr4  
,wells lays emphasis on his great good  

fortune in possessing a special set of  
bricks made to order and therefore      
sufficient in number for the ambitious  
floor games he describes4 ,comparatively
 few adults can look back to the        
possession of similar play material1 and
 so a majority cannot realize how it    
outweighs in value every other type of  
toy that can be provided4  ,where the   
budget for equipment is limited1 floor  
blocks can be cut by the local carpenter
 or1 in a school1 by the manual training
 department4 ,the blocks in use at ,the 
,play ,school 7see cut1 p4 #bj7 are of  
white wood1 the unit block being #a-c_/h
 ,x #b-c_/d ,x #e-a_/b4 ,they range in  
size from half units and diagonals to   
blocks four times the unit in length    
7#bb74  ,illustration3 ,the ,hill ,floor
 ,blocks at the ,gregory ,avenue ,school
  ,at present there is but one set of   
blocks on the market that corresponds to
 the one ,mr4 ,wells describes4 ,these  
are the ,hill ,floor ,blocks1           
manufactured and sold by ,a4 ,schoenhut 

,co41 of ,philadelphia4 ,they are of    
hard maple and come in seven sizes1 from
 #c squares to oblongs of #bd1 the unit 
block being #f in length4 ,there are    
#fhj pieces in a set4 ,half and quarter 
sets are also obtainable4 ,they are the 
invention of ,professor ,patty ,smith   
,hill of ,teachers ,college1 ,columbia  
,university1 and are used in ,the       
,teachers ,college ,kindergarten and in 
many other schools4  ,illustration3     
,useful alike to builders and cabinet   
makers  ,illustration3 ,advanced        
research in ,peg-,lock construction     
,the ,school of ,childhood at the       
,university of ,pittsburgh makes use of 
several varieties of blocks1 some of    
commercial manufacture1 others cut to   
order4 ,the list given is as follows3,c 
,a4 ,nest of blocks4  ,b4 ,large blocks 
made to order of hard maple in five     
sizes3       ,cubes1 #e ,x #e4          
,oblongs1 #b-a_/b ,x #e ,x #aj4         
,triangular prisms made by cutting cube 
diagonally into two and         four    

parts4       ,pillars made by cutting   
oblongs into two parts4       ,plinths  
made by cutting oblongs into two parts4 
,light weight #ab boards1 #c'-j to #g'-j
 long4  ,c4 ,froebel's enlarged fifth   
and sixth gifts4  ,d4 ,stone ,anchor    
blocks4  ,e4 ,architectural blocks for  
flat forms4  ,f4 ,peg-,lock blocks4  ,as
 children become more dexterous and more
 ambitious in their block construction1 
the ,peg-,lock ,blocks will be found    
increasingly valuable4 ,these are a type
 of block unknown to ,mr4 ,wells1 but   
how he would have revelled in the       
possession of a set6 ,they are          
manufactured by the ,peg-,lock ,block   
,co4 of ,new ,york4 ,cut on a smaller   
scale than the other blocks described1  
they are equipped with holes and pegs1  
by which they may be securely joined4   
,this admits of a type of construction  
entirely outside the possibilities of   
other blocks4 ,they come in sets of     
varying sizes and in a great variety of 
shapes4 ,the ,school of ,childhood uses 

them extensively1 as does ,the ,play    
,school4  ,footnote ,c3 ,see ,university
 of ,pittsburgh ,bulletin1 ,report of   
the ,experimental ,work in the ,school  
of ,childhood4  ,illustration3 ,small   
wooden toy499   ,,floor ,,toys  ,the    
,do-with ,toys shown in the accompanying
 cuts were designed by ,miss ,caroline  
,pratt some years ago to meet the need  
generally felt by devotees of the play  
laboratory of a consistent series of    
toys to be used with floor blocks4 ,for 
if the market of the present day can    
offer something more adequate in the way
 of blocks than was generally available 
in ,mr4 ,wells' boyhood1 the same is not
 true when it comes to facilities for   
peopling and stocking the resulting     
farms and communities that develop4     
,mr4 ,wells tells us that for his floor 
games he used tin soldiers and such     
animals as he could get--we know the    
kind1 the lion smaller than the lamb1   
and barnyard fowl doubtless overtopping 
the commanding officer4 ,such           

combinations have been known to children
 of all generations and play of the kind
 ,mr4 ,wells describes goes on in spite 
of the inconsistency of the materials   
supplied4  ,illustration3 ,small wooden 
toy499  ,but when we consider fostering 
such play1 and developing its           
possibilities for educational ends1 the 
question arises whether this is the best
 provision that can be made1 or if the  
traditional material could be improved1 
just as the traditions concerning blocks
 are being improved4  ,illustration3    
,small wooden toy499  ,a few pioneers   
have been experimenting in this field   
for some years past4 ,no one of them is 
ready with final conclusions but among  
them opinion is unanimous that          
constructive play is stimulated by an   
initial supply of consistent play       
material calculated to suggest          
supplementary play material of a kind   
children can manufacture for themselves4
  ,illustration3 ,small wooden toy499   
,blocks are of course the most important

 type of initial material to be         
provided2 beyond this the generally     
accepted hypothesis is embodied in the  
,do-with series which provides1 first a 
doll family of proportions suited to    
block houses1 then a set of farm animals
 and carts1 then a set of wild animals1 
all designed on the same size scale1 of 
construction simple enough to be copied 
at the bench1 and suggesting1 each set  
after its kind1 a host of supplementary 
toys1 limited in variety and in numbers 
only by the experience of the child     
concerned and by his ability to         
construct them4  ,illustration3 ,small  
wooden toy499  ,illustration3 ,small    
wooden toy499  ,illustration3 ,small    
wooden toy499  ,this working hypothesis 
for the selection of toys is as yet but 
little understood either by those who   
buy or those who sell play materials4   
,the commercial dealer declares with    
truth that there is too little demand to
 justify placing such a series on the   
market4 ,not only does he refuse to make

 ,do-withs but he provides no adequate  
substitutes4 ,his wooden toys are merely
 wooden ornaments without relation to   
any series and without playability1     
immobile1 reasonless1 for the philosophy
 of the play laboratory is quite unknown
 to the makers of play materials1 while 
those who buy are guided almost entirely
 by convention and have no better       
standard by which to estimate what      
constitutes their money's worth4        
,illustration3 ,small wooden toy499  ,on
 the other hand enthusiasts raise the   
question1 why supply any toys8 ,is it   
not better for children to make all     
their toys8 ,and as ,miss ,pratt says1  
getting ready for play is mistaken for  
play itself4  ,illustration3 ,small     
wooden toy499  ,illustration3 ,small    
wooden toy499  ,too much getting ready  
kills real play1 and if our purpose is  
to foster and enrich the actual         
activity1 we must understand the subtle 
value of initial play materials1 of     
having at hand ready for the promptings 

of play impulse the necessary foundation
 stones on which a superstructure of    
improvisation can be reared4            
,illustration3 ,transportation ,toys    
,illustration3 ,a trunk line  ,when by  
hook or crook the devotees of floor     
games have secured a population and live
 stock for their block communities1     
then1 as ,mr4 ,wells reminds us1 comes  
commerce and in her wake transportation 
problems to tax the inventive genius of 
the laboratory4  ,simple transportation 
toys are the next need1 and suitable    
ones can generally1 though not always1  
be obtained in the shops4 ,a few        
well-chosen pieces for initial material 
will soon be supplemented by ,peg-lock  
or bench-made contrivances4  ,for       
railroad tracks the block supply offers 
possibilities better adapted to the ages
 we are considering than any of the     
elaborate rail systems that are sold    
with the high-priced mechanical toys so 
fascinating to adult minds4 ,additional 
curved blocks corresponding to the unit 

block in width and thickness are a great
 boon to engineers1 for what is a       
railroad without curves6                
,transportation toys can be perfectly   
satisfactory when not made strictly to  
scale4 ,indeed1 the exigencies of the   
situation generally demand that realists
 be satisfied with rather wide          
departures from the general rule4 ,train
 service1 however1 should accommodate at
 least one passenger to a car4          
,illustration3 ,play area499   ,,large  
,,and ,,small ,,scale ,,toys  ,the floor
 scheme pictured here is a good         
illustration of our principles of       
selection applied to toys of larger     
scale4 ,the dolls1 the tea set1 the     
chairs are from the toy shop4 ,the      
little table in the foreground1 and the 
bed are bench made4 ,the bedding is of  
home manufacture1 the jardiniere too1 is
 of modelling clay1 gaily painted with  
water colors4 ,the tea table and stove  
are improvised from blocks as is the    
bath room1 through the door of which a  

block tub may be seen4 ,the screen used 
as a partition at the back is one of the
 ,play ,school properties with large    
sheets of paper as panels4 7,see cut p4 
#bj47  ,there are some important        
differences1 however1 between the       
content of a play scheme like this and  
one of the kind we have been considering
 7see cut page #cj74 ,these result from 
the size and character of the initial   
play material1 for dolls like these     
invite an entirely different type of    
treatment4 ,one cannot build villages1  
or provide extensive railroad facilities
 for them1 nor does one regard them in  
the impersonal way that the ,do-with    
family1 or ,mr4 ,wells' soldiers1 are   
regarded1 as incidentals in a general   
scheme of things4  ,these beings hold   
the centre of their little stage4 ,they 
call for affection and solicitude1 and  
the kind of play into which they fit is 
more limited in scope1 less stirring to 
the imagination1 but more usual in the  
experience of children1 because play    

material of this type is more           
plentifully provided than is any other  
and1 centering attention as it does on  
the furnishings and utensils of the     
home1 requires less contact with or     
information about1 the world outside and
 its activities to provide the mental   
content for interesting play4           
,illustration3 ,a ,furnished ,apartment 
at the ,ethical ,culture ,school  ,in   
the epochs of play development interest 
in these larger scale toys precedes that
 in more complicated schemes with       
smaller ones4 ,mr4 ,wells' stress on the
 desirability of a toy soldier          
population really reflects an adult     
view4 ,for play on the toy soldier and  
paper doll scale develops latest of all1
 and because of the opportunities it    
affords for schemes of correspondingly  
greater mental content makes special    
appeal to the adult imagination4  ,play 
material smaller than the ,do-with      
models and better adapted to this latest
 period than are either soldiers or     

paper dolls remains one of the          
unexplored possibilities for the toy    
trade of the future4  ,illustration3    
,supplementary 7,a small toy train47    
,illustration3 ,a play laundry499       
,,housekeeping ,,play  ,materials for   
housekeeping play are of two general    
kinds1 according to size--those intended
 for the convenience of dolls1 and those
 of larger scale for children's use4    
,the larger kind should be strong enough
 and well enough made to permit of      
actual processes4  ,plentiful as such   
materials are in the shops1 it is       
difficult to assemble anything          
approaching a complete outfit on the    
same size scale4 ,one may spend days in 
the attempt to get together one as      
satisfactory as that pictured here4 ,the
 reason seems to be that for            
considerations of trade such toys are   
made and sold in sets of a few pieces   
each4 ,if dealers would go a step       
further and plan their sets in series1  
made to scale and supplementing each    

other1 they would better serve the      
requirements of play1 and1 it would     
seem1 their own interests as well4      
,,storekeeping ,,play  ,from            
housekeeping play to storekeeping play  
is a logical step and one abounding in  
possibilities for leading interest      
beyond the horizon line of home         
environment4  ,better than any toy      
equipment and within reach of every     
household budget is a store like the one
 pictured here where real cartons1      
boxes1 tins and jars are used4          
,illustration3 ,a ,grocery ,store at the
 ,ethical ,culture ,school  ,schools can
 often obtain new unfilled cartons from 
manufacturers4 ,the ,fels-,naphtha and  
,national ,biscuit companies are        
especially cordial to requests of this  
kind1 and cartons from the latter firm  
are good for beginners1 as prices are   
plainly marked and involve only dime and
 nickel computation4 ,the magazine      
,educational ,foundations maintains a   
department which collects such equipment

 and furnishes it to public schools on  
their subscribers' list4  ,sample       
packages add to interest and a small    
supply of actual staples in bulk1 or of 
sand1 sawdust1 chaff1 etc41 for weighing
 and measuring should be provided as    
well as paper1 string1 and paper bags of
 assorted sizes4  ,small scales1 and    
inexpensive sets of standard measures1  
dry and liquid1 can be obtained of      
,milton ,bradley and other school supply
 houses4 ,a toy telephone and toy money 
will add content1 and for older children
 a price and sign marker 7,milton       
,bradley7 is a valuable addition4  ,the 
,school of ,childhood 7,pittsburgh7 list
 includes the following miscellaneous   
articles for house and store play3      
spoons     various sized boxes          
stones     pebbles     buttons          
shells     spools     bells     enlarged
 sticks of the kindergarten     ribbon  
bolts filled with sand     rice     shot
     bottles1 etc4   ,,craft ,,and      
,,color ,,materials  ,materials of this 

kind are a valuable part of any play    
equipment4 ,of the large assortment     
carried by kindergarten and school      
supply houses the following are best    
adapted to the needs of the play        
laboratory3   ,modelling                
,materials--,modelling clay and         
plasticine1 far from being the same1 are
 supplementary materials1 each adapted  
to uses for which the other is unsuited4
  ,weaving ,materials--,raphia1 basketry
 reed1 colored worsteds1 cotton roving1 
jute and macrame cord can be used for   
many purposes4  ,material for ,paper    
,work--,heavy oak tag1 manila1 and bogus
 papers for cutting and construction    
come in sheets of different sizes4      
,colored papers1 both coated 7colored on
 one side7 and engine colored 7colored  
on both sides7 are better adapted to    
laboratory purposes when obtainable in  
large sheets instead of the regulation  
kindergarten squares4 ,colored tissue   
papers1 scissors and library paste are  
always in demand4  ,color               

,materials--,crayons1 water color       
paints1 chalks 7for blackboard use7 are 
best adapted to the needs of play when  
supplied in a variety of colors and     
shades4 ,for drawing and painting coarse
 paper should be furnished in quantity  
and in sheets of differing sizes4  ,if  
children are let alone with paper and   
crayons they will quickly learn to use  
these toys quite as effectively as they 
do blocks and dolls4  ,illustration3    
,children playing with wagon499   ,,toys
 ,,for ,,active ,,play ,,and ,,outdoor  
,,tools  ,among the many desirable toys 
for active play the following deserve   
honorable mention3      ,express wagon  
,sled     ,horse reins     ,coaster or  
,scooter     ,velocipede 7and other     
adaptations of the bicycle for          
beginners7     ,football 7small size    
,association ball7     ,indoor baseball 
,rubber balls 7various sizes7     ,bean 
bags     ,steamer quoits  ,as in the    
case of the carpenter's bench it is poor
 economy to supply any but good tools   

for the yard and garden4 ,even the best 
garden sets for children are so far     
inferior to those made for adults as to 
render them unsatisfactory and expensive
 by comparison4 ,it is therefore better 
to get light weight pieces in the       
smaller standard sizes and cut down long
 wooden handles for greater convenience4
 ,the one exception to be noted is the  
boy's shovel supplied by the ,peter     
,henderson company4 ,this is in every   
respect as strong and well made as the  
regulation sizes and a complete series  
to the same scale and of the same       
standard would meet a decided need in   
children's equipment where light weight 
is imperative and hard wear unavoidable4
  ,in addition to the garden set of     
shovel1 rake1 hoe1 trowel and           
wheel-barrow1 a small crow-bar is useful
 about the yard and1 in winter1 a light 
snow shovel is an advantage4  ,,jean    
,,lee ,,hunt4  ,illustration3 ,small    
wooden toy499  ,illustration3 ,small    
wooden toy499  ,illustration3 ,small    

wooden toy499  ,a small permanent       
exhibit of the play equipment described 
may be seen at the ,bureau of           
,educational ,experiments1 #af ,west    
#hth ,street1 ,new ,york1 and is        
occasionally loaned4     ,,suggested    
,,reading   ,for convenience it has     
seemed well to divide the following list
 into two parts--the first devoted to   
the discussion of theory1 the other     
offering concrete suggestions4  ,such a 
division is arbitrary1 of course4 ,no   
better exposition of theory can be found
 than is contained in some of these     
references dealing with actual          
laboratory usage and furnishings4 ,on   
the other hand the two books by ,dr4    
,kilpatrick1 with their illuminating    
analysis of didactic materials1 afford  
many concrete suggestions1 at least on  
the negative side4   ,,part ,i4         
,,chamberlin1 ,a4 ,e4      ,the ,child3 
,a ,study in the ,evolution of ,man1    
,scribner1 #aiag4         ,chap4 ,i1    
,the ,meaning of the ,helplessness of   

,infancy4         ,chap4 ,,ii1 ,the     
,meaning of ,youth and ,play4           
,chap4 ,,iv1 ,the ,periods of           
,childhood4  ,,dewey1 ,,john            
,democracy and ,education1 ,macmillan1  
#aiaf4         ,chap4 ,,xv1 ,play and   
,work in the ,curriculum4     ,how ,we  
,think1 ,d4 ,c4 ,heath and ,co4         
,chap4 ,,xvii1 ,play1 ,work1 and ,allied
 ,forms of ,activity4         ,chap4    
,,xvi1 ,process and ,product4           
,interest and ,effort in ,education1    
,houghton ,mifflin ,co41 #aiac4         
,chap4 ,,iv1 ,the ,psychology of        
,occupations4     ,the ,school and      
,society1 ,university of ,chicago       
,press1 #aiaf4         ,chap4 ,,iv1 ,the
 ,psychology of ,occupations4           
,chap4 ,,vii1 ,the ,development of      
,attention4     ,cyclopedia of          
,education1 ,edited by ,paul ,monroe1   
,macmillan ,co4         ,articles on    
,infancy1 ,play4  ,,dopp1 ,,katherine   
,e4      ,the ,place of ,industries in  
,elementary ,education1 ,university of  

,chicago ,press1 #aiae4  ,,groos1 ,,karl
      ,the ,play of ,man1 ,appleton1    
#aiaf4  ,,hall1 ,g4 ,,stanley           
,educational ,problems1 ,appleton1      
#aiaa4         ,chap4 ,i1 ,the ,pedagogy
 of the ,kindergarten4         ,youth3  
,its ,regimen and ,hygiene1 ,appleton1  
#aiaf4         ,chap4 ,,vi1 ,play1      
,sports and ,games4  ,,kilpatrick1      
,,william ,,heard      ,the ,montessori 
,system ,examined1 ,houghton ,mifflin1  
#aiad4     ,froebel's ,kindergarten     
,principles ,critically ,examined1      
,macmillan1 #aiaf4  ,,lee1 ,,joseph     
,play in ,education1 ,macmillan1 #aiae4 
,,wood1 ,,walter      ,children's ,play 
and ,its ,place in ,education1          
,duffield1 #aiac4   ,,part ,,ii4        
,,arnold1 ,,dr4 ,e4 ,h4      ,some      
,inexpensive ,playground ,apparatus1    
,bulletin ,no4 #bg1 ,playground         
,association of ,america and ,playground
 ,extension         ,committee of ,the  
,russell ,sage ,foundation4  ,,deming1  
,,lucile ,p4 ,,and ,,others             

,playthings1 ,bulletin ,no4 ,i4     ,the
 ,play ,school1 ,bulletin ,no4 ,,iii4   
,the ,children's ,school1 ,the ,teachers
 ,college ,playground1 ,the             
,gregory ,school1 ,bulletin ,no4 ,,iv4  
,bureau of ,educational ,experiments    
publications1 #aiag4  ,,chambers1 ,,will
 ,,grant ,,and ,,others      ,report of 
the ,experimental ,work in the ,school  
of ,childhood1         ,university of   
,pittsburgh ,bulletin1 #aiaf4  ,,cook1  
,h4 ,,caldwell      ,the ,play ,way1    
,stokes ,co41 #aiag4  ,,corbin1 ,,alice 
,m4      ,how to ,equip a ,playroom3 the
 ,pittsburgh ,plan1 ,bulletin ,no4 #aah1
         ,playground and ,recreation    
,association of ,america1 #aiac4        
,,dewey1 ,,john ,,and ,,evelyn          
,schools of ,to-morrow1 ,dutton1 #aiae4 
,chap4 ,v1 ,play4  ,,hall1 ,g4 ,,stanley
      ,aspects of ,child ,life1 ,ginn1  
#aiad4         ,the ,story of a ,sand   
,pile4  ,,hetherington1 ,,clark ,w4     
,the ,demonstration ,play ,school of    
#aiac1 ,university of ,california       

,bulletin1 #aiad4  ,,hill1 ,,patty      
,,smith ,,and ,,others                  
,experimental ,studies in ,kindergarten 
,education1 ,teachers ,college          
publications1 #aiae4  ,,johnson1        
,,george ,e4      ,education by ,plays  
and ,games1 ,ginn  ,co41 #aijg4  ,,lee1 
,,joseph      ,play for ,home1 ,bulletin
 ,no4 #ajb1 ,playground and ,recreation 
,association of ,america4  ,,read1      
,,mary ,l4      ,the ,mothercraft       
,manual1 ,little1 ,brown  ,co41 #aiaf4  
,,wells1 ,h4 ,g4      ,floor ,games1    
,small1 ,maynard  ,co41 #aiab4     ,the 
,new ,machiavelli1 ,duffield ,co41      
#aiaj4         ,chap4 ,,ii1 ,bromstead  
and ,my ,father4