Part 31 (2/2)

Red and yellow circles may be cut in half and so arranged as to suggest tulips. (See page 122.)

2. Frieze. Let the child make designs for a frieze for the doll-house parlor, arranging circles and squares successively or alternately on a strip of paper. Or he can make a design for the doll-house kitchen oilcloth by pasting squares or circles (one square or circle surrounded by others) in a square unit.

An inexpensive paste for this work may be made of gum tragacanth. Buy five cents' worth of the powdered gum. Put a tablespoonful into an empty mucilage bottle and fill with water. In a few moments it will dissolve and thicken. Use more or less, according to thickness desired.

=Weaving= (_Colored kindergarten weaving mats_, _weaving needle_)

This is one of the most popular of kindergarten occupations.

Primitive man early learned to interlace the branches of trees to make for himself a shelter, and to weave together coa.r.s.e fibres to make his crude garments. In course of ages great skill was acquired in thus using all kinds of flexible materials; artistic baskets were produced of raffia and reeds, and fine garments of linen, wool and cotton. Beautiful effects in color and form were introduced, the designs usually having a symbolic meaning.

Froebel devised, for the expression of this natural tendency, a series of exercises with colored paper, which gave practice in selection of color harmonies, in designing, in counting, and which led to skill and neatness in work.

Loom-weaving has been described on another page. (90.) In many kindergartens it now entirely supersedes the paper-weaving, which we will here briefly describe.

1. If you do not care to buy the regular kindergarten weaving mats, you may use smooth gray or brown wrapping paper cut into four-inch squares.

In such a square cut _two_ slits 1/2 inch apart and one inch long. From some pretty paper cut a strip one inch wide and two inches long and insert in the slit in the mat, pasting the ends of the strip to the under side of the mat.

2. Cut _three_ or _four_ slits in similar mats and weave into them one-inch or half-inch strips, using narrower ones as the child gains skill. Weave such a strip under one and over one; then weave another, under two and over two, etc.; thus a variety of effects may be produced and the child meanwhile has practice incidentally in simple counting.

Such a mat may be used to cover a gla.s.s of drinking water or medicine gla.s.s.

3. A larger mat may be made of pretty paper cut into comparatively fine slits. Paste upon this mat a square of smooth paper as a kind of lining; fold cornerwise and paste two edges together, making a kind of cornucopia.

4. Scent-Bag. A scent-bag may be made by putting between the mat and the lining described above a thin piece of cotton-batting, sprinkled with scent.

5. Oilcloth or Felt. Instead of paper, mats may be woven of plain oilcloth or of felt. Have two colors of each material, one for the mat and one for the strips.

On a 5-inch square of the material draw four parallel lines one inch apart and one inch from the top and bottom. Then using these as guide lines, cut four slits and weave in and out as with the paper weaving.

Ribbon may be used for the woof if desired. Such a mat may be used for a lamp-mat or for a flower-pot mat.

Among the reasons for discarding the paper-weaving are the following: The colors are somewhat intense, and it is not always easy to secure good harmonies; the care necessary to avoid tearing the delicate paper and soiling the delicate colors is often a trial to highly-strung children. Therefore they should not work at it too long at a time. A weaving needle comes with the kindergarten weaving papers.

=Paper-Folding=

We give here _only a very few_ of the innumerable forms which may be made by folding paper according to exact directions. Mother may conduct such a little play while she is sewing and the child is on the floor or at the table. But directions must be exact and explicit. After once having told what to do in quiet, distinct, clear language, do not repeat. Train the child to hear accurately the first time.

Papers in many tones may be obtained from the kindergarten supply stores, but any exact square of white paper or of smooth brown wrapping paper will do.

Place the simple open square before the child, the edge directly in front of him. Call it a tablecloth and ask where the different members of the family sit. If able to wield the scissors, let him fringe the edge all around.

1. Book. Give a second square and, showing him which are the front corners, tell him to take hold of these and fold the paper over so that the front edge is just on a line with the back edge. Let him iron the table cloth (crease the fold with his thumb nail) so as to make a sharp line when opened. This makes a little book or tent. Ask what he can read in the book; who camps out in the tent; etc.

2. Window. Make another tent. Keep the tent in front of the child and tell him to open it and then to fold the left side over so that the left edge exactly meets the right edge. Crease and open, and the result is a window with four panes. Have the child tell what he plays he can see through it.

3. Tunnel. Fold a square once through the middle as before. Open and notice the sharp line made by the crease. Now fold the front edge to meet exactly _this line_. Open and then fold the back edge to meet this line. Open in such a way that the form when standing makes a little tunnel. Roll a marble under it.

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