Under. Front----Back.

Even if he has a dim idea of direction, he cannot express himself
regarding it, nor is he certain enough of his knowledge to be able to
move or place the ball according to dictation.

Motion is always easy and delightful to the child, and therefore he
will move his ball in different directions, as the words and music
suggest, when he would be too timid to express a thought, and is
willing and happy to do in unison what he would hesitate to do by
himself.

The ball may be made a starting-point in giving the child an idea of
various simple facts about objects in general, and in illustrating in
movements the many terms with which we wish him to become familiar.
The meaning of the terms to _swing_, _hop_, _jump_, _roll_, _spring_,
_run away_, _come back_, _fall_, _draw_, _bounce,_ and _push_ may be
taught by a like movement of the ball, urging the child to give his
own interpretation of the motions in words. All the children may then
make their balls hop, spring, roll, or swing at the same time,
accompanying the movements by appropriate rhymes.

The ball is more purely a plaything than anything which the child
receives in the kindergarten, and its mobility is so charming, it so
easily slips from his hands and travels so delightfully far when
dropped, that exercises with it soon become riotous if not carefully
guided. Every play-lesson on the ball should close with some active
exercise in which the children may indulge their wish for a game with
their dear playfellow, and in which they may also gain greater skill
and learn practically the laws of motion.

When sitting at their tables, each pair of children may roll a ball to
and fro, all beginning at the same moment; or the first pair may
begin, the second and third follow, and so on until all are rolling.
They may throw balls against the wall, or toss them in the air, or
throw them alternately first in the air, then against the wall; they
may toss them to each other at increasing distances. The whole company
of children may be arranged in two rows and throw the balls to each
other in unison, or they may pass them from hand to hand as in a
Wandering Game,--all the exercises being accompanied with appropriate
songs or rhymes.

The laws of incidence and reflection may be simply taught by leading
the children to note that if they strike the ball straight against the
wall it will bound straight back, and then asking them to see if it
returns when