hould be granted as often as possible that the
children may be encouraged to ask for it. A stick smouldering at one
end and waved about in circles and ellipses is not dangerous when
elders are by, but it is dangerous if played with on the sly. Playing
with fire on the sly is the most dangerous thing a child can do, and
the only way to prevent it is to permit him to play with fire in
the open. A beautiful game can be made from number of Christmas tree
candles of various colors and a bowl of water. The candles are lighted
and the wax dropped into the water, making little colored circles
which float about. These can be linked together such a fashion as to
form patterns which may be lifted out on sheets of paper.

[Sidenote: Magic Lantern]

The magic lantern is an innocent and comparatively cheap means of
playing with light. If it is well taken care of and fresh slides
added from time to time it can be made a source of pleasure for years.
Jack-o'-lanterns are great fun, and when pumpkins are not available,
oranges may be used instead.

[Sidenote: Rhythmic Movements]

Besides these elemental playthings the child gets much valuable
pleasure out of the rhythmic use of his own muscles. All such plays
Plato thought should be regulated by music, and with this Froebel
agreed, but in the Household this is often impossible. The children
must indulge in many movements when there is no one about who
has leisure to make music for them. Still, when they come to the
quarrelsome age, a few minutes' rhythmic play to the sound of music
will be found to harmonize the whole group wonderfully. For this
purpose the ordinary hippity-hop, fast or slow according to the music,
is sufficient. It is as if the regulation of the body to the laws
of harmony reacted upon minds and nerves. Such an exercise is
particularly valuable just before bed-time. The children go to sleep
then with their minds under the influence of harmony and wake in the
morning inclined to be peaceful and happy.

[Sidenote: Songs]

A book of Kindergarten songs, such as Mrs. Gaynor's "Songs of the
Child World" and Eleanor Smith's "Songs for the Children," ought to be
in every household, and the mother ought to familiarize herself with a
dozen or so of these perfectly simple melodies. Of course the children
must learn them with her. When once this has been done she has a
valuable means of amusing them and bringing them within her control at
any time. She may hum one of the s