From the colored plates in flower catalogues, and from advertising and other picture cards, select those having pansies, the prettier the better. Let the Juniors help collect them. This in itself would seem to be a “pansy-hunt,” but it is only the beginning. When there are several hundred pansies, not as yet cut out, the Juniors may meet for their work. The first thing to be done is to cut out the pansies. This will not take long, and as the fingers fly some one may read aloud an entertaining story, perhaps a short one by “Pansy”; or, if that is not at hand, a bright one Next, the pansies are all placed in small, numbered envelopes, ten pansies in each, preparatory to playing the game of “butterfly pansy-hunt.” Half of the Juniors go out of the room, and the rest proceed to hide the envelopes. When called in, the hunting party, who are the “butterflies,” have a grand rummage, and the “butterfly” that finds the most pansies is made the leader of the hiding party next time. The divisions are reversed so that the hiders become the butterflies each time that the pansies are all found. As the envelopes are numbered, it is easy to determine when this is the case. Quick wits in thinking of new places, and sharp eyes for discovering them, are thus kept busy, and when tired of this game the Juniors may all be seated again around a long table while the superintendent produces a large pasteboard box with a pansy-decorated cover. Explaining that pansies mean “thoughts,” and that this box is full of bright and sweet thoughts to be used for people who have not quite so much to make them happy as the Juniors, she invites the children to a new kind of pansy-hunt, which is not entirely for themselves. The box is passed around, and each Junior takes out a handful of the clippings, which, needless to say, have been carefully gathered by the superintendent and her friends, so that each one contains a thought worth reading, and within the comprehension of the Juniors. Selections found in books could be used also When the Juniors are supplied with a handful of thoughts apiece, give to each a pen and ink and a package of little cards. These cards should be a trifle larger than visiting-cards, or just large enough to contain one of the short written selections and a pansy. Let the children copy on the cards, in their own handwriting, from the clippings the ones which they like best; this will leave the original clippings to be used again for other purposes. Each Junior may write seven, one for each day in the week, after pasting a pansy on each card; then tie a ribbon a few inches long through a hole in one corner, leaving one end free, and tie the free ends of all seven ribbons together so that they can be hung up. If the ribbons used are as many as possible of the different pansy colors for each bunch, the effect will be extremely pretty. Some of the more skilful workers may find that they have time to prepare a second bunch in the same way. These handfuls of thoughts may then be sent where they will be most appreciated, and the pansy-hunt will have served, at the very lowest estimate, a double purpose. |