Festivals have always held an important place in the life of home and community. The anniversary of the day of birth, or of marriage, the day of graduation, or of coming of age—what opportunities they offer for strengthening the ties of kinship, for creating hallowed associations that may often prove bulwarks of safety in later days of temptation and sorrow!

Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, are now National holidays with us, and our celebration of these beautiful festivals is one more link in the chain which binds us to all races and creeds; for the return of the sun at the winter solstice, the renewal of life in the spring, the ingathering of fruits in the autumn, have appealed to all peoples as fitting occasions for the expression of religious joy and for mutual congratulations upon dangers past and the results of work accomplished.

In the joy of such occasions, we must not let them degenerate into the mere mercenary exchange of material gifts.

Christmas is preËminently the children's day, when we annually remind ourselves of the divinity inherent in all childhood, and desire to bring joy to all children and goodwill to all peoples.

Easter means most to the adult who has experienced sorrow and disappointment and has known something of the anguish and awe and deepening of life that comes with the message of Death. The pleasure of the child in the hare and the Easter egg must not be allowed altogether to overbalance the wondrous symbolism of the Easter lily.

The National holidays—Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, etc.—take us outside the limits of the home and remind us that, as we thank the men and women of the past for the privileges of the present which we owe to their sacrifices and aspirations, so we should realize our obligations towards the future.

In celebrating these different festivals, let the child bear his small part. We give a few ideas of things which he may do or make. It is these early impressions which are the lasting ones. The actual service demanded of the child counts much in the formation of character, though even more important is the spirit which radiates at such times from the parents and friends who celebrate or prepare to celebrate these recurrent holidays. It is the "spirit which giveth life," here, as everywhere.

The suggestions will be given in the order in which the holidays come in the year. Where an article is described in another part of the book, it will not be repeated, but the page number will be given for reference.

NEW YEAR'S DAY

Place Cards at Table (White card, pressed four-leaf clover, or paints)

1. Having found and pressed four-leaved clovers in the days of summer, paste one lightly to each place card as symbol of good-luck.

2. Copy a clover-leaf with paints and write on card some appropriate quotation signifying good-will.

Decorated Note Paper (Writing paper, leaf, paste or paints)

Paste a real clover leaf (or paint one) on the writing paper upon which you may be writing a New Year's letter to your friend.

Calendar (12 oblong blotters, white or colored, ribbon to match, 1 inch wide and about ¾ yards long, tiny calendar pad, paste)

Take the calendar pad apart and paste the leaf for each month upon one of the blotters. Then tie the blotters together with the ribbon. This makes suitable New Year's gift. (See also page 74.)

New Year's Bells (Red cardboard, scissors, paste, ribbon)

Cut out a bell and paste a calendar pad on it. Or cut 12 small bells and paste one leaf of calendar pad on each, stringing all together with ribbon.

Good-Luck Pigs

With our German population the pig signifies "good-luck," and at New Year's pigs, big and little, made of various materials, are quite in order. A favorite candy, made of sugar and bitter-almond, is in the shape of a pig, and is used to present to friends at this holiday time. Many suggestions already given may be carried out with the pig idea in mind.

Midnight Watching

If friends stay up to watch the Old Year out, any of the above-named articles may be made by the children for souvenirs. A poem which may suitably be read at this time is Tennyson's "Ring Out, Wild Bells;" also, Longfellow's "The Poet's Calendar." A timely topic for discussion is the never-answered question: When does the new century begin—with January 1, 1900, or 1901? Timothy Dwight, President of Yale College, 1795-1817, wrote some clever verses apropos of the subject when he helped usher in the 19th Century.

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

Save lace papers from candy and soap boxes and they will prove useful when St. Valentine's Day comes in making Valentines. With these papers and scissors, paste, scrap pictures of flowers, doves, etc., the children will spend happy hours in making these dainty souvenirs. We give a few directions for making some such.

Single Hearts (Red cardboard, lace paper, scrap pictures, scissors, paste)

Cut a heart out of the cardboard and around the edge paste a border of lace paper, fulling slightly and attaching it to the under side of the heart. In the centre of the upper side of the heart paste a pretty scrap picture. This makes a simple but effective Valentine.

Chain of Hearts (Red cardboard, scissors, scrap pictures, paste, red ribbon)

Cut several hearts out of the cardboard, and, after punching holes in the top and bottom of each one, string them together, pasting a scrap picture on each one if that added touch is desired.

Double Hearts (Red cardboard, scissors, paste, strip of red paper)

Cut two hearts of different sizes. Then take a narrow strip of red paper measuring ¼ × 1 inch and fold it into thirds. While still folded attach one end of this paper to the centre of the upper side of the large heart and the other end to the centre of the lower side of the smaller heart. This unites the two, one resting on top of the other, the paper acting as a kind of spring to raise one above the other. Instead of a small heart a scrap picture may be thus attached on the larger heart.

In cutting out these hearts it may be necessary first to cut a pattern out of newspaper, making several trials before a satisfactory model is secured.

Lacy Valentine (Gold or silver paper, white tissue paper, scrap pictures, paste)

Cut from a sheet of gold or silver paper a piece measuring 5 × 7 inches. Fold this once through the middle so as to make a book of 3½ × 5 inches. Cut a piece from the tissue paper of 3½ × 5 inches. Fold this two or three times and cut into it tiny perforations—oblongs, diamonds, circles, hearts, etc. Then open out and observe the lacey effect. Practice this until something pretty and dainty is secured. Then upon the centre of the book paste a scrap picture and attach the tissue paper by its edges to the Valentine in such a way that the picture shows a little between the perforations. A narrow strip of stiff paper folded in three, to give the effect of a spring as described above, may be used at each corner. Inside of the booklet paste other pictures as fancy dictates. Also write therein some appropriate lines.

Spider-Web Design (Gold or silver paper, Bristol board, scrap picture, paste, scissors)

Cut a circle of gold or silver paper, three or four inches in diameter. Fold once, making a semi-circle; fold once more making a quarter-circle. Beginning at the point of the folded paper, make a tiny cut from one edge towards the other, but do not cut the point entirely off. Turn the paper and make a second cut parallel to the first about ? inch away, the cut being from the other edge of the paper. Turn again and make a third cut. Each time the cuts grow in length owing to the increasing width of the triangle or quarter-circle. Continue thus until the circumference of the folded circle is reached. Then open out and you have a silver spider-web effect. Take a square or circle somewhat larger than the web, and in its centre paste a pretty bird, flower, or maiden. Then paste the web upon this background, putting the paste along the edges of the web, but leaving the centre free, so that the child can raise it and peer through the slits at the picture beneath.

Let city children send to country cousins scrap pictures, colored papers, etc., and sample Valentines, so that their friends may have the pleasure of making and giving.

Valentine Dinner

Soup: Put into the clear soup the noodle hearts, which may be purchased at a grocery store, or have a vegetable soup, slicing the vegetables and cutting them into little hearts with a knife.

Meat: Make chicken or beef croquettes, molding them like hearts.

Vegetables: Slice the boiled carrots and potatoes and cut into heart shapes.

Bread: Cut into hearts.

Salad: Upon green lettuce leaves place hearts cut from beets.

Dessert: Ice cream may be obtained in the form of a Cupid or something similar, and cake may be decorated with white icing having pink hearts outlined upon it. The peppermint candies in the shape of hearts, which have sentiments printed upon them, may be passed either at the beginning or the end of the meal. Cut in half, placing the halves in separate dishes; then pass one dish to the girls and the other to the boys, and by matching halves partners may be found. Let the children, however, remain unconscious of the distinction of sex as many years as possible.

In making preparations for the dinner let the children help.

Place Cards for Dinner (Red paper, white cardboard, scissors, pencil)

Cut a heart from the red paper. From the white, cut an arrow, drawing it after a pattern found in some book. Making two slits in the heart, run the arrow through it. On the reverse side of the heart write the name of the guest.

Decorations for Valentine Dinner (Red cardboard, red ribbon)

Cut about two dozen hearts all of same size, or graduated in size. String these upon the red ribbon and suspend over the table.

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

Luncheon Card (1. Picture hatchet, cardboard, scissors, paints; 2. Same—also white or reddish brown paper)

1. Find a picture of a hatchet and use it as a model from which to cut one about two inches long. Paint this in colors resembling the real hatchet, and upon the reverse side write the name of the guest.

2. From a piece of white or reddish-brown paper cut a one-inch square. Paint so as to resemble cherry wood. Roll so that one edge overlaps the other a trifle, simulating the trunk of a tree. As they overlap cut a tiny slit through the two. Cut out a tiny cardboard hatchet, paint as above, and insert in this slit so that it holds the two edges together. Before fastening in this way, an appropriate quotation may be written inside, and the name of the guest on the outside. It should stand up if rightly made.

Decorative Cherries (Paraffine, spool of wire, not too fine, green cloth or paper, carmine oil paint, brush, paste)

Purchase at the grocer's cakes of paraffine such as is used for preserving purposes. Heat a cake in a dish so that it is soft enough to model into balls the size of a cherry. While still pliable make a slight depression in its surface. Having previously rolled the wire in the green tissue paper, and cut into inch strips for stems, insert this into the cherry at the depressed part of its surface. Cut out cherry leaves of paper, or better dark green cloth, place a little paste on these leaves at the back and arrange a stem on each one. When the stem of the cherry is firmly fastened in the fruit, paint the surface with carmine oil paint. This gives a polished appearance to the surface like the natural cherry.

The stems of the green leaves may be trimmed about the stems of the cherries in twos or threes or more, according to the number of cherries used.

Paper Chains (Colored paper in sheets or cut into strips, paste, small brushes or sticks)

The making of paper chains, in contrasting or uniform colors, is a delightful pastime for children of all ages. Very little children may easily learn to make one loop at a time, and, with assistance, are soon able to fasten several loops together.

Kindergarten Supply Stores furnish strips of colored paper already cut, and put up in packages. These strips measure 36 inches in length. It is very easy, however, to cut strips from large sheets of paper, and it is an excellent lesson in accurate cutting for children over ten years of age.

These paper strips may measure one or two inches in width and the entire length of the sheet. Cut the long strips into short strips measuring four inches in length. Holding the four inch strip in the left hand, put a very little paste on the under surface of one end of the strip. Overlap the pasted end of the strip to its unpasted end, and hold firmly until fastened. You now have one paper loop. Through this loop is placed another four inch strip—the paste is added in the same manner. Now you have two loops. Continue doing this until you have the chain the required length. These chains are very effective when used in decorating.

For Washington's Birthday, red, white and blue paper would be used for the chains.

Bonbonnieres (White tissue paper, red and blue aniline dyes)

Very attractive bonbonnieres may be made by cutting oblong shaped sheets of white tissue paper, measuring 6 inches in length and 5 inches in width. Fringe the shorter edges of the paper, making fringe 1 inch deep.

Dissolve any good red and blue dyes in boiling water, and place in separate dishes. Dip one fringed end of tissue paper into the red dye for one second, and dip the other fringed end into the blue dye. Shake these ends gently in order to let the water drip from them. When they are dry, place a large sized candy in the centre of the paper, and gathering up the fringed ends, twist them close to the candy, thus forming a feathery effect in two colors. These are very pretty when arranged on the table either in quantity or singly.

Tents (White shelf paper, paste, match stick, red, white and blue paper)

Groups of white tents, made of white shelf paper, capped at the top with tiny American flags, may be placed at short distances from the centre piece of a luncheon or supper table with good effect.

The large sheets of shelf paper may be bought at any grocer's. Cut them into four-inch squares. Place the paper before you on a flat surface, an edge nearest you. Fold the front edge to the back edge of square; crease the paper at the fold, open the paper and fold the right edge to left edge of square; crease the fold again. Open the paper and turn the square so that a corner points towards you. Fold this front corner to the back corner, so that the two points exactly meet.

Crease on the fold, open the paper, and fold the left corner to the right corner of the square. Crease on the fold. Open the paper; before you you have a square of paper, with eight folds across its surface, a fold running front edge to back edge, from right edge to left edge, from right corner to left corner, from left corner to right corner. Turn the square of paper over so that all the folds on the surface of the paper are on the upper side of the square. Place the square with a corner toward you.

You will now see eight folds running from the four edges and four corners to the centre of the square. Crease with thumb and forefinger of right hand the fold running from lower right edge to centre of square. Place this right hand fold of square forward so that it lies along the fold which extends from the corner directly in front of you to the centre of the square. Follow the same directions in folding the crease that runs from the lower left edge to centre of square. These two folds touch now on the fold that runs from front corner to centre of square. You will see a small triangle extending below the two folds which thus meet in front of you. Fold this small triangle back toward the centre, and underneath the two folds that meet in front of you. One half of your tent is folded. The same directions must be followed in folding the other side of the square.

The two small triangles must be carefully folded so that the tent will stand evenly when finished. You will see when the front and back part of the tent is finished that you have the right and left corners to dispose of. Fold these corners underneath the tent, so that when it is placed in an upright position it will stand firmly. To make the tent stand well, crease the edges that run from the four corners to top of tent, thus making an exact pyramid. The use of a little paste in securing the folds is of great assistance.

To represent the tent pole, a wooden match, gilded, may be used. To this attach a tiny American flag made of pliable red, white and blue paper.

Paper Lanterns (Scissors, red, white and blue paper, liquid gold paint, box of small candles, circular box covers, baby ribbon—red, white and blue)

Lanterns made of red, white and blue paper, each of one color only, ornamented with gold paint and tied with the red, white and blue baby ribbon, are extremely pretty for supper decorations. When suspended from the chandelier above the centre of a supper table, a lighted candle in each little lantern, the effect is charming.

In view of entertainments where decorations are called for, it would be well to lay aside all small circular box covers that find their way into the household. The small box covers that measure 2½ inches in diameter may be taken as a standard size. These box covers form the bottom of the lanterns.

Cut from the colored paper an oblong piece measuring 8 inches in length and 5 inches in width. Lay the oblong piece of paper before you with its long edges running right and left. Draw a pencil line the length of the paper ¾ of an inch from the upper edge; ¾ of an inch from its lower edge draw another line which will be parallel to the first.

From the upper pencil line to the lower pencil line draw 15 lines ½ inch apart. These upright lines will form 14 narrow oblongs. Use very sharp pointed scissors, and cut away each alternate oblong. Paste the two short edges of the oblong paper together, one end overlapping the other. The body of the lantern is now finished.

Let a little wax drip from a candle on the inside of the circular box cover at its centre. When a little bed of soft wax is formed, place an unlighted candle on it in an upright position. Place a thick coating of Spaulding's glue on the inner surface of circular rim of the box cover, and carefully fit the body of the lantern into it.

When the paper lantern is securely fastened, gild heavily the outside rim of the box cover and the upper and lower circular bands which form top and bottom borders of the lanterns. In the top circular band punch four holes equal distances apart, through which the ribbons are run.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY—MARCH 17TH

Place Cards (White cards, water-color or oil paints, brush)

Paint a picture of shamrock upon the card. It may be copied from some picture, if not from the real plant. If not possible to find a picture, our wild-wood-sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is supposed to be the same as the shamrock and may be used for model. Some authorities believe the white clover to be the original shamrock.

Flags (Irish flag, green paint, gold paint, brush, scissors, slender sticks)

If one Irish flag is bought the children may copy it, painting a number, one for each guest, or for decorating table. Glue flags to sticks.

Ribbon Flags (Green satin ribbon, one inch wide, wooden toothpick)

Cut the ribbon into oblongs to make wee flags. Glue to tiny flagsticks and put at places at dinner table.

Shamrock Plants

The real shamrock is now brought over and may be purchased in March. A little plant makes an appropriate souvenir. Or several weeks before the day, children may plant shamrock seed in tiny pots for use on the 17th.

Potato Race

A potato race is an appropriate game for St. Patrick's Day. (See page 94.) Give cork doll for prize to winner of race (page 81), as souvenir from Cork.

St. Patrick's Dinner

Have as many green vegetables and side dishes as possible. Spinach will color the soup. Green vegetables and salads are easy to obtain and ice cream may be colored with pistache. Irish flags may be suspended over the table.

Dinner Souvenir (Blotting paper, souvenir postcards, green ribbon ½ inch wide)

Give each guest a blotter made thus: Buy souvenir postcards with pictures of Killarney and other Irish views. Cut the blotting paper into sheets of same size as cards. Place together. Punch hole at one end and tie together with ribbon.

Egg Shell Garden (See page 25)

Sponge Garden (Small, clean sponge, birdseed)

A few days before Easter, sprinkle the sponge with birdseed. Keep damp and the seeds will sprout and cover the sponge with growing blades of green.

Easter Eggs (1. Diamond dyes, a dozen eggs. 2. Small figured calico, lye, boiling water)

1. Boil the eggs hard and dye with the colors according to directions on package, which may be had at drugstore, price five cents.

2. Wind strips of the bright calico around the eggs and boil in water strongly saturated with lye. The lye extracts the color, which will be found printed upon the eggs.

Place Cards for Easter Breakfast (1. White paper, scissors, paints. 2. Plain white cards, paints)

1. If possible secure a real Easter lily for a model. If this cannot be obtained, a picture of one will answer. From the paper cut, freehand, if possible, the shape of the lily and paint it lightly; just a little shading and the golden center. Place the guest's name upon the reverse side. It may be necessary to draw the lily first before cutting, but the freehand cutting is a good exercise.

2. Decorate a white card with the picture of a lily, or a tulip, using water-color paints. Below the flower write an appropriate flower motto.

Celluloid Place Cards (White celluloid, scissors, pencil)

Get from a dictionary or natural history a good picture of a butterfly with open wings. Draw a pattern from this and then outline a number of these on the celluloid and cut out. These dainty, spirit-like butterflies will make suitable place-cards, having the name of guest on the reverse side.

Cut Easter lily of celluloid in same way.

Easter Chicken (Yellow worsted, black beads, quill toothpick, cardboard, wooden toothpicks, or picture-wire.)

Make a yellow ball as described on pages 96-7 for the body of the chicken. A smaller ball makes the head. Sew on the beads for the bright black eyes; cut the quill into shape of a bill and sew into place. Let wooden toothpicks form the legs; or, better still, take picture-wire made of several strands. Wind some of this around the body, letting the ends of the wire extend about 1½ inches below the body; sew to the body to keep in place. Then pick out the ends of the wire a little to suggest toes and wind the legs with worsted. Sew chicken to a card.

Easter Card (Parquetry circles used in kindergarten, paste, gray card, scissors)

The little child may make an Easter card by pasting upon a neutral-tinted card pictures of tulips made of the kindergarten parquetry papers. Cut in half either red or yellow circles. Place so that the lower ends touch and the upper ones are a little apart, suggesting a tulip. A strip of green paper will represent the stem and an older child can cut leaves of the green paper and paste on. Have a real tulip from which to copy. Child may give this to Father on Easter morning.

Toy Screen (See page 63)

Make dainty screen as described, and paste on each panel a tiny Easter picture (Perry pictures may be had by addressing firm in N. Y. City). Give to Mother on Easter morning.

Church Window Transparency (See page 77)

MEMORIAL DAY

We give no special suggestions for the celebration of Memorial or Decoration Day. The ideas given under the headings of the other patriotic holidays, as Washington's Birthday and Fourth of July, may be used also for this holiday, but it is not a day for mere play.

If the parents plan to go to the cemetery let the child accompany them and carry flowers, preferably those of his own raising or plucking.

Reading

It would be well also on this day to read some great piece of patriotic literature, either prose or poetry, which will help the older children to realize the great debt which we owe to the preservers of our country, to whom we dedicate this day. Lincoln's Gettysburg address should be read. Also Lowell's "The Present Crisis." "Bugle Echoes," compiled by Francis F. Browne, contains 150 poems of the Civil War, both Northern and Southern.

Badge (Sheets of red, white, and blue paper, scissors, paste)

A simple badge may be made for the children to wear in this fashion:

1. Cut a circle ¾ inches in diameter out of the red paper. Cut also from the red, white and blue sheets strips of 2 × 5 inches. Paste the three strips together at the upper end like ribbons, letting them spread a little apart at the lower end. Paste the circle at the upper end to finish off.

2. Another style may be made by placing the three colors so that one lies directly above the other. In this case the blue is 5 inches long, the white four inches, and the red three inches. Fasten to dress or coat with a safety pin.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Firecrackers (Red paper, hemp string, paste)

Get large sheets of red paper to be found at department stores or wholesale paper houses, measuring about 35 inches in length and 26 inches in width. From each one cut thirteen 2-inch strips, cutting the length of the sheet. Fold each strip once across the width of the strip, and cut through the center at the fold. This gives twenty-six 2-inch strips of paper, the width of the small sized firecrackers.

Hold a strip of paper between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. Moisten the thumb of the right hand a very little, and roll the end of the strip towards the left, as one does in rolling a paper taper. Keep the strip rolled tightly until the other end of the strip is reached. If the cracker seems too loosely rolled unroll it a short distance, and gently pull the strip into form again.

Place a little paste on the under side of the loose end of the strip, and press the pasted end firmly on the rolled surface of the cracker. Hold this until it adheres to the surface of the cracker. Cut the hemp string into three-inch pieces. Dip one end of the string into the paste, then insert this pasted end into one end of the cracker at the little opening which is found at the very center. Hold this firmly for a moment, or until the string is securely fastened.

Tie six or eight firecrackers into bunches with red, white and blue ribbons, and lay them over the white surface of the luncheon or supper table.

Firecracker Card (See page 55)

Drums (Small wooden boxes, liquid gold paint, Spaulding's glue, red, white and blue baby ribbon, small sticks for drum sticks)

The market basket will, from time to time, furnish the housekeeper with small circular boxes labeled: Electro-Silicon Silver Polish. These wooden boxes, measuring 8 inches in circumference and 12 inches in height, make, when prettily ornamented, very attractive drums.

Remove the cover of box, and place on its inner rim a coating of Spaulding's glue. Place the cover on the box again, and put aside until it is fastened. Place the box on a sheet of stiff white paper, and holding it firmly, draw a pencil line around its edge. Now remove the box, and you will see that you have outlined a circle. Using this circle as a model, draw a second circle. Cut out these circles, following the pencil very accurately. These two circles form the two heads of the drum, and are to be pasted on the top and the bottom of the box. Gild the circular surface of the box. Cut strips of red or blue paper, measuring 8½ inches in length and 1½ inches in width. Brush the under surface of these strips with paste, and place one strip at the top and one at the bottom of the drum, ¾ of an inch above the rim of the drum. These strips answer to the wooden bands which hold the drum heads in place. Red, white and blue baby ribbon may be carried from the upper to the lower edges of the drum if desired to represent the cords which hold the drum securely.

Little wooden sticks, gilded and tied at the side of the drum form the drumsticks.

The smaller Electro-Silicon boxes, measuring 2¾ inches in circumference and 1 ? inches in height, may be used in the same way.

Rosettes (Red, white and blue tissue paper, a strong needle, white sewing silk, white library paste or well-made flour paste)

Lay nine sheets of tissue paper one upon another, alternating the colors, red, white and blue. Fold these sheets together very smoothly once, thus making 18 smaller sheets if they were cut apart, but do not cut. Lay a silver dollar or fifty-cent piece (depending upon the size required) at the upper left-hand corner of paper. Draw a pencil line around the rim of the silver piece. Move the piece of money to the right and draw another circle. Continue this drawing circles until you have covered the surface of the paper.

Thread a needle with the sewing silk, knot the end of the thread and take several firm stitches through the center of each circle in order to hold the sheets of paper together. With sharp scissors cut out each paper circle, and fringe by cutting, but not too finely, from the edge to within ? of an inch of the center of the circle. Hold the knot on the under side of the circle between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. Slightly moisten the forefinger of the right hand and brush gently over the fringed surface toward the center of the rosette. At the back of each rosette put a bit of paste, then lay rosettes on strips of paper one inch in width. Do not overlap the rosettes, but arrange to allow the edges to touch.

These strips of rosettes may be used as festoons. As decorations for cakes or dishes of fruit they can be used most effectively.

Shields for Luncheon Cards (Cardboard, red and blue paper, baby ribbon—red, white and blue, gold paint, water-color paints—red and blue)

Attractive luncheon or supper cards, suitable for patriotic occasions, may be made in the form of shields. Turn to the fourth page of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and find the shield used as the American Coat-of-Arms. This shield, enlarged to a size measuring 2½ inches in length and 2½ inches in width across the upper part, forms an excellent model. If one does not draw habitually, use tracing paper when tracing the pattern. If one uses watercolor paints successfully, paint the deep blue band across the upper part of the shield, and the twelve red stripes running from the band to the lower edge of the shield. For those who do not paint, dark red and blue paper may be substituted very successfully. A touch of gold paint on the edge of the shield adds greatly to the effect.

Write each guest's name on a card measuring 2½ inches in length and 1½ inches in width. Attach a card by means of red, white and blue ribbon to upper corner of each shield.

Rockets (Red, white and blue paper, paste, gold paint, slender wooden sticks)

Rockets are made in the same manner as firecrackers, excepting that the paper strips are cut wider, viz.: 3 or 4 inches in width, and more strips are required to give the proper size. This may be left to the maker's discretion.

When the rockets are rolled and pasted after the manner of the firecrackers, insert the sharp point of a pencil into the center of one end of each roll, and gently push out this center to the distance of two inches. This will give the pointed end of the rocket. These pointed ends may be gilded, as well as the slender sticks which are inserted at the other ends.

LABOR DAY

The words "parade" and "procession" are associated in the minds of most American children with long lines of soldiers, and the small boy will play for hours putting his tin soldiers in rank and file, or marching with his comrades, with pans for drums.

In these later days, when the spirit of the Peace Congress is in the air, it is well that the children should become interested in struggles and battles of a different and higher order and in the parades in which long lines of honorable workers take part.

In this country all self-respecting people are workers in one way or another, and though in the course of progress of coÖperative movements and combinations, among many kinds of workers, there may have been much of injustice, such movements have also been accompanied by self-sacrifice, courage and generosity of a high order. In time the good will far out-weigh the evil. As Labor Day approaches, the children, especially if the father expects to take part, will be readily interested in the day and what it should mean—the solving of the great problem of the twentieth century. Meanwhile let the children feel the beauty of Walt Whitman's lines:

The Labor Day parade is a revival, or survival in modern guise, of the mediÆval processions of the Guilds. Such a procession is charmingly represented in Wagner's delightful opera, "Die Meistersinger," wherein, on a festival day, we see the bakers enter, bearing the insignia of their trade, enormous pretzels and other cakes. The cobblers march in with gigantic boots and slippers suspended from tall poles; the butchers carry hams and festoons of sausages, etc. The child may imitate such a parade in his play.

In talking with the child, emphasize the obligation to do good, true work and to take pride in such. Let fidelity and trustworthiness be his watchwords.

Parade (Poles or broom handles, wrapping paper or newspaper, scissors, tacks, rakes, spades, etc., flags and banners)

Let the children cut from the paper large outlines of shoes, boots, hams, saws, try-squares, clocks, watches, enormous pens, knives, forks, etc., and fasten with pins or tacks to the poles. Then march to the tune of some stirring air.

Some may be able to secure small garden rakes, spades and toy brooms to carry. The American flag and banners should also be carried.

Toy-Processions (Trade catalogues, toothpicks, paper dolls, etc.)

Cut out paper dolls and let each one carry a tiny toothpick upon which has been pasted a picture cut from some catalogue. These catalogues will furnish pictures of shoes, carriages, saws, hammers, watches, furniture, etc. Be sure that little American flags are also carried. Dolls may be glued to spools for standards.

Place Cards for Dinner

1. (Bristol board, scissors, paints, brush)

Make place cards of Bristol board, which may be cut into shape of shoes, watches, etc., and painted accordingly. The name of guest may be placed on reverse side. Or, on plain white card, paint a picture emblematic of a trade and write upon it also some quotation from a writer of democratic spirit.

2. (Tiny cast-iron rakes, spades and hatchets—1 cent each.)

As a souvenir, give each guest a tiny cast-iron spade, rake and hatchet tied together with cord. Or, for a joke, these may be placed by each plate instead of knife, fork and spoon.

3. (Pen and ink or pencil, white card.)

Draw on a plain, white card a picture of an ant, bee or beaver as emblematic of labor. Use for place cards.

4. (Frances S. Osgood's poem, "Labor," white cards, pen and ink.)

On each card write one stanza of this beautiful poem, and after the close of the meal let each guest in turn read the lines on his card. It would be well for every child to commit this poem to memory. It is long, but sings itself easily into the mind. The word-pictures it calls up are exquisite and the learning of it, little by little, would not be an unhappy task.

HALLOWE'EN

This is the festival which is given over to all kinds of merry pranks and is dearly loved by the children. It is an opportunity to teach them to discriminate between the fun which is kindly and that which is malicious and productive of needless pain.

Ducking for Apples and Nuts (Large pans or tubs, apples, nuts, pennies)

Let the children, young and old, for once get themselves wet, if necessary, in ducking for the nuts and apples floating in the water. With a little suction some of the children will be able to get pennies from the bottom of the tub.

Fortune-Telling

1. With Needles. (Needles, pan of water)

Name a needle for yourself and one for a friend, and put in the water, but not together. If they move safely across, it betokens good luck. Two needles meeting indicate life partnership.

2. With Toy Ships. (Pan of water, nut ships as described on page 22 )

Name one little vessel for yourself and one for a friend and set them afloat. If they come to port on the other side all is well.

3. With Apple Rinds. (Apple, knife)

Pare an apple so that the skin comes off in one long piece. Toss over the head upon the floor, and the form it takes will give the initial letters of the name of one's future mate.

4. With Cake. (Cake, thimble, ring, penny, etc.)

Bake a cake, hiding in the dough a thimble, a ring and a penny. When cut, the recipient of the ring is fore-doomed to marriage; the one getting the thimble will be a spinster; the one receiving the penny will have the pleasures and responsibilities of wealth.

Apple-Biting Contest (Apple suspended from a string)

1. The apple is set swinging and two people, standing opposite each other, try as it passes to seize and hold it in the mouth. They must not touch it with the hands.

2. Tie an apple by its stem to the middle of a string about a yard long. Then two people, each taking one end of the string in the mouth, begin, at a signal, to gather it as fast as possible into the mouth, and so to reach the apple. This belongs to the one reaching it first.

Refreshments

Apples, nuts, popcorn, cider, gingerbread and doughnuts are suitable for lighter refreshments. Baked beans and plain ice-cold rice pudding were once eaten with decided relish at a New York City Hallowe'en party, the city people evidently enjoying the contrast between this feast and the usual caterer's service. Serve fruit from a kettle suspended from three cross-sticks, a la witch.

Decorations

Jack-o'-lanterns of pumpkins; strings of apples, popcorn and cranberries, and toy brooms hung here and there, as reminders of the witches who are said to be abroad, will add to the occasion. The pumpkins should be cut to resemble skulls.

Reading

Have some one read "Tam O'Shanter's Mare" (Burns); also some good ghost story. Thomas Kendrick Bangs' "Ghosts Which I Have Met" contains some good stories, all absurd. Choose a good reader for this.

Place Cards

1. (White or tinted cards, Palmer Cox Brownies, ink, pen)

The Brownies are delightfully funny little people without a suggestion of anything coarse or evil. The children love them. Let the older ones copy and cut them out to use as invitation cards for the Hallowe'en party or for place cards.

2. (See "Pricking," page 165.)

Since witches are always associated with the pricking of pins, this is an appropriate occasion for using the kindergarten pricking. Outline some of the Brownies on tinted cards and prick as directed on page 165.

3. (See Pumpkin Jack-o'-lantern cards, page 135.)

THANKSGIVING

Place Cards (White paper or cardboard, brush and paints or pen and ink)

1. Cut out a turkey, copying from some picture if necessary. (Picture may be found in dictionary.) If skilful with brush or pen, indicate the feathers, eye, etc.

2. Draw picture of a pumpkin. Cut it out. Paint in deep orange tones with shadings of brown. Cut into it eyes, nose and mouth, suggesting Jack-o'-lantern.

3. On white cards write stanzas from Whittier's poem, "The Pumpkin Pie," and let each guest read his stanza in turn.

4. Cut as many triangles as there are guests and paint each to resemble a slice of pie. One side of triangle should be curved.

5. Find a simple figure of a Puritan maiden and draw in outline; then cut out and paint or draw in black ink the important lines. Use as place card.

6. Make little walnut boats (see page 22), and on each sail write name of guest.

7. Find picture of Mayflower and copy on white card. On reverse side write a stanza of "The Breaking Waves Dashed High." Let each guest read his lines. (Or parts of "Hiawatha" about Mondamin may be used.)

Table Souvenirs (Tiny cast-iron gardening tools, 1 cent each)

As described under Labor Day, these tiny penny tools may be put at each place, the hatchet representing the knife, the rake the fork, and the spade the spoon. Attach name of guest to set.

Butter Modeling (Clay modeling tools, firm butter)

If any child has acquired a little skill in clay modeling, let him try his hand at modeling out of firm butter some form expressing a Thanksgiving thought. It may be a piece of fruit, or some animal. Get clay modeling tools at art store.

Center Piece (Pumpkin, knife, fruits and vegetables)

Hollow out a pumpkin in such a way that a part of the rind is left as a handle to the remaining part, which serves as a basket. Into this basket put a variety of fruits and vegetables, emblematic of the bounties for which we are grateful.

Jack-o'-lantern (Pumpkin, knife, candle)

We doubt if any boy needs to be told how to cut a face in a pumpkin. A sharp knife will soon make the cuts for eyes, nose and mouth in the rind, the seedy contents having been previously removed. A hollow may be cut in the bottom of the interior to hold the candle, which can be made still steadier by melting a little from the bottom and letting it drip into this hollow, forming a waxy bed into which the candle may be inserted.

Candlesticks

See pages 24 and 64 for those made of apples and of cardboard and colored papers.

Room Decorations

1. Corn Stalks. (Strong cord and needle, hammer and tacks.)

Stack cornstalks in the corners of the rooms in effective positions, two or three to a corner. Those living in cities may find it well to secure these from farmer friends some time before the holiday.

2. Unhusked Ears of Field Corn. (Strong cord.)

The corn husks must be turned back from the ears and cut off from them without loosening the separate leaves. Then a number of these husks may be strung upon a strong thread or string alternating with the ears of corn. Hang along the upper part of the wall as a frieze. The rich, warm tones of the brown and yellow are very effective.

3. Cranberries and Brussels Sprouts. (String, needle.)

Run upon a string half a dozen cranberries, then a Brussels sprout; then more cranberries, etc., and suspend this as a festoon along mantelshelf, in chandelier, or over window.

4. Autumn Leaves. (See page 47.)

5. Autumn Boughs. (Oak boughs.)

Oak boughs, with the rich red and russet leaves still upon them, are very handsome in the autumn. The beautiful branches may be gathered by the young people and hung in parts of the room where most effective.

CHRISTMAS

Place Cards

1. (Sheet black paper, Chinese white water-color paint, brush.) Cut a stocking from the black paper (obtainable at kindergarten supply store). With the paint, paint in white toes and heels. On the reverse side write some appropriate quotation and name of guest. Stockings may be about four inches long.

2. (White paper, black ink or crayon.) Cut a rough figure of a snowman out of white paper, put in features with black ink or crayon, and write name on reverse side.

3. (Water paper, water-colors, scissors, spray of holly.) From real holly or a picture of same, paint a spray of green leaves and red berries. Cut out around the edges and use as name card.

4. (Red cardboard, scissors, pen, ink.) Draw an outline of a bell on cardboard and cut out. An appropriate sentiment may be written upon one side and name of guest upon the other.

Surprise Nuts (See page 23)

Snowflakes for Tree (See page 59)

Snowball (White cotton batting, snowflake crystals from toy store, white cotton cloth, sewing thread, mucilage)

Cut two circles of cotton cloth, stuff with the batting, after sewing into shape of ball. Cover lightly with snowflake crystals, first dipping ball lightly into thin mucilage. Suspend from tree.

Candles (Paraffine or old candles, kettle, soft cotton string, small box of sand, pencil)

Candles have sometimes been made in the kindergarten in either of the following ways:

1. Heat a pound of paraffine (bought at grocer's), or melt up some old candle ends in a kettle. Place in front of the child a cigar box containing about a quart of moist sand, smoothed level. Then with his pencil let him press into the sand, making a deep, hollow mold just the width of the pencil. Now let him hold a short piece of string so that it hangs down into this mold. An older person will then pour some of the melted wax into the mold. It will cling to the string, and in a moment or two will cool enough to be drawn out, making a little candle that can be used for the Christmas tree, or put into a clay candlestick, also made by the child. (See below.)

2. Put the kettle containing the melted wax before the child and let him dip into it a piece of string about four inches long. Then let him take it out in a moment and lay it aside to cool. A very little wax will cling to it. Meanwhile he dips in another string and puts aside to cool. When cool he takes up the first one and dips it in a second time, and a new coat of wax adheres. He proceeds thus until the candles are as large in diameter as desired (about ½ inch at base). The candles may be put into clay candlesticks, also made by the child.

Candlesticks (Clay, a tin or china candlestick to use as model)

Let the child take a candlestick and copy in clay; it should be of simple form, a mere cylinder, with just enough of a base to make a firm standard.

Candlesticks (Cardboard, scissors)

Cut small squares of cardboard. The candles may be made to stand temporarily upon these by melting the lower ends of the candles and letting some of the wax drip upon center of the cards, and then pressing the candle down upon the melted wax. These may be placed upon the table on Christmas morning.

Christmas Carols

Let the children learn some simple old carol, as a secret, and Christmas morning have them sing it softly and sweetly to awaken father. A full program of songs suitable for this most beautiful of days will be found in the little book, "The Children's Messiah," compiled by Mari Ruef Hofer, price 20 cents. It gives also the address of a firm publishing stereopticon views for illustrating the program suggested.

Spider-Web Party (See page 104)

Arrange the twines of several colors as described on page 104, and at the end place the gifts belonging to each child.

Popcorn (Popcorn, popper, thread, needle)

Pop the corn and string into festoons with which to decorate the tree.

Christmas Bells (Red cardboard, scissors, thread, needle)

Make bells as described on page 109, only make them of various sizes. String, and use to decorate table or tree, or to festoon from the center of the ceiling to the corners and sides of the room.

Kindergarten Lanterns (Red, gold, or silver paper, scissors, thread, paste)

Take a kindergarten square of pretty paper or make a square of some attractive wrapping paper. Fold once into an oblong. Now cut a series of parallel lines from the fold toward the edge, stopping each about ½ inch from edge. Open and paste one end so that it overlaps the other, the cuts running vertically. This makes the lantern bulge out a little at the fold, giving a Japanese lantern effect. Suspend by a thread tied to the upper edge or paste a narrow strip of paper on for a handle. Use as decoration for Christmas tree.

Paper Chains (See pages 56 and 115)

Reading

Read a part or the whole of Dickens' "Christmas Carol," "The Chimes," or "The Cricket on the Hearth;" or "Is There a Santa Claus," by Jacob Riis; or "The Birds' Christmas Carol," by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Longfellow's "Arsenal at Springfield" and "A Christmas Hymn," by A. Domett, are also appropriate.