CORN-COBS—DRY
Corn-Crib (Cobs, hammer, nails, cover of starch-box)
To a small piece of thin wood like the cover of a starch-box nail four short cobs of equal length for legs (half an inch or an inch long). Around the four sides, on top, nail a row of slender cobs for the walls of the corn crib. Make roof of cobs or lay a piece of cardboard across. Nail from below, through the board. It will require a little thought to determine just where the nail must go in order to run through the board and into the cob above, but tell the child that he is a little carpenter and must make careful measurements. Ask if he can think why the crib is raised thus from the ground. (To preserve the corn from the rats and mice.)
Toy-Raft (Cobs, rim of berry-box, tacks)
Lay six or more cobs of equal length side by side upon the table. Take a piece of binding-rim of a berry-box as long as the row of cobs is wide. Lay it across the row near one end and nail it fast to each cob. Nail a similar piece across the other end. This will make a serviceable toy-raft. Stick in a skewer for a mast and make a sail-boat. Paste on the mast a triangular piece of paper or muslin for a sail.
Zig-Zag Fence (Cobs only)
Lay down half a dozen cobs in zigzag fashion, with their ends not quite as far apart as the length of the cobs. Then across every two ends lay another cob, and so build up the fence.
Post-Fence (Cobs, tacks, skewers, slats)
Lay several cobs in a row a few inches apart as posts. Unite them by laying across them two rows of skewers or kindergarten slats. Join with tiny tacks. Use in the sand-table or dolls' farm.
House (Cobs, nails)
(1) Take two cobs and place them opposite to each other. Place two others across the ends of the first two, at right angles to them. Then two more directly over the first two and so on, building up alternately for log cabin. This is the first simple building experiment of the little child. Two such cabins put together will make a two-roomed house. Thus made it will be crude with wide interstices between the logs, but this forms no objection to the child.
(2) When he does manifest the desire for something better made—a house which will not admit the rain and snow—a more solid house can be made thus: Place three cobs end to end to form three sides of a square. Directly upon these lay three more, and nail firmly to those beneath at the ends, with slender nails. Build up in this way as high as desirable. One side has, however, been left open. Now put in the fourth wall but leave place for the doorway. Do this by making the lower part of the wall of cobs so short that they do not even go half way across the opening. Take two such short cobs and nail each to the side of the house. A little space will be left between them, say of two inches. Take two more of same length and place on top of the first two and nail in place. The third cob may be long enough to extend straight across the little house making the top of the doorway. Put another and another on top until the last row is reached. Roof with similar logs or with cardboard. The child can be trained a little in forethought when led to save anything like corncobs for possible use in the future.
Furniture (4 short cobs, 4 long slender ones, tacks, cheesecloth, fine cord, cotton batting)
Take four short cobs for sturdy legs. Nail to these four slender cobs for bed-frame. In the inner part of the long sides of the bed hammer small tacks about ¾ inches apart. Then string cord from one tack across to the opposite one and so on, to make springs. Make mattress of cheesecloth stuffed with cotton. Other furniture can easily be made in similar manner.
In this work, as with other suggestions here given, older children will need to help younger ones and thus the spirit of helpfulness and sympathy is exercised.