Miss Nora A. Smith tells of an old German toy-maker who, “when asked where he got the ideas for his playthings, answered with a half-smile: ‘Not from the children, anyway. Children seldom get the toys they want, but those that their parents want them to want.’”
The passion for destruction which often manifests itself during these years is simply the perversion of the instinct for construction. Being provided with no materials with which he can build he takes apart his too complete toys. A pile of blocks, a sand-pile, a paint-box, some dolls that must be cut out, a ruined shed that perhaps may be made into a doll-house, these are ideal materials for childish play.
There are a number of old-fashioned games which exercise the dramatic instinct. Among these are: Kitty White, Did You Ever See a Lassie?, Farmer in the Dell, Squirrel in the Trees and the Duck Dance. These are all described in Miss Bancroft’s book on play and games, referred to below. Let us take her description of one of the less familiar games, Kitty White, so that we may notice how the dramatic element is expressed throughout. The accompanying music is not given in this citation.
“This is an admirable game for very little children. Their dramatic tendency should be given full rein in impersonating the soft movements of the kitty and the mouse before the chase begins.
“Kitty White so slyly comes,
To catch the Mousie Gray;
But mousie hears her softly creep,
And quickly runs away.
“Run, run, run, little mouse,
Run, run, run, little mouse,