FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 285, 21 August 1918, Page 11

FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

TJIIS MIEE KINDERGARTEN UNION.

The "Wellington Free Kindorgarlon .Union is composed of a body of good people, mostly womon, who have some oavo for the little children cf the city and work with tho object, of giving thorn oveiy opportunity of developing normally to best advantago with tho assistance afforded by tho classes at tho kindergartens in different parts of tho city. In order to carry on they have had to depend on public subscription, on Government subsidy, and on moneys from tho Jlaearthy Foundation. They spund annually nearlf .£ISOO. Tho _ greatest j need for extension of the work is in the ] centre of the city, in Taranaki Street, where tie union has carried on for somo years in a place rented for the purpose over a Chinaman's shop. Some little time ago the union bought a iparcel of land, .on which it hnd hoped to raise a suitable building, but tho Government could not pay tho subsidy, and the site is still vacant in cnnseqnence. Since then it has bought a factory building adjacent, and tho present idea is to eorpvert the factory building into a.6chool. and to use the other mto for a playground in conjunction with the kindergarten. For this quito a lot of money will be needed, and as a preparation for tho appeal which it proposes to make to the public the Kindergarten Union has arranged to hold a series of demon-, strations in tho Masonic Hull, Boulcott Street. The first of these demonstrations was held yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Massey opened the proceedings, and hespoke for the union the favour of the Wellington public. The children making this display wero those of tho Berhampore branch, under Misses Macandrew and Lake. The general idea of this display was 'homo activities and work. One of the objects of tho kindergarten is to give even little children an occupation. They are taught by example and rivalry that it is an offenco to bo idle, and so the habit

of industry-is inculcated—by play methods. Yeslorday the little mites, nono ol whom was yet five yoars of ago, wcri given practical object-lessons—for it i? only by real objects that thoughts ean bo convoyed to children of such tender years—in tho work of the homo. They even jjlnyed at work themselves under supervision, and did their allotted hsks surprisingly well. Then they had some food, ami after that they plaj-ed a little,also with assistance and supervision. The. little people wore'as happy and as busy as could hf.

Besides the object of raining money, Sas union wishes to interest young women and girls in this work for tlie children. Staffs are needed, for tho five schools in Wellington, and in tho schools firls may have-the opportunity of learning something about the profession of caring for children and tenoning them to work and play.

After tho demonstration Mr. Tennant. diicctor of the Teachers' Training College under Ihe Education Board, made some romarks on (lie work that kindergarten institutions were doing, There will bo other demonstrations by other scholars and other teachers to day, and on Thursday and Friday.