CHILDREN'S PLAYHOUSES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 288, 29 August 1908, Page 11

CHILDREN'S PLAYHOUSES.

In an Australian paper a writer, taking as a text the competitive designs for children's playhouses, published _ recently in tho "Ladies' Homo Journal," discourses on this fascinating theme. Almost as soon as a girl can walk and talk she loves to bo allowed to help in household duties. ■ Every mother must want to preserve and foster theso natural domestic tastes; but in most houses it is impossible to let tho little ones run hore and thero helping, as they might do if their mother were managing the whole houso herself. And, in any case, directly tho childish help begins to bo valuablo as a training, tho child- tires of what seem to be real duties. _ This is where the playhouse would "como in." It is just a big doll's house; big enough for its little mistress to spend some hours of every day in it herself; big enough to

hold her toys and treasured possessions; big enough to give her some work in making it neat and dainty; big enough to give reality to her game of keeping house." What endless sweepings and dustings there would bo of tho tiny rooms 1 How the little chairs and tables would bo arranged and rearranged I How jtlie baby windows would be polished till they shone 1 It is a marvel' to me .that every mother has not thought of it for herself. With a well-planned and well-furnished little playhouse every Bmall girl v might bo taught to be a perfect little housekeeper. And with a few feet of garden attached she ■' might easily add gardening to i her accomplishments. And tno whole thing would bo the most delightful kind of play to her. I know how my own woo girls would revel in it all. They would bo for ever busy in the little rooms. And not only for girls, but for boys the playhouso would be a thing of joy. For the boy might havo a littlo workshop, and learn to make tho fittings for his own " den," and to do odd jobs of carpentering for his mother. i The first prize playhouso amongst tho little American group is a charming abode. It has two rooms and a verandah. Tho diningroom-kitchen is Bft. by 6ft., and has a littlo cooking stove, and two windows. Tho house is entered through a hall, 6ft. by 3ft., which leads to the kitchen, and on tho left of the hall is the living-room, sft. by 6ft., with a tiny fireplace and bracket mantelshelf, and in tho sido wall a bay window with a window seat. A second window looks out on the verandah.

This house was built by an amateur'carpenter for his little, girl. Ho used an old wood-shed for tbo framework, and . utilised all 6orts of odds and ends. The verandah posts, for instance, were the sides of an old wire mattross. The total cost, of 'all the new material required was only fifteen dollars —a littlo over. £3. Tho second prize

playhouso is smaller still, boasting only one room, 6ft. by 7ft., with a verandah 7ft. by 3ft. 2in. This was built almost entirely from a baby-grand piano case. Another picturesque little house is a "log cabin," which cost about £6 for material and was built as & labour of lovo. Tho logs aro unbarked willow, and the log chimney is lined with firebrick. Another Tog cabin has a sod roof. This has one big room, 12ft. by 7ft., with a bay 6ft. by 7ft. from tho ' on g sido. It has one. room only, Bft. by 13Jft. with double windows at each end. Alost of tho tiny houses have been built by fathers with a hobby for carpentering, and "dry goods boxes" have been freely used in tho construction. One cottage, which is very tiny, 4ft. 2in. square by 6ft. high, consists simply of a hugo box which bad been used to pack printing paper in. A shingle roof was put on, two windows and a door made, a floor laid down; and strips of wood nailed over tho joints. The work was dono by a carpenter, and tho jvholo cost was about 3au