pasture gate, the stone wall, the wood-pile, Mother Earth to dig in, furnish ideal equipment for the muscle development of little people and of their own nature afford the essential requisites for creative and dramatic play. To their surpassing fitness for "laboratory" purposes each new generation bears testimony. If the furnishings of a deliberately planned environment are to compare with them at all they must lend themselves to the same freedom of treatment.

The apparatus shown here was made by a local carpenter, and could easily be constructed by high school pupils with the assistance of the manual training teacher.

The ground has been covered With a layer of fine screened gravel, a particularly satisfactory treatment for very little children, as it is relatively clean and dries quickly after rain. It does not lend itself to the requirements of organized games, however, and so will not answer for children who have reached that stage of play development.

A number of building bricks, wooden boxes of various sizes, pieces of board and such "odd lumber" with a few tools and out-of-door toys complete the yard's equipment.

THE SEE SAW

Board--Straight grain lumber, 1-1/8" x 9" x 12'-0".

Two cleats 1¼" x 9" bolted to the under side of the board to act as a socket on the hip of the horse.

Horse--Height 25". Length 22½;". Spread of feet at ground 20". Legs built of 2" x 3" material. Hip of 2" x 3" material. Brace under hip of 7/8" material.

Note--All figures given are for outside measurements. Apparatus except see-saw board and sliding board should he painted, especially those parts which are to be put into the ground.

THE STAND AND SLIDE

Stand or Platform--26" wide, 30" long, 5'-4" high.

Top made of 1-3/8" tongue and groove material.

Uprights or legs of 2" x 3" material.

Cleats nailed to front legs 6¼" apart to form ladder are of 1-1/8" x 1¾;" material.

Cross bracing of 7/8" x 2¼;" material.

Apron under top made of 7/8" x 5" material nailed about 1-1/8" below to act as additional bracing and provide place of attachment for iron hooks secured to sliding board.

The stand is fastened to the ground by dogs or pieces of wood buried deep enough (about 3') to make it secure.

Slide--Straight grain piece of lumber, 1-1/8" x 12" x 12'-0".

Two hooks at upper end of sliding board are of iron, about 3/8" x 1½;", set at a proper angle to prevent board from becoming loose. Hooks are about 1¼;" long.

THE SWINGING ROPE

Upright--3" x 3" x 6'-9".

Top Piece--3" x 3" x 2'-9".

Upright and top piece are mortised or halved and bolted together.

Bracing at top (3" x 3" x 20½" at long point of mitre cuts) is nailed to top piece and upright at an angle of about 45 degrees.

Upright rests on a base measuring 3'-0". This is mortised together and braced with 2" x 3" material about 20" long, set at an angle of about 60 degrees.

Unless there are facilities for bracing at the top, as shown in the cut, the upright should be made longer and buried about 3' in the ground.

The swinging rope (¾" dia.) passes through a hole bored in the top piece and held in place by a knot. Successive knots tied 8" to 9" apart and a big knot at the bottom make swinging easier for little folks.

THE TRAPEZE

Two Uprights--3" x 3" x 6'-10".

Top Piece--3" x 3" x 2'-10".

Ends of top piece secured to uprights by being mortised or halved and bolted together.

Uprights rest on bases of 2" x 3" material, 3'-7" long, connected by a small platform in the form of an H.

Bases and uprights are bolted to dogs or pieces of wood 2" x 4" x 5'-8" set in the ground about 3'-0".

Adjustable bar (round) 1-3/8" dia.

3 holes bored in each upright provide for the adjustable bar. The first hole is 3'-0" above ground, the second 3'-5", the third 3'-10".

Swing bar (round), 1-3/8" dia., is 20" long. Should hang about 16" below top piece.

2 holes 5/8" dia. bored in the top piece receive a continuous rope attached to the swing bar by being knotted after passing through holes (5/8" dia.) in each end of the bar.

THE LADDER AND SUPPORT

Ladder--14" x 10'-2"

Sides of 1½" x ½" material

Rungs ¼" dia. set 10¼" apart

At upper ends of the sides a u-shaped cut acts as a hook for attaching the ladder to the cross bar of the support. These ends are re-inforced with iron to prevent splitting.

Support--Height 4'-6". Spread of uprights at base 4'-2".

Uprights of 1½" x 2½" material are secured to a foot (1½" x 4" x 20½") with braces (11½" x 2½" x 12") set at an angle of about 60°.

Tops of the two uprights are halved and bolted to a cross bar 1-1/8" x 2½" x 10" long.

The uprights are secured with diagonal braces 1-3/8" x 3½" x 3'-9" fastened together where they intersect.

AS DRAMATIC MATERIAL

A borrowed step ladder converts this gymnastic apparatus into an airship.

A PRACTICAL ADAPTATION

The ladder detached from the support is an invaluable adjunct to building and other operations.

THE PARALLEL BARS

The two bars are 2" x 2¼" X 6'-10" and are set 16½" to 18½" apart. The ends are beveled and the tops rounded.

Each bar is nailed to two uprights (2" X 3" X 5'-0") set