successful adjustment in his world.

Play and imitation are the great avenues of activity in early life. Even
in later life, we seldom accomplish anything great or worth while until
the thing becomes play to us, until we throw our whole being into it as
we do in play, until it is an expression of ourselves as play is in our
childhood. The proper use of play gives us the solution of many of the
problems of early education.

Play has two functions in the school: (1) Motor play is necessary to
growth, development, and health. The constant activity of the child is
what brings about healthy growth.

In the country it is not difficult for children to get plenty of the
proper kind of exercise, but in the larger cities it is difficult.
Nevertheless, opportunity for play should be provided for every child,
no matter what the trouble or expense, for without play children cannot
become normal human beings. Everywhere parents and teachers should plan
for the play life of the children.

(2) In the primary grades play can have a large place in the actual work
of the school. The early work of education is to a large extent getting
the tools of knowledge and thought and work--reading, spelling,
writing, correct speech, correct writing, the elementary processes of
arithmetic, etc. In many ways play can be used in acquiring these tools.

One aspect of play particularly should have a large place in education;
namely, the manipulative tendencies of children. This is essentially
play. Children wish to handle and manipulate everything that attracts
their attention. They wish to tear it to pieces and to put it together.