Chapter III: Part II: Out-Of-Door Life for the Children

I. GROWING TIME

Meals out of doors--For dwellers in towns and suburbs--
Possibilities of a day in the open--No story-books 42

II. ‘SIGHT-SEEING’

How to see--Educational uses of ‘sight-seeing’--Discriminating
observation 45

III. ‘PICTURE-PAINTING’

Method of--Strain on the attention--Seeing _fully and in detail_
--A means of after solace and refreshment 48

IV. FLOWERS AND TREES

Children should know field crops--Field flowers and the life-
history of common plants--The study of trees--The seasons
should be followed--Leigh Hunt on flowers--Calendars--Nature
diaries 51

V. ‘LIVING CREATURES’

A field of interest and delight--Children should be encouraged
to _watch_--The force of public opinion in the home--What
town children can do--Nature knowledge the most important
knowledge for young children--Mental training of
a child naturalist--Nature work especially valuable for girls 56

VI. FIELD-LORE AND NATURALISTS’ BOOKS

Reverence for life--Rough classification at first hand--Uses of
‘Naturalists’ books--Mothers and teachers should know
about Nature 62

VII. THE CHILD GETS KNOWLEDGE BY MEANS OF HIS SENSES

Nature’s teaching--Over-pressure--Object-lessons--A child learns
from _things_--The sense of beauty comes from early contact
with Nature--Most grown men lose the habit of observation 65

VIII. THE CHILD SHOULD BE MADE FAMILIAR WITH NATURAL OBJECTS

An ‘observant child’ should be put in the way of things worth
observing--Every natural object a member of a series--Power
will pass more and more into the hands of scientific
men--Intimacy with Nature makes for personal well-being 69

IX. OUT-OF-DOOR GEOGRAPHY

Small things may teach great--Pictorial geography--The
position of the sun--Clouds, rain, snow, and hail--Distance--
Direction--East and west--Practice in finding direction--
Compass drill--Boundaries--Plans--Local geography 72

X. THE CHILD AND MOTHER NATURE

The mother must refrain from too much talk--Making a new
acquaintance--Two things permissible to the mother 78

XI. OUT-OF-DOOR GAMES

The French lesson--Noisy games--_Rondes_--Skipping-rope and
shuttlecock--Climbing--Clothing 80

XII. WALKS IN BAD WEATHER

Winter walks as necessary as summer walks--Pleasures connected
with frost and snow--Winter observations--Habit of
attention--Wet weather tramps--Outer garments for--
Precautions 85

XIII. ‘RED INDIAN’ LIFE

Scouting--‘Bird-stalking’ 88

XIV. THE CHILDREN REQUIRE COUNTRY AIR

The essential proportion of oxygen--Excess of carbonic acid
gas--Unvitiated, unimpoverished air--Solar light--A physical
ideal for a child 92