Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1911 — Baby’s Playground [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Baby’s Playground

TO portion off a part of the nursery in which King Baby may be left for short periods to amuse himself unattended, is a very desirable thing, but to achieve this object satisfactorily is no easy matter. In our sketch and diagrams one practical solution of this difficulty will be found, and it can be carried out with little trouble and at no great expense. In the first place, two three-fold clothes horses should be obtained asd thin bars of wood nailed in upright positions to the parallel bars of the horses. A glance at the sketch will explain this. Next, two pieces of board should be firmly nailed to the nursery wall, at a distance apart equal to the width of two of the divisions of one of the horses-.... The horses can then be fastened with hinges to these pieces of wood fixed to the wall, and diagram “A” illustrates this. Tapes should be attached to the posts at further Bides of the horses, and it is an easy matter to place them in the position shown in the sketch and tie the posts together. When not required, the horses can he folded flat against the wall, and diagram "B" shows a ground plan of this, “BB” representing the board nailed to the wall, and "BBB” the horses pertly folded back towards the wall.

Diagram “C” illustrates the horses In position, and here again “CC” indicates the board qn the wall, and “CCC” the horses. When the playground has been completed, all the woodwork can be painted a nice dark green or, perhaps, a color to match the wallpaper, and when folded back against the wall, will practically take up no space In the nursery and will be almost invisible. The playground can, of course, be arranged in a moment, and the horses, being hinged firmly to the wall, cannot possibly fall over. It is not necessary that the space enclosed should be of the square shape illustrated, and the horses can be easily placed in other positions if desired, and yet effectually apportion a part of the floor from which the little prisoner cannot escape and go too near the fire and get Into mischief in other waya

With a few toys spread out on the floor, a little place of this kind will prove a paradise for a small child, who can "make believe” to any extent in this little house of his own, where he cannot possibly come to any harm. Older children might amuse themselves also in a similar playground on a larger scale, and with the help oi some old curtains, or a shawl, or rug, wonderful tents and houses can b« made.