TOY CRAFT
TOY CRAFT
LEON H. BAXTER
Director of Manual Training, Public Schools
ST. JOHNSBURY, VT.
Author of Boy Bird House Architecture, and Elementary Concrete Construction
THE BRUCE PUBLISHING COMPANY
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Copyright 1922
The Bruce Publishing Company
Printed in the United States of America
INTRODUCTORY NOTES
The purpose of such a book as Mr. Baxter's "Toy Craft" is to furnishdefinite instructions for the making of toys for boys and girls by thechildren themselves. Miniature furniture, wooden dolls, carts andanimals—of how much greater value is one such plaything actually puttogether by a child than any number of toys made in a factory orimported from some foreign country? Truly a step forward has been takenin putting before the people a book which will unconsciously instill inthe minds of the children the value of the hand-made in preference tothe machine-made article.
Not only is Mr. Baxter peculiarly fitted to publish such a volume as"Toy Craft" in the light of his knowledge of manual training, but alsobecause of his understanding of the spirit behind the production oftoys, which bring such joy to the hearts of boys and girls.
To the satisfaction of actually making some wooden cart, or bird, oranimal may be added the happiness of doing the work for some otherchild. It is this vision of service for others which Mr. Baxter hasalready caught and demonstrated, and we feel sure that this littlevolume will do much to promote the improved individual construction oftoys by children, at the same time instilling into the hearts of theboys the joy of making something for somebody else, of experiencing thetruth, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
MABEL E. TURNER,
Field Representative for Junior Service,
New England Division, American Red Cross.
One of the hard problems in manual training, for boys up to twelve yearsof age, is to find worth-while things to make, within the capacity ofboys of this age. Having been engaged in this kind of work for overtwenty years I can appreciate the problems of the manual traininginstructor in the grades.
After carefully examining the cuts and directions for the variousprojects as given in "Toy Craft," and having seen the boys at work, aswell as the completed articles, in Mr. Baxter's department, I canreadily see how the great interest that is inspired in the boys isderived.
I heartily commend this book to all manual training teachers as a greathelp in the solution of their problems with boys.
STANLEY J. STEWARD, M. E.,
Director, St. Johnsbury Vocational School.
PREFACE
Each year American parents spend millions of dollars for toys for thechildren. In a short time a large part of these toys are broken, and liein the corner or the back yard. This is because of the destructivehabits children have developed. These same habits