To the mother who is at her wits’ end in trying to devise something
new and good for children’s parties, the idea of using the dramatic
instinct should come as a godsend. Nothing could possibly be more
delightful than an afternoon of dramatic games, varied by more quiet
story-telling. Playing statues, getting up tableaux, performing
charades, and even extemporaneously acting out story-plays are all
methods of entertainment which win enthusiastic response. To be
ready for such an emergency it might be well for mothers to follow
the suggestion of Miss Nora A. Smith that “a drawer in the playroom
closet be devoted to objects and old finery suitable for tableaux
and dramatizations, such as trappings for soldiers, feathered hats,
trained skirts, buckled belts, gold lace, and old jewelry.” To add to
the delight of such a place, Miss Smith adds, “This closet should be
treated in general as a high, exalted place, never to be opened in
mother’s absence or without her consent.”