the back
yard. Gardening. Children's parties.

2. _For the Young People_--Small group games: checkers, card-games,
chess, etc. Games of mental skill: twenty questions, guessing contests,
writing of topical poems and jingles. The billiard-room in the house.
Social advantages of the chafing-dish. Young people's dances.

3. _For Adults_--Reading aloud. Home carpentry. Entertaining: cards,
music, dinners, etc.

4. _For Everybody_--Charades. Tableaux. Plays. The home orchestra.
College songs. Discussion: What are the best books for family reading
aloud?

BOOKS TO CONSULT--Mrs. Hamilton Mott: Home Games and Parties. Bancroft:
Games for the Playground, Home, School, and Gymnasium. Benson: Book of
Indoor Games for Young People of All Ages. Hoyle's Games (many
editions).

The great point to be emphasized in this meeting is that parents should
deliberately make a place in the home life for amusements, from
childhood up. Discuss: In how many ways can parents and children share
their pleasures, and how may the spirit of mutual enjoyment be
fostered?

VIII--VACATIONS

1. _Travel_--Should we see our own country before going abroad?
Preparations for travel. Advantage of reading in advance about places to
be visited. How to travel with children. Travel as an education.

2. _In the Country_--On the farm. In the camp. Among the mountains. By
the sea. Comparison of experiences by members of the club.

3. _Vacation and Study_--Is it a good plan to combine the two? Summer
schools. Chautauquas so called. Conventions (religious, sociological,
scientific, musical, pedagogical, etc.).

4. _Vacations at Home_--The opportunity of a delightful summer. The
possibilities of the yard: tents, out-of-door meals, the arbor, the
garden, etc. City roof-gardens for families. Trolley-rides. Trips and
picnics.

BOOKS TO CONSULT--M. L. Pool: Vacation in a Buggy. F. H. Winterburn:
Vacation Hints. Talfourd: Vacation Rambles and Thoughts (1845).

Discuss these questions: What proportion of one's income is properly
spent in a vacation? What is the influence of life in a summer hotel on
parents and children? Is the rest from housekeeping and the change of
life compensation for the drawbacks there? Is the enlarging of the
social circle of one's grown children a duty? Saving versus travel.

IX--CHILDREN IN THE HOME

1. _The Children's Rooms_--The nursery and its furnishings. Rooms for
the older children: seclusion, comfort, individuality. The