When Christmas and birthdays come around, you begin to drop hints of presents you would like. Do you ever think about the boys and girls who are poor, or orphans, and have very few presents? You know you might be able to do something about them. Just take a look at your books and toys. Probably there are some that you have outgrown, and you could spare-things that would make some child very happy.

Look through your toys and sort out the ones you would like to give away. Clean them as best you can-often a little fresh paint will make a toy look like new. Mend the torn pages of the books you want to pass on to someone else.

Collect the things as you repair them, and put them away in a box that can be stored in your closet. When you have enough, take the toys and games, as well as the books, to the Red Cross, or to your own town charity organization. Ask your clergyman at church, or the Sunday School teacher, where to send them. Another suggestion of something to put in the box of things to give away, is a scrapbook filled with things you have enjoyed, and you know other boys and girls will like too. Why not cut out the funnies you like best, and paste them in a book to send to a sick child? Do it as you finish reading them, and it will surprise you how quickly the book will fill.

The American Flag

How well do you know the American Flag? You probably know the pledge to the flag, and that Betsy Ross made the first one; but did you know that there are 48 stars, and 13 stripes in it? The red in the flag stands for bravery; the white for purity and cleanliness; and the blue for truth. Three things that make a good American. Trace this flag and with your crayons, or paints color it. Put in the right number of stars-white chalk will do for that-the blue field, and then the red and white stripes. Trace this star pattern with a piece of tissue paper, then stamp 48 copies of it in the star field. Do not color the blue part until you have made all your stars.

Rainbows and Birds

Can You Name These Birds?

(After you find the names of these birds, trace them and then color them as they should look.)

Answers:

1.Blue lay, 2.Cat bird, 3.Woodpecker, 4.Swallow, 5.Whip, 6.Poorwill, 7. Crow

Rainbows

When it is raining, and the sun is shining, we always look for the rainbow in the sky. A rainbow comes when sun shines through water. Have you ever noticed the rainbow colors in a fountain-when the sun shines on it? Or, have you sprinkled the garden hose in the sunshine, and seen the rainbows it makes?

Put a glass of water in the window, where the sun is shining. Be sure it is a clear glass, not colored. You will find it makes rainbows on the wall or floor.

Blow soap bubbles in the sunshine, and see what beautiful colors come in them.

See if you can paint a rainbow and have one color run into another the way they do in the sky. First paint all over the paper with just clear water, then before it has a chance to dry, brush a streak of red water color paint across the paper. Next above this put on some yellow. At the top of the paper paint a line of blue. Lift up the paper and tip it from right to left-up and down-until the colors run together. If you started with a good wet paper, you will now find you have a rainbow of many colors.