Work and Play | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 16, 1875

Work and Play.

Whoever has had experience with children must have observed how much work they can be induced to accomplish if it is only presented to them under the name of play. In drawing light brush to burn, a gang of boys will do a great deal of work, if they have faith that the performance is all fun; but if called upon to pile on the sticks as a matter of duty, the fire loses its heat of enthusiasm and bright hues of pleasure, and only the ashes of dissatisfaction fly before the young lads’ eyes.

The same fact is observed in school work. The same operation will be performed with different spirit according to the way in which it is presented—whether as a piece of work or play. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” And all play and no work makes Jack a lazy boy. The judicious teacher will present a task as work or amusement, according to the effect he wishes to produce on his pupils’ minds. It is not enough to tickle the child’s fancy with the novelties of learning; nor is it enough to arouse in him the spirit of inquiry or a passion for books. The bulk of mankind make their living by drudgery; so while giving the child a little of the self-forgetting enthusiasm of the philosopher, or imparting to him a touch of the fine frenzy of the poet, the teacher should not neglect to cultivate in him some of the perseverance of the plodder and the patient faithfulness of the drudge.

The time comes to everybody when work cannot be disguised in the garments of pleasure, and the school should not send children into the world unprepared for such an event. We would advise teachers in this matter as follows: When you want simply to have children acquire the greatest amount of information in the shortest time, let lessons be a pleasure; but when you want to train them to habits of industry, let work be presented to them as work undisguised. Alternate the monotonous grind of duty with well-directed mental dissipation, and Jack will be neither a dull boy nor a lazy one.—National Teachers’ Magazine.