SOAP BUBBLES.

This simple amusement gives great delight to children, who love dearly to watch the splendid rainbow colours of the bub bles as they rise. A bowl of foaming suds, and a piece of pipe-stem, or straw, or quill, is all that is necessary. Some think that the bubbles are much larger if the quill, or straw, be soaked a little at the end which you apply to the suds, and split into four, about the length of your nail. If you cannot blow the bubble to such size as you wish, do not try to increase it by taking in more suds: for the moment it touches the water, it will burst. When the bubble is formed, shake the pipe, and it will rise and float in the air, looking like a piece of the rainbow

THE ONE-FOOTED CHACE.

Little girls often amuse themselves with trying who can jump farthest on one foot, while the other is bent, and raised and sometimes one jumping in this manner, tries to catch her companions, who all hop along in the same manner.

JACK STRAWS.

A Large number of straws, or fine splinters of wood, of equal length, are placed in a pile, standing up so as to meet at the top and spread out at the bottom, like a tent, or hay-stack; two of the sticks are reserved, and on these are placed little crooked pins, or some small delicate kind of hook. Each one, in turn, takes these hooks and tries to remove one from the pile, without shaking any other straw. The one who succeeds in removing a straw upon these difficult conditions, takes it to herself, and counts one. Those who gain the most straws win the game. Sometimes they cut little notches, or they black the heads of three, which they call king, queen, and bishop. the king counts four, the queen three, and the bishop two

One in the centre holds a cherry; while each one tries to catch it in her mouth. This simple game must be played with great good humour; if any crying or disputing begins, the play should stop at once.

This is similar to Jack Straws. A little stick with a flag upon it is placed in a cup heaping full of sand. Each child tries to knock out a little sand, without making the standard "all. The one at whose touch it falls, must rise and make a bow, or a courtesy, to each of the others.

RABBIT ON THE WALL.

When older sisters have the care of very young ones, there are a variety of ways to keep them quiet and happy. In the evening, when shadows can be cast on the wall, nothing pleases them more than rabbits' and foxes' heads, made on the wall by holding the hands thus:

1 is the rabbit; 2 is the fox. If the second and third fingers are kept moving towards each other in No. 2, it will look as if the fox were eating.

FLY AWAY, JACK!

A morsel of wet paper, or a wafer, is put upon the nails of your two middle fingers. You rest these two fingers only, side. by side, upon the edge of a table; naming one Jack, and the other Gill. You raise one suddenly, exclaiming, "Fly away Jack!" When you bring the hand down again, hide your middle finger, and place your fore-finger on the table. Then

raise the other, saying, "Fly away, Gilly' and bring down your fore-finger instead of your middle one. Then the papers have disappeared; and if you do it quick, your companions will think the birds have flown. Then raise your hand and cry, "Come again, Jack;" bring the middle finger down, and the paper is again seen. Then bid Gill come again in the same

manner.

DANCE, BUMPKIN, DANCE!

Another species of amusement on these occasions is to hold up the hand, bending thumb and fingers; keep the thumb in motion for a while, singing in a lively tone, "Dance, bumpkin, dance!" Then keep the thumb still, and move the fore fingers, singing, "Dance, ye merry men, every one! for bumpkin, he can dance alone." Then move the fore-finger, and sing, "Dance, foreman, dance!" Then move all the fingers, singing, "Dance, ye merry men, every one! for foreman, he can dance alone." Then keep the second finger in motion and sing, "Dance, middle-man, dance!" Then move all the fingers, singing, "Dance, ye merry men, one and all! for middleman, he can dance alone." Then in the same manner repeat the process with the two other fingers; calling the third finger ring-man, and the fourth finger little-man. When these changes are done rapidly, it makes babies laugh very much.