810-Lmcuter Farming, Saturday, December 14, 1996 Ephrata Cloister Offers History Class EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.) Explore the roles of women in ear ly Pennsylvania as history comes to life as part of the Ephrata Clois ter Christmas Candlelight Tours, December 26 through 29. These special first-person tours transport visitors back in time to the mid-18th century with local stu dents portraying members of the Ephrata Cloister, one of Ameri ca’s earliest communal societies. Within the original structures, guests will discover the stories of several colonial Pennsylvania women, each with choices and struggles which contributed to the development of the nation’s heri tage. Tours begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue every half-hour until 9 p.m. Space is limited and reserva tions are required. Ephrata Cloister was founded in 1732 by the German religious leader Conrad Beissel. Gathered in unique medieval style build ings, the community consisted of celibate Brothers and Sisters, and a married congregation of fami lies. The life of the celibate mem bers was characterized by severe discipline and self-denial of com fort At the zenith of the com munity in the 1740 s and 17505, about 300 members worked and worshiped at the Goister. Follow ing the death of the last celibate member in 1813 the married con gregation formed the German Se Kj.ds iKprne^ venth Day Baptist Church. Mem bers continued to live and worship at the Cloister until 1934. In 1941, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the historic site and began a program of restoration and interpretation. To day, nine original buildings are part of a 25-acre complex open for visitors daily. Tickets for the Christmas Candlelight Tours are $6 for adults, $5 for Senior Citizens age 60 and over and $4 for children age 6 through 12. Limited space is available on each tour and re servations are required. By special arrangement with The Restaurant at Doneckers a dinner and tour package is available by calling (717) 738-9502. Ephrata Cloister is located in Ephrata Borough, Lancaster County on Route 322 at the intersection with Route 272. The historic site is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to S p.m. and Sunday from noon to S p.m. Individuals wishing more in formation, reservations, or indivi duals with disabilities whtr need special assistance should call (717) 733-6600. HONESDALE (Wayne Co.) Walk into any toy store or toy department and you will find hun dreds of toys. With such a selec tion to choose from, most of us ask ourselves, “Where on earth do I begin?” The following ideas for toys, grouped according to age, are suggestions you might want to consider. It is important to take into account not only the child’s age, but also his interests and abil ities as he grows older. Babies Under IB Months: Toys should attract the baby’s attention. Select toys that baby can look at, feel, chew, hold, and, of course, drop. These toys should be washable and definitely nonbreak able, with no sharp edges or small parts that can come off or be detached such as some wheels on toy trucks or eyes on stuffed ani mals. As the baby begins to move about, select toys that will move with him, either pulled or pushed. Other suggestions are toys that attach securely to the crib, large cloth blocks or plastic beads, pic ture books, chime or squeak toys, slacking or pounding toys, and cloth dolls. 18 Months to 3 Years: Select movable toys that the child can manipulate. Again, avoid toys with small parts, since the child will still place objects in his mouth. Sturdy toys are a must at this age, but shy away from overly large or heavy toys. Sound producing toys and toys that allow the older 2-year-old to play Mom or Dad are in order. Introduce simple puzzles. For active play, try a low-built, wide-based three or four wheeled riding toy, as well as a wagon-type toy that the child can push or pull and load down with other toys. Old-fashioned dolls and child-powered cars and trucks will delight the 2-year-old. 3 to 4 Years: Play for this age child has become vigorous and he/ Toy Suggestions she is beginning to be interested in creative activites. “Make believe” is a big part of play. Select toy telephones, puppets, doll buggies, toy dishes, more advanced puz zles, large crayons and big sheets of paper, blunt scissors and finger paints, farm or village or other play sets, pull-string or friction powered-toys. 4 to 6 Years: This is the drama tic or creative age. Interest in read ing and writing will begin and grow. The child will be moving rapidly at this age and his/her attention span is lengthening. Toys with moving parts and toys that are designed to be taken apart by the child will provide hours of play. Some suggestions are doll houses, construction toys, paints, jump ropes, larger-wheeled toys, simple games, easy to read books with large print and pleasing pic tures. pretend money, story records, leam-to-tell toys, sleds and dress-up costumes. It is impossible to make a list of toys that will fit each child. Because children have different abilities and interests and skills, you must decide which toy is best for your child. Observe the child at play. You will notice that your child, like most every other child, will play in different ways. Some play will be very active, some quiet, some imaginative and crea live. At times your child will engage in social play with other children, while at other times he or she will be involved in construc tion or building or even scientific play. In choosing the toy that is best for your developing child, try to consider each of these different types of play. If you are selecting more than one toy, think of the way in which the child will play with each toy. One father noticed that his son was fascinated with a toy car. That year the child received no less than six cars and trucks! He was obviously over loaded with any one kind of toy and his “fleet” went unused for the most part, much to the father’s disappointment One final note: Children can be overloaded with toys in another way. This too frequently happens during the approaching holiday time. Many parents and other adults spend too much money on toys and frequently buy too many. It is far better, from the child’s standpoint, to give him/her a cou ple of well-selected toys at the holiday time. Then, in a few months, the child will have matured a bit more and be ready for another well-selected toy. And in another few months, another toy. he or she will enjoy them more that way, and will learn more as well.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers